Ecoclimax

Most people don't realize that turning 75 in America actually means you'll probably live way longer than anyone expected when you were born. The latest Social Security data from 2024 shows a 75-year-old man will likely make it to 86. That's a full 12 years past the original life expectancy of 74. Why does this happen? It comes down to how statisticians crunch these numbers. They take 100,000 hypothetical people and apply real death rates at every age to see who survives year by year. The average age at death becomes the " life expectancy at birth " — but here's where it gets interesting. As Harvard research explains, older adults have already navigated past the biggest risks: infant mortality, accidents, and violence. Think of it like climbing a mountain. The higher you get, the better your odds of reaching the summit become — not because the climb gets easier, but because you've already proven you can handle the difficult terrain below. The numbers tell...

Barbie’s arched feet have long been a part of her image—tiny, pointed, and forever perched for stilettos. But that’s starting to change. A new study reveals that Barbie’s feet are flattening, and that shift isn’t just about doll design—it reflects a broader change in how we think about women’s fashion and comfort. A team of podiatrists at Monash University analyzed 2,750 Barbie dolls produced between 1959 and 2024. They found that while every single doll in the 1960s had permanently arched feet made to fit high heels, only about 40% of Barbies in the 2020s still have that same foot shape. This shift isn’t random. It follows Barbie’s growing list of careers—astronaut, firefighter, doctor—where practical shoes make a lot more sense than stilettos. This change was even acknowledged in the 2023 Barbie movie. In one early scene, Margot Robbie’s Barbie steps out of her heels and her feet stay arched, just like the classic dolls. But later in the film, her feet flatten out, a visual cue ...

Some parts of the world are like nature's weather rollercoasters. Summers can be blisteringly hot, winters bitterly cold, and the transition between them jarring. If you've ever lived in a place with a continental climate, you know the feeling—sweating through July and piling on five layers by January. Let's take a look at the numbers. In the U.S., the highest temperature ever recorded was 134°F (56.7°C) at Furnace Creek Ranch, California. On the flip side, Prospect Creek, Alaska, reached a bone-chilling -80°F (-62.2°C). That's a jaw-dropping 214-degree Fahrenheit swing. Russia holds an even wider gap, ranging from 113.7°F in Kalmykia to -90°F in Verkhoyansk. The map below, created by Vivid Maps shows the difference between the highest and lowest recorded temperatures by country. That kind of variation doesn't happen by chance—it's the hallmark of a continental climate, where temperature swings can be dramatic. In contrast, places closer to oceans enjoy what...

Most people picture Norway as a land of deep fjords, quiet pine forests, and crisp, clean air. In many ways, that's still true. But if you look at what’s happened to Norway’s unspoiled, never-logged forests, you get a different story—one that's less known, but worth talking about. From Wild to Managed: A Quick Look Back At the start of the 20th century, large areas of Norway were still wild. Forests stretched across valleys and mountain slopes without roads, logging, or clearings. According to the map about, roughly half of the country’s forest area in 1900 was what they call "urørt nature"—nature left alone. But things changed fast. Logging expanded, and infrastructure crept into areas that had been undisturbed for centuries. By 1940, the untouched forest area had shrunk noticeably. After World War II, Norway’s economy boomed—and so did demand for timber. Bulldozers followed logging roads deep into the woods. By 1988, just a tiny fraction of these forests remained un...

They were like two different species—a massive Great Dane with dinner plate feet, and a Chihuahua no larger than a coffee cup. But when Reggie and Pearl met each other for the first time, something extraordinary happened. Although on opposite ends of the size range of dogs, the two animals shared a moment of friendship that was poignant and enlightening. This session was not a feel-good story. It was an impressive illustration of what two hundred years of human-controlled selective breeding can produce—sometimes with pleasant outcomes, and sometimes with unexpected consequences. A Meeting of Extremes On April 4–5, 2025, in Idaho Falls, two of the world’s most remarkable dogs met face to face . Reggie, the tallest living male dog at 3 feet 3 inches (99 cm) tall at the shoulder, welcomed Pearl, the shortest living dog at just 3.6 inches (9.14 cm) tall. Pearl traveled from Florida to meet Reggie at his home. The meeting was arranged by Guinness World Records to celebrate their 70...

You might not think of your childhood diet as something that could impact your risk of cancer decades later. But emerging research is pointing to a surprising link between early-life exposure to certain gut bacteria and the growing number of young adults developing colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer. This isn’t about food poisoning or bad takeout. It’s about a subtle, long-term shift in the gut microbiome—especially from diets high in ultra-processed foods—that may be fueling one of the fastest-growing cancer trends of our time. The Surge in Early-Onset Colon Cancer Colon cancer has traditionally been considered a disease of the elderly. Something is changing, however. If current trends continue, colorectal cancer will be the leading cancer killer in young adults by 2030. This rise has puzzled doctors and researchers. While lifestyle factors like alcohol and obesity play a role , they don’t fully explain why more people under 50 are being diagnosed—and often with aggressive forms of...