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Ever heard of grounding? Once considered “woo woo,” it’s now backed by science. In this video, human biologist Gary Brecka, breaks down how it works and what the benefits of touching the natural surface of the earth are.

Science

130-Year-Old Ocean Science Assumption Overturned

For over a century, scientists believed that charged particles, or ions, in seawater remained in relatively constant ratios across the ocean. However, a recent study by a group of researchers has debunked this long-standing assumption, raising concerns about the accuracy of previous seawater studies based on it.

Mario Lebrato, station manager and chief scientist at the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies in Mozambique, led the team that challenged this assumption about seawater ion proportions. Interestingly, the original aim of their study wasn't to test this assumption. “Originally, we were trying to understand how plankton grew in different seawater conditions,” Lebrato said. His team collected seawater samples from various parts of the world to analyze plankton growth. Upon measuring the composition of a few samples, Lebrato noticed significant differences in ion proportions between seawater from different sources. “This really triggered the project,” he explained.

To further investigate, his team formed partnerships with international universities, governments, and environmental agencies over seven years. They knew it would be challenging to collect seawater samples worldwide without external assistance or substantial funding. “It’s almost impossible for anybody to organize over a hundred research cruises,” Lebrato said. These partnerships included organizations like the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Environment Canada, as well as small research cruises and individual scientists. Lebrato even received help from organizations that ventured into the Arctic Circle to retrieve seawater samples.

After seven years of research, Lebrato’s team concluded that the original assumption about ion proportions in seawater was incorrect. According to their findings, there were significant deviations in major seawater ion ratios between samples, especially in the open ocean. “Everybody knew it was expected to find deviations from the coast, deviations near the rivers, and deviations in the poles near the ice. But nobody was expecting significant deviations on the open ocean,” Lebrato said.

Scientist have relied on the idea of a consistent ion distribution in the ocean to calculate a multitude of factors, such as ocean temperature and acidity. It addition, it has a large effect on marine biology, affecting things like shell density and dissolution. What this means is that much of the research that has been used to determine potentially large problems like rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification could have major flaws.

World News

World War II-Era Sub Found

The wreck of the USS Harder (SS-257), a U.S. Navy submarine known for sinking the most Japanese warships during World War II, has been found in the South China Sea off the coast of Luzon, Philippines, after being missing for 80 years.

The USS Harder, with the motto “Hit ’em HARDER,” was located at a depth of 914 meters (3,000 feet) and is relatively intact, according to the U.S. Navy’s History and Heritage Command (NHHC). "The vessel sits upright on her keel relatively intact except for the depth-charge damage aft of the conning tower,” the NHHC stated.

The submarine went missing on August 24, 1944, during its sixth and final patrol with 79 crew members onboard.

Tim Taylor, CEO of Tiburon Subsea and the Lost 52 Project, provided the data that led to the discovery. The Lost 52 Project focuses on finding and memorializing the 52 submarines lost during World War II and has found at least six others.

“Submarines by their very design can be a challenge to identify, but the excellent state of preservation and the quality of the data collected by Lost 52 allowed for NHHC to confirm the identity of the wreck as Harder,” the NHHC said.

The wreck is protected under U.S. law and is considered a war grave. NHHC Director Samuel J. Cox, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, emphasized the importance of remembering the sacrifice of the Harder’s crew.

The Harder received the Presidential Unit Citation for its first five patrols and six battle stars for World War II service. Its fifth patrol was particularly successful, depleting the Japanese destroyer supply by sinking three and heavily damaging two others in four days. This led to Adm. Jisaburo Ozawa’s Mobile Fleet departing Tawi-Tawi ahead of schedule, affecting Japanese battle plans and contributing to their defeat in the ensuing battle.

The Philippines was a major battleground between the U.S. and Japan during World War II, and several shipwrecks are believed to be in the waters around the archipelago.

Culture

Lost Caravaggio Displayed After Near Bargain Sale

A lost Caravaggio painting, nearly sold at auction for a low price, is now on display at the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, after being identified and restored.

"Ecce Homo," painted by Caravaggio around 1606-09, will be featured in a special exhibition starting today, the museum announced.

The oil on canvas shows Jesus with a crown of thorns, blood streaming down his face and chest, with Pontius Pilate to the left and a third figure holding a red robe over Jesus' shoulders.

Caravaggio, known for his intense depictions of violence, created "Ecce Homo" late in his life while living in Naples after fleeing Rome under accusations of murder. This period marked a shift to a darker, more somber style in his work. The museum notes that the painting is one of about 60 surviving Caravaggio works, making it extremely valuable.

Originally part of King Philip IV’s collection, the painting was transferred to the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando and then exchanged for another artwork with politician Evaristo Pérez de Castro in 1823. It remained in the same family, its importance unrecognized until it appeared at auction at Ansorena in April 2021, attributed to a student of Spanish painter José de Ribera, with a starting price of 1,500 euros ($1,600).

Prado Museum experts identified the misattribution and alerted Spain’s Ministry of Culture, which imposed an export ban and declared it a national treasure. Jorge Coll, CEO of Colnaghi Gallery in Madrid, oversaw the authentication and restoration of the painting before it was sold to its current owner. Coll, citing legal reasons, did not disclose the buyer's identity or the purchase price.

The museum described the painting's discovery as one of the greatest in art history, with swift expert consensus on its authenticity. The painting has been restored meticulously and will be on display at the Prado Museum until October 13. Both the previous owner and the buyer wanted the painting to be publicly displayed at the Prado.

"It means the world," said Coll. "Everybody has to go and see it."

Mind Stretchers

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Answer to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
R (Are) U (you) in trouble? (or alternatively, U R in trouble 😆)

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