Latest news with #AmericanMuseumOfNaturalHistory
The Independent
a day ago
- Science
- The Independent
Fireflies are lighting up summer skies. But the glowing bugs are still on the decline
Fireflies are lighting up summer evenings across the U.S. Northeast, putting on dazzling shows in backyards and city parks. There's no official count, but experts say a particularly wet spring may have created the ideal conditions for young fireflies to grow into adults to set summer nights aglow. Fireflies light the night everywhere: There are over 2,000 known species across the globe. They use their characteristic flashes to communicate and find the perfect mate. In New York City, the lightning bugs are out in the five boroughs, sparkling once the sun goes down in places like Central Park and Prospect Park. The summer months are ideal to spot them as they start to dwindle throughout the month of August. While northeastern nights may seem brighter this summer, the bugs are still on the decline and they're waning at a faster rate than ever before. 'It would be a mistake to say firefly populations are high this year, therefore there's no decline,' said Matt Schlesinger with the New York Natural Heritage Program, who is part of an effort to count fireflies in state parks. Habitat loss, pesticide use and light pollution are responsible for a decline in population. In cities, blaring lights from billboards, cars and storefronts can drown out the bugs' glow, making it harder for them to find their kin and pass their genes onto the next generation. Fireflies are part of the story of summer, said entomologist Jessica Ware with the American Museum of Natural History. Her children grew up seeing them flash in her backyard, but the bugs started to disappear once her kids hit their teenage years. In the past few months, her family has seen the fireflies come back. Their return made her think about all the kids who are glimpsing the glowing bugs for the very first time. 'It shouldn't be new,' Ware said. 'It should be something that is a universal part of summer.' To look out for fireflies, consider turning the lights off at night and avoid spraying front lawns with insecticides. 'We still need to do some work ourselves, to change our behavior, to really make sure that large populations can continue to stay large,' Ware said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Science
- Associated Press
Fireflies are lighting up summer skies. But the glowing bugs are still on the decline
NEW YORK (AP) — Fireflies are lighting up summer evenings across the U.S. Northeast, putting on dazzling shows in backyards and city parks. There's no official count, but experts say a particularly wet spring may have created the ideal conditions for young fireflies to grow into adults to set summer nights aglow. Fireflies light the night everywhere: There are over 2,000 known species across the globe. They use their characteristic flashes to communicate and find the perfect mate. In New York City, the lightning bugs are out in the five boroughs, sparkling once the sun goes down in places like Central Park and Prospect Park. The summer months are ideal to spot them as they start to dwindle throughout the month of August. While northeastern nights may seem brighter this summer, the bugs are still on the decline and they're waning at a faster rate than ever before. 'It would be a mistake to say firefly populations are high this year, therefore there's no decline,' said Matt Schlesinger with the New York Natural Heritage Program, who is part of an effort to count fireflies in state parks. Habitat loss, pesticide use and light pollution are responsible for a decline in population. In cities, blaring lights from billboards, cars and storefronts can drown out the bugs' glow, making it harder for them to find their kin and pass their genes onto the next generation. Fireflies are part of the story of summer, said entomologist Jessica Ware with the American Museum of Natural History. Her children grew up seeing them flash in her backyard, but the bugs started to disappear once her kids hit their teenage years. In the past few months, her family has seen the fireflies come back. Their return made her think about all the kids who are glimpsing the glowing bugs for the very first time. 'It shouldn't be new,' Ware said. 'It should be something that is a universal part of summer.' To look out for fireflies, consider turning the lights off at night and avoid spraying front lawns with insecticides. 'We still need to do some work ourselves, to change our behavior, to really make sure that large populations can continue to stay large,' Ware said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Science
- News.com.au
New technology uncovers hidden details of Egypt's 2,300-year-old 'untouchable' mummy
Modern technology has helped shed further light on an Ancient Egyptian mystery after spending millennia under wraps. The Bashiri Mummy, also known as the 'untouchable one', has long remained unravelled – as researchers have feared causing damage to the intricately wrapped fabric. It is believed by some sources that Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered this mummy in the Valley of the Kings, The Sun reports. This is the same area he would famously go on to uncover King Tutankhamun's tomb. But according to Discover magazine, the most that is known for sure is that the 'untouchable one' was found, but that no researchers have dared attempt to unfurl its cloth. Prior to the invention of X-ray and CT scanners, people would unwrap these ancient mummies to study them – causing severe damage. New technology has lessened the need for such methods of study, allowing researchers to learn more about ancient artefacts while inflicting less harm on them. It brings them one step closer to understanding the mysteries of the Bashiri Mummy. The untouchable one's face wrappings are said to be unique, featuring a pattern resembling the base of a pyramid. According to the American Museum of Natural History, 'In the past, the only way to learn about a mummy was to unwrap it. 