User Rating: 3 / 5
The disappearance of the Mayan Empire is all the more mysterious because it happened not once, but twice. The earliest civilization that took root during the heart of antiquity prospered for hundreds upon hundreds of years, with innovations that rivaled those of Egypt. Unlike the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, however, the Mayans grew their population on the back of corn, beans, squash, and chiles, rather than wheat. Even so, they began building the first of their grand temples before they would vanish, but what was the cause of the end of this empire?
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BALTIMORE – In a first-of-its-kind surgery, a 57-year-old patient with terminal heart disease received a successful transplant of a genetically-modified pig heart and is still doing well three days later. It was the only currently available option for the patient. The historic surgery was conducted by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) faculty at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), together known as the University of Maryland Medicine.
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Doctoral student Amir Haluts is researching the unusual and dangerous sex lives of golden orb-weaver spiders. Imagine a two-dimensional enclosed space, where a murderous female ruler sits in the center. Contestants are thrown into the ring, and they seem puny compared to her, but one of them manages to overcome his competitors to maneuver in behind her without her noticing, and wins the right to potentially mate with her. This could be the plot of a bloody reality show – or a Squid Game challenge – but it's actually the way of life of the golden orb-weaver spiders (Trichonephila), common in Africa, South America and the Far East.
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A State by State Interactive Graph
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available.
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Archaeologists may finally know the age and true identity of the “Rude Man,” also known as the Cerne Abbas Giant, one of dozens of geoglyphs etched into the British countryside. In March 2020, archaeologists traveled to a hilltop in Dorset, England, to bag a giant. They sliced into his elbows and feet, then took bits of him back to their labs in bags and metal tubes. No actual behemoth was harmed in the process, because the Cerne Abbas Giant is a geoglyph—a large artwork emblazoned into the landscape. The 180-foot-tall figure was created by scouring away grass to reveal the white chalk beneath, then packing the trenches with more chalk quarried nearby. Thanks largely to his 35-foot phallus, the giant has become a beloved fertility icon. According to folklore, couples who couple on his crotch will successfully conceive.
