Although glaciers look barren, hundreds of microbial species call them home. Many of them are ancient—having roamed free thousands of years ago—and alien to researchers. Because we haven’t encountered them before, they could potentially cause a slew of pandemics if they escape their icy prisons. This poses a problem: the Earth is warming faster than ever before, accelerating their release. These microbes can make their way into human populations through freshwater; for instance, the Tibetan Plateau glaciers feed into three major rivers running through the most populated countries on earth. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here
Merv
March 29, 2023
