Fish are taking antidepressants–at least they’re absorbing them in the water they’re swimming in. It turns out that fish exhibit abnormal behavior and lower levels of anxiety when exposed to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which are common drugs used to treat depression. This has implications not only for the environment but for communities planning to begin wastewater reuse programs.
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We worry about fighting off an alien invasion in the future, but the biggest invasion of new creatures may be right here on Earth RIGHT NOW. We’ve warned you before that as the world heats up and glaciers melt, dangerous microbes may return to life. Russian scientists agree and want to investigate the gigantic Lake Vostok in Antarctica that is now hidden under over two miles of ice. The creatures in that lake have been locked away in the dark and cold for 20 million years.
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Water is becoming something that is in short supply, meaning we may soon be drinking reclaimed wastewater, especially in the desert states of the West (which, ironically, are the fastest-growing areas of the US). We know our drinking water is laced with prescription medicines, but WHAT ELSE is in there–and can it be removed before we drink it?
San Diego is trying to do just that, with a water treatment plant that cost $13 million and produces a million gallons of potable water daily.
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An Earth-like planet recently spotted outside our solar system is the first that atromomers have found that could support liquid water and harbor life.
Liquid water is what astronomers look for, and the newly found planet is located at the perfect distance from its sun—just the right distance so that the water on its surface doesn’t freeze or vaporize.
The new planet is about 50% bigger than Earth and about five times more massive. It’s called Gliese 581 C, after its star, Gliese 581, a small red dwarf star that is about one-third as massive as the Sun.
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