HealthNews

Total eclipse watchers test theories on why shadow bands occur

Race water Phantom serpents. Light and dark patterns that ripple.
Since centuries, solar eclipse observers have vividly described a spooky phenomenon called shadow bands. These appear just before and immediately after totality – the time when the moon blocks out the light of the sun and the sky turns dark. The ground and sides of buildings are covered with long dark lines separated by spaces.
David Turnshek was a teenager when he first saw shadow bands.
“I would guess that I was 14 at the time. “I went to see the total eclipse near Virginia Beach. In 1970 I made my telescope and went to Virginia Beach to take pictures of the eclipse.
While I was there, I saw that these light bands were moving across the earth just before the total solar eclipse.
Shadow bands are easily visible to the human eye, but difficult to capture in photographs and videos due their subtle contrast.
Turnshek has focused his research in astronomy on galaxy formation, and the cores (quasars) of ancient, distant galaxies. He has kept his curiosity as a young man about the shadow bands, which have two opposing theories and no conclusive explanation.
Scientists will have another chance to investigate this mystery when a total solar eclipse occurs on Wednesday. The path of totality will pass through northern Russia, east Greenland and western Iceland as well as the north half of Spain, northeast corner of Portugal, northern Spain, and the northern part of Spain.
Amazing results
For the first time since 1999, a total eclipse of the sun crossed the United States coast-to-coast in 2017. Turnshek, who had secured NASA funding for the study of the event, traveled to Tennessee along with University of Pittsburgh students known as the Pitt Shadow Bandits.
They wanted to prove the theory that was first proposed in 1980, that air currents moving irregularly in the atmosphere caused shadow bands. The turbulence is visible when the moon covers the majority of the sun, just before totality. This leaves only a small sliver. The same is true for stars that twinkle when seen from Earth. The effect of the sun is not usually seen due to its size.
Photodiodes were placed on the ground as well as on a balloon at high altitude, and the data collected on light patterns was compared before and after the totality.
The data collected was then analysed using spectrograms. This is a visual representation of the intensity of light waves, and their changes over time. The team observed shadow bands in the air, but none on the 25 km (15.5 mile) balloon.
Turnshek remembered that the results were unexpected. Researchers found that a signal at a frequency of 4.5 hertz was sustained, both in high altitudes and on the surface.
He said: “We observed this effect both above and below the surface of the earth, which means that the dominant theory about shadow bands may be incorrect in that it is not the only possible explanation.”
The findings from the 2017 eclipse suggested another explanation, known as the diffraction-interference, might