OKLAHOMA EVOLUTION/CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS–MAY 2023

1.  Pro-/anti- science education legislation in other states

2.  Anti-science education legislation in other countries

3.  Archaea in a warming climate become less diverse, more predictable

4. The new human pangenome could help unveil the biology of everyone

5.  Global climate change amplifies risk of flash droughts and threatens croplands

6. Bizarre Sea Creatures Illuminate the Dawn of the Animal Kingdom

7.  Solar power due to overtake oil production investment for first time, IEA says

8.  May videos

PRO-/ANTI- SCIENCE EDUCATION LEGISLATION IN OTHER STATES

Texas–When the Texas state legislature adjourned sine die on May 29, 2023, a pair of identical bills that would have harmed science education, House Bill 1804 and Senate Bill 2089, died in committee. If enacted, the bills would have amended the state education code to require that instructional material adopted by the state board of education “present a scientific theory in an objective educational manner that: (i) clearly distinguishes the theory from fact; and (ii) includes evidence for both the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of the theory.”
Clause (i) appears to reflect a common misconception about facts and theories. “In scientific terms, ‘theory’ does not mean ‘guess’ or ‘hunch’ as it does in everyday usage,” as the National Academy of Science explained in its publication Science and Creationism, second edition (1999). “Scientific theories are explanations of natural phenomena built up logically from testable observations and hypotheses. Biological evolution is the best scientific explanation we have for the enormous range of observations about the living world. … [S]cientists can also use [“fact”] to mean something that has been tested or observed so many times that there is no longer a compelling reason to keep testing or looking for examples. The occurrence of evolution in this sense is a fact.”  More at NCSE.

New Jersey–A recent poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University suggests that “Jersey residents overwhelmingly support required education about climate change, with 70 percent of residents favoring it, and concerns that it might upset children having no impact on their views.”
Respondents were presented with the prompt “Currently, students in New Jersey public schools are required to learn about climate change” followed by either “Some people say that this is an important topic in science and society that children should learn about; others say that learning about climate change might be too upsetting for them” or “For various reasons, some people think climate change should not be part of the curriculum,” and then asked, “What do you think? Should children be required to learn about climate change in school?” There was not a statistically significant difference in the responses to the two versions of the question.  More at NCSE.

Utah–“Climate change was restored to Utah’s supplemental state standards for science and engineering education by one vote late Thursday night,” the Deseret News (May 5, 2023) reported.
Previously, while considering a draft of standards for courses such as human anatomy, genetics, geology, meteorology, and marine biology/oceanography, the Standards and Assessment Committee of the board voted 3-2 to remove a standard that “called for students to be taught how to evaluate proposed designed solutions intended to reduce the impacts of climate change” from the meteorology standards. Also under consideration but not adopted was a proposal to “include alternative theories about how rocks formed, such as the impact of the Great Flood described by the Book of Genesis.”  More at NCSE and KNWA.

ANTI-SCIENCE EDUCATION LEGISLATION IN OTHER COUNTRIES

India–In India, children under 16 returning to school this month at the start of the school year will no longer be taught about evolution, the periodic table of elements or sources of energy.

The news that evolution would be cut from the curriculum for students aged 15–16 was widely reported last month, when thousands of people signed a petition in protest. But official guidance has revealed that a chapter on the periodic table will be cut, too, along with other foundational topics such as sources of energy and environmental sustainability. Younger learners will no longer be taught certain pollution- and climate-related topics, and there are cuts to biology, chemistry, geography, mathematics and physics subjects for older school students.  More at Nature.

ARCHAEA IN A WARMING CLIMATE BECOME LESS DIVERSE, MORE PREDICATABLE

Led by Jizhong Zhou, Ph.D., the director of the Institute for Environmental Genomics at the University of Oklahoma, an international research team conducted a long term experiment that found that climate warming reduced the diversity of and significantly altered the community structure of soil archaea. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

At the microbiological level, life can be described as belonging to one of three kingdoms—how species are described in relation to one another. Eukarya contains complex organisms like animals and plants and microorganisms such as fungi. The other two categories, bacteria and archaea, are comprised only of microorganisms.
Archaea are prevalent in a range of environments, from some of the most hostile like volcanoes and permafrost. However, archaea are also common in the human microbiome and as an important part of soil ecology.  More at phys.org, Science Daily, Newswise, and Aninews.  Original paper in Nature Climate Change.

THE NEW HUMAN PANGENOME COULD HELP UNVEIL THE BIOLOGY OF EVERYONE

More than 20 years after people got a peek at the first draft of the human genome, our genetic instruction book, researchers have unlocked the next level: the human pangenome.
In four studies published May 10 in Nature, researchers describe the achievement, how the pangenome was built and some of the new biology scientists are learning from it.
The more complete reference book, which includes almost all the DNA of 47 people, will allow researchers to explore types of variation that could never be examined before, such as large chunks of duplicated, lost or rearranged DNA. That work could possibly reveal more details about the genetic underpinnings of heart diseases, schizophrenia and various other diseases and disorders.  More at Science News, Science, New York Times, and Nature.  Original papers at Nature here, here, here, and here.

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AMPLIFIES RISK OF FLASH DROUGHTS AND THREATENS CROPLANDS

The intensification of flash droughts, rapid and unexpected drought events, poses a significant threat to agricultural and ecological systems
University of Oklahoma researchers have assessed the consequences of climate change on flash droughts and the global agricultural landscape.
Their study highlights the increasing threat posed by flash droughts and offers valuable projections for the future.

Lead author Jordan Christian, a postdoctoral researcher, and the team have published a study titled “Global projections of flash drought show increased risk in a warming climate” in Nature Communications Earth and Environment.
Their study employs global climate model simulations to quantify the projected changes in flash drought occurrence and cropland risk.  More at openaccessgovernment, The Conversation,  earth.com, Azocleantech, Bollyinside, and Mirage News.  Original paper at Nature Communications Earth and Environment.

BIZARRE SEA CREATURES ILLUMINATE THE DAWN OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

One of the greatest transformations in the history of life occurred more than 600 million years ago, when a single-celled organism gave rise to the first animals. With their multicellular bodies, animals evolved into a staggering range of forms, like whales that weigh 200 tons, birds that soar six miles into the sky and sidewinders that slither across desert dunes.
Scientists have long wondered what the first animals were like, including questions about their anatomy and how they found food. In a study published on Wednesday, scientists found tantalizing answers in a little-known group of gelatinous creatures called comb jellies. While the first animals remain a mystery, scientists found that comb jellies belong to the deepest branch on the animal family tree.  More at New York Times and Science.  Original paper at Nature.

SOLAR POWER DUE TO OVERTAKE OIL PRODUCTION INVESTMENT FOR FIRST TIME, IEA SAYS

Investment in clean energy will extend its lead over spending on fossil fuels in 2023, the International Energy Agency said, with solar projects expected to outpace outlays on oil production for the first time.
Annual investment in renewable energy is up by nearly a quarter since 2021 compared to a 15% rise for fossil fuels, the Paris-based energy watchdog said in its World Energy Investment report.

Around 90% of that clean energy spending comes from advanced economies and China, however, highlighting the global divide between rich and poor countries as fossil fuel investment is still double the levels needed to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century.  More at Reuters  and slashdot.  Original report at IEA.

MAY VIDEOS

Darwin says Bacteria Rule the World

Darwin and leaves that close up when touched