On the outcomes of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on a global plastics treaty

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https://council.science/news/on-the-outcomes-of-inc5/?utm%5C_source=rss&utm%5C_medium=rss&utm%5C_campaign=on-the-outcomes-of-inc5

On the outcomes of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on a global plastics treaty

@science

https://council.science/news/on-the-outcomes-of-inc5/

When a crow dies, other crows gather to investigate the death and learn about potential threats. According to research published in Animal Behaviour, crows will send out warning calls when they spot a dead crow, typically attracting 5-11 additional birds that mob together for 10-20 minutes while scolding loudly[^1].

This behavior serves a critical survival purpose - the crows are actively trying to identify what killed their fellow crow and remember details to avoid the same fate. "If I were to find a dead person in the woods I might be feeling sad but I'd also be alarmed and likely looking for the cause of death to make sure I'm not next," explains crow researcher Kaeli Swift[^2].

The crows' investigation can influence their future behavior. They will avoid areas previously associated with crow deaths and can learn to recognize specific humans they saw near dead crows as threats. In experimental studies, crows continued to scold and mob people they associated with dead crows even 6 weeks later, with 38% of crow pairs maintaining this response[^3].

[^1]: Corvidresearch Blog - Why crows gather around their dead

[^2]: Corvidresearch Blog - What are crows thinking when they see death?

[^3]: World Economic Forum - Crows will investigate the deaths of other crows

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/40892139

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/40892136

It's amazing to me that we can still find new heavenly bodies within our own solar system in 2025. Not to mention the possibility that we have data that suggests there might be yet another beyond Pluto, but that's still speculative.

Science: one of the only topics that doesn't suck in 2025.

Action must be taken to curb the use of plastic additives linked to plummeting sperm counts, a leading reproductive scientist has warned, as splits over chemical regulation contributed to the collapse of a crucial treaty on plastic pollution.

Across the world, sperm counts have been declining at a rate of about 1% a year for the past 50 years, and human fertility has been diminishing at a similar rate, studies have shown.

Increasing levels of obesity, sedentary lifestyles and ageing populations have all been held up as possible causes. But according to Dr Shanna Swan, professor of environmental medicine and public health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, environmental factors play the most significant role.

Physical constants sometimes show unexpectedly simple mathematical relationships that may signal deeper theoretical connections. According to Amir, Lemeshko and Tokieda, the ratio of proton mass to electron mass (1836.15267245) matches 6π⁵ (1836.1181) to five significant figures[^1]. The researchers developed a probability model to determine whether such matches are coincidental or meaningful, finding that for 5-digit numbers like 1836.1, there is only a 1.2% chance of a random match with simple mathematical expressions[^1].

The study also highlights proven cases where numerical coincidences revealed real physics, such as the Stefan-Boltzmann law's "funny prefactor" of 40.802624638, which exactly equals 2π⁵/15 and emerges from Planck's theory[^1]. The researchers created a framework for evaluating these potential connections by analyzing expressions built from common mathematical constants (π, e, γ, φ) using basic operations like addition, multiplication and exponents[^1].

[^1]: Surprises in numerical expressions of physical constants

These solid-like clusters, thought to be irreversible, can act as sponges that soak up surrounding proteins key for brain health, contributing to neurological disorders.