'But this widespread practice destroyed the mummy, often detaching body parts." Scans have now revealed fresh details about the mummy. Researchers have established that the Bashiri Mummy would have been an adult man who stood about 5.5 feet (1.7 metres) tall. He would have lived in the Ptolemaic Era – which spanned from 305BC to 30BC. This makes the mummy around a staggering 2,300 years old. The X-ray scan also showed an inscription of the man's name, according to the Egypt Museum. However, it is not fully clear if Pacheri or Nenu are written, leaving some mysteries around the mummy still unresolved. The museum added that the mummy's encasement was decorated with 'various scenes arranged in registers, notably the mummy lying on a bed, surrounded by the goddesses Isis and Nephtys, and the four sons of Horus.' 'Finally, the casing around the feet has two images of the funerary god Anubis,' it adds. It is not the only incredible discovery of the Ancient World unveiled in recent weeks. A network of dimly lit tunnels under Rome's Capitoline Hill could soon become the city's latest tourist hot spot. The secret underground city covers some 42,000 square feet (3,902 square metres) under the Ancient Roman Forum – and reaches depths of 985 feet (300 metres) below the surface. It is expected to be open for visitors from late 2026 or early 2027, CNN has reported.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Mysteries of 2,300-year-old mummy Bashiri ‘The Untouchable' revealed after researchers refused to unwrap ancient fabric
MODERN technology has helped shed further light on an Ancient Egyptian mystery after spending millennia under wraps. The Bashiri Mummy, also known as the "untouchable one", has long remained unravelled - as researchers have feared causing damage to the intricately wrapped fabric. 5 5 5 It is believed by some sources that Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered this mummy in the Valley of the Kings. This is the same area he would famously go on to uncover King Tutankhamun's tomb. But according to Discover magazine, the most that is known for sure is that the "untouchable one" was found, but that no researchers have dared attempt to unfurl its cloth. Prior to the invention of X-ray and CT scanners, people would unwrap these ancient mummies to study them - causing severe damage. New technology has lessened the need for such methods of study, allowing researchers to learn more about ancient artefacts while inflicting less harm on them. It brings them one step closer to understanding the mysteries of the Bashiri Mummy. The untouchable one's face wrappings are said to be unique, featuring a pattern resembling the base of a pyramid. According to the American Museum of Natural History, "In the past, the only way to learn about a mummy was to unwrap it. "But this widespread practice destroyed the mummy, often detaching body parts." Scans have now revealed fresh details about the mummy. Researchers have established that the Bashiri Mummy would have been an adult man who stood about 5.5 feet tall. He would have lived in the Ptolemaic Era - which spanned from 305 BC to 30 BC. This makes the mummy around a staggering 2,300 years old. The X-ray scan also showed an inscription of the man's name, according to the Egypt Museum. However, it is not fully clear if Pacheri or Nenu are written, leaving some mysteries around the mummy still unresolved. The museum added that the mummy's encasement was decorated with "various scenes arranged in registers, notably the mummy lying on a bed, surrounded by the goddesses Isis and Nephtys, and the four sons of Horus." "Finally, the casing around the feet has two images of the funerary god Anubis," it adds. It is not the only incredible discovery of the Ancient World unveiled in recent weeks. A network of dimly lit tunnels under Rome's Capitoline Hill could soon become the city's latest tourist hot spot. The secret underground city covers some 42,000 square feet under the Ancient Roman Forum - and reaches depths of 985 feet below the surface. It is expected to be open for visitors from late 2026 or early 2027, CNN has reported. 5 5
New York Times
18-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
N.Y.C. Museum Will Offer Free Admission to Food Stamp Recipients
Good morning. It's Friday. Today we'll look at a new admission policy at the American Museum of Natural History. We'll also find out about the Justice Department's firing of a career prosecutor in Manhattan who is the daughter of James Comey, the former F.B.I. director and an adversary of President Trump. Quietly, at a time when the federal government is cutting social safety net programs, a museum in New York City has begun offering free admission to food stamp recipients. The American Museum of Natural History already has a pay-what-you-wish policy for New York residents. But the museum has now introduced a no-cost membership tier available to anyone from New York receiving benefits under what is officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The museum will also admit as many as four guests with the recipient, free. The new membership, called 'Discoverer,' will also open the way to exhibitions that require separate tickets, like 'Encounters in the Milky Way' in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater. For nonmembers who live in New York State, ticketed exhibitions cost $5 in addition to admission, which is listed as $25 for an adult who lives in New York and $14 for a child who does. The museum charges out-of-state visitors more. Molly Wasow Park, the commissioner of the city's Department of Social Services, said the museum was the first to make such an arrangement for SNAP recipients. The museum will not deduct money from a recipient's benefits card, and is not receiving additional funding from the city, which allocates roughly $14.8 million a year to the museum through the Department of Cultural Affairs. SNAP benefits in the city are administered through the Human Resources Administration, a unit of the Department of Social Services. The museum says it was already in talks with the two city agencies about the arrangement for SNAP recipients months before the Trump administration took office in January. Roughly 130,000 people in New York City could lose food stamp benefits under the Trump administration's sweeping new policy bill. 