James' World 2

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Humans come in a rainbow of hues, from dark chocolate browns to nearly translucent whites.

This full kaleidoscope of skin colors was a relatively recent evolutionary development, according to biologists, occurring alongside the migration of modern humans out of Africa between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago.

The consensus among scientists has always been that lower levels of vitamin D at higher latitudes  — where the sun is less intense — caused the lightning effect when modern humans, who began darker-skinned, first migrated north.

But other factors might be at work, a new study suggests. From the varying effects of frostbite to the sexual preferences of early men, a host of theories have been reviewed.

Vitamin iDea

Vitamin D plays an important role in bone growth and the body’s natural protection against certain diseases, and the inability to absorb enough in areas of less-powerful sunlight would have decreased life expectancies in our African ancestors. The further north they trekked, the more vitamin D they needed and the lighter they got over the generations, due to natural selection.

This explanation accounts for the world’s gradients of skin color traveling south to north, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among African immigrants to higher latitudes, as well as the relatively darker skin of Canada’s Inuit peoples, who have good levels of vitamin D despite living in the Arctic, due to their diet rich in oily fish.

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A host of evolutionary pressures at work that contributed to the development of lighter skin, but for now, scientists aren’t sure exactly what produced white people. Image (Image credit: stockxpert)  Hmmmm….?

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So do look up, contrary to the title of the killer-comet movie “Don’t Look Up.”

Discovered less than a year ago, this harmless green comet already is visible in the northern night sky with binoculars and small telescopes, and possibly the naked eye in the darkest corners of the Northern Hemisphere.

It’s expected to brighten as it draws closer and rises higher over the horizon through the end of January, best seen in the predawn hours. By Feb. 10, it will be near Mars, a good landmark. Skygazers in the Southern Hemisphere will have to wait until next month for a glimpse.

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https://www.huffpost.com/entry/green-comet_n_63d4eb27e4b07c0c7e03ca10

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Police surveillance and body cameras captured the killing of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols by officers in Memphis, Tennessee, in stark and gruesome detail. The footage Memphis police released Friday shows officers punching, kicking, and pepper spraying Nichols, as well as striking him with a police baton. Nichols died three days after the Jan. 7 attack.

Memphis prosecutors have now charged five officers with Nichols’ murder and other crimes, based in part off the body camera footage. But the case is a stark reminder that such cameras, now used widely in the U.S. and touted as a way to reduce officer misconduct, have a decidedly mixed track record.

Body camera footage has been used to prosecute officers in high-profile cases of excessive force — including the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. But studies split over whether the cameras actually deter police misbehavior. A meta-analysis of 70 studies in 2019 found no evidence that body cameras significantly reduced police misconduct, while a 2021 study found a small but measurable drop in the use of force by officers wearing cameras.

“When body cameras were first rolled out in large numbers starting in 2016, there was a hope that they would help to advance public safety because police officers would behave better if they knew their actions were being monitored and recorded,” said Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel at the ACLU. “The murder of Tyre Nichols provides yet more proof that those hopeful predictions were wrong. In hindsight, body cameras have proven to have a limited and inconsistent value when it comes to holding officers accountable for their misconduct, and virtually no beneficial effect in preventing misconduct in the first place.”

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Hilary Swift

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Humans are exceptionally diverse, but we all have something in common: We’re Homo sapiens, and we share a common ancestor. But the story of how we arose, spread around the globe, and acted along the way is still emerging as scientists find new clues. Below are 10 remarkable things we learned about ancient humans in 2022, and how they affect our understanding of humanity’s journey.

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Two people explore a cave in Malaysia. Many ancient humans used caves as shelter hundreds of thousands of years ago. (Image credit: Khaichuin Sim via Getty Images)

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Here at Well+Good, we recently spoke with registered dietitian Mia Syn, MS, RDN, author of Mostly Plant-Based, who shared some of the top short- and long-term benefits of following a predominantly plant-based diet. One of the biggest takeaways? That consuming more plant-based whole foods—like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds—can help reduce your risk of chronic illness and boost your longevity.

However, like all things in life, moderation is key—and certain foods can have an adverse effect on your health (yes, even plant-based ones) when consumed in excess. According to Syn, this includes added sugars, alcohol, and—today’s topic of discussion—saturated fat.

The good news? “Nearly all plant foods—with a few unique exceptions, like coconut and palm oil—are free of saturated fat, which is directly linked to elevated cholesterol levels,” Syn says. If that doesn’t highlight the significant heart health benefits you’ll reap when you prioritize adding plant foods to your diet, we don’t know what does. Here, we followed up with the registered dietitian to learn more about why it’s important to note the saturated fat content in all foods, including plant-based ones. Plus, she explains what the hype around coconut oil is really about.

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Photo: Stocksy/ Mindy Lopez Dunlap

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https://www.wellandgood.com

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A backlash against industrial-size solar farms is brewing. At least 75 big solar projects were vetoed across the United States last year, compared to 19 in 2021. And between January 2021 and July 2022, planning permission for 23 new solar farms was rejected across England, Wales, and Scotland, when only four projects were refused between 2017 and 2020—representing the highest rejection rate in five years. Decarbonization, to some extent, risks getting bogged down by planning objections. People very often don’t want solar farms in their backyard.

France, though, appears to have a solution: transforming its parking lots into solar farms nationwide. The French Senate has approved a bill requiring new and existing lots with more than 80 spaces to be at least half covered with canopies of solar panels that sit over the parking spaces. Assuming the bill comes into effect later this year, parking lots with more than 400 spaces must be compliant by 2026; smaller ones with 80 to 400 spaces will be given until 2028.

Because they’re in abundance and cover large areas, parking lots are obvious candidates for doubling up as solar arrays. But that’s only part of the potential benefit. It makes sense aesthetically and logistically too—mass parking tends to be right next to energy-hungry urban areas, and it’s hard to make a vast asphalt lot any uglier. It’s a “no-brainer solution to providing clean electricity without wasting space,” says Joshua Pearce, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Western Ontario.

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Photograph: DAMIEN MEYER/Getty Images

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The summer of 2018 was affectionately nicknamed the Summer of Scam, as everyone on the internet devoured New York Magazine’s Anna Delvey long read—and every other scam-themed article that followed. But four years later, Summer of Scam is still going strong. My team at Truly*Adventurous has published a handful of features about con artists over the years, and we find that the best stories are the ones that give that coveted, special access to the swindler’s thinking, their notes on the back of the napkin. Because why wonder “what were they thinking?” when you can have them tell you exactly that—if you believe them, of course. (Check them all out time permitting.)

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Image by Boris SV/Getty Images

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Photo: Stocksy/Nataša Mandić

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