As Black Lives Matter protests continue across the United States, the potential spread of coronavirus has become a point of national attention. According to The New York Times article “George Floyd Protests: A Timeline,” protests against racism and police brutality have been organized in at least 140 cities and in all 50 states across the country.
BY FIONA HINDS ’21
In the summer of 2013, the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter detected methane emissions in the Gale crater, a large depression near the Martian equator, according to the New York Times. Their findings were later replicated by NASA’s Curiosity rover, which measured levels of methane in the air that lasted for about two months. Methane on Earth is usually produced by living things, so this finding is both exciting and bewildering for scientists, who believe it could potentially indicate alien life.
BY FIONA HINDS ’21
A cardinal spotted in January by a resident of Erie, Pennsylvania was different than most. According to an article published by the New York Times titled “A Rare Bird Indeed: A Cardinal That’s Half Male, Half Female,” this bird, which displayed both male and female sex characteristics, is known as a bilateral gynandromorph. Its left side appears to be the tawny brown of a female, while its right side displays the vivid scarlet of a male cardinal.
BY FIONA HINDS ’21
Throughout history, lavender has played an important role in medicine and folklore. According to the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine’s website, Lavandula angustifolia, or English lavender, is the most common species grown and used medicinally. Its most common medicinal uses include remedying digestive issues, headaches, grief and stress.
BY FIONA HINDS ’21
The town of South Hadley initiated a ban on singleuse plastic bags in July 2018, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Stores throughout the town have transitioned to offering only paper, compostable, biodegradable or reusable bags. Voters approved this plan during the April 2017 town election with a vote of 921 infavor and 552 against. As of October 2018, 85 towns across Massachusetts, including Amherst and Northampton, have implemented plastic bag regulations.