'There are half a million children in New York City who are receiving SNAP,' Park said, and they should 'have the same opportunity their peers will have.' She said the Discoverer tier would 'break down some of the barriers that exist between income groups in New York City.' Also, she said, 'looking up at the whale is really terrific.' Sean Decatur, the president of the museum, said the goal was to make the museum more accessible, and thus to interest more children in science even after they have visited on school field trips. 'We know that we have a base of families who have children who come to the museum but don't necessarily come back on their own outside of school,' he said. 'That's part of the core group we hope to reach' through the Discoverer program — 'students who had a good learning experience as part of a school trip. They can then come back with families and make the museum a regular place to visit.' That could lead to something more than memories later in students' lives, he said, adding that he had been struck by how many scientists had told him that 'their path began with going to shows at the planetarium.' 'There's a spark that can get lit with young people,' he said, 'and we want to make sure that spark gets lit.' Weather Expect a mostly sunny day with a high near 86 degrees. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low near 70. ALTERNATE-SIDE PARKING In effect until Aug. 3 (Tisha B'Av). The latest New York news Could faith leaders' endorsements sway the race for mayor?: The I.R.S. has decided that houses of worship will not endanger their tax-exempt status by endorsing candidates. The move provides a potential lifeline for Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who have both relied heavily on support from influential synagogues and Black churches. Law enforcement unions back Adams: The mayor, whose law-and-order message helped carry him into City Hall four years ago, joined labor leaders and members from 13 unions who filled the steps of City Hall in a show of support. 'Why do you continue to lie?': At a House hearing, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy snapped at Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Manhattan Democrat, in a clash over safety in the New York subway system. Nadler, for his part, accused Duffy of distorting statistics to make the subway seem more dangerous than it is. N.Y.P.D. officer accused of theft: Officer Yeison Rodriguez Acosta, who previously worked for Wells Fargo, was accused of stealing more than $87,000 from 14 customer accounts. Prosecutors said he spent the money on luxury car payments and a body-shaping program. A24's Off Broadway theater: The indie film studio bought the Cherry Lane Theater in the West Village and renovated it. Coming in the fall: films chosen by Sofia Coppola, food from Frenchette and the voice of Barbra Streisand. What we're watching: On 'The New York Times Close Up with Sam Roberts,' Stefanos Chen, who covers transportation for The Times, talks about the realities of subway flooding and congestion pricing and the possibility of fare-free buses. The program is broadcast on CUNY TV at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Fired by Trump, a prosecutor calls fear 'the tool of a tyrant' Maurene Comey, who helped prosecute Jeffrey Epstein and Sean Combs, has been fired by the Trump administration, which did not give a detailed explanation for the dismissal. Comey, the daughter of James Comey, the former F.B.I. director and longtime adversary of President Trump, sent an email that was circulated to her former colleagues in the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan. 'If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, that may seep into the decisions of those who remain,' she wrote. 'Do not let that happen.' Fear, she added, was 'the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought.' She learned that she had been fired in a letter from a Justice Department official in Washington who cited Article II of the Constitution, which broadly describes the powers of the president, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Firings of career prosecutors used to be rare. But they have become more common since Trump's inauguration in January. Last week, more than 20 career employees at the Justice Department were dismissed, including the ethics adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi. METROPOLITAN diary The brick Dear Diary: In my Brooklyn youth, fireworks were an amazement. I hunted firecrackers on the ground, searching for ones that had not gone off among the confetti litter of those that had. Kids said fireworks could be bought at Stacy Car Service, a long bike ride away. If I was caught with them, I knew that between the cops, my father and the nuns, I would be seriously dead. It happens. I pooled my allowance and coins I had hustled running errands for my grandmother. I made that long bike ride, farther than I had ever gone before. I waited in a dim stairwell next door to Stacy's. A man appeared. 'I want a brick,' I said. A brick: 80 packs of 16 firecrackers for a total of 1,280. I handed over the money. The man left and returned shortly with a rumpled grocery sack containing the contraband. 'Don't tell anyone,' he said. On the long ride home, clutching the bag to my handlebars, I realized that this was the riskiest thing I had ever done. Back at home, the brick was wrapped in red wax paper with a label that showed a black cat and Chinese script. There was a single fuse if you wanted to light the entire brick at once, an unbelievable extravagance to ponder. Somehow, I survived the wonders of my youth. — Vincent P. Barkley Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Tell us your New York story here and read more Metropolitan Diary here. Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B. P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here. Luke Caramanico and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@ Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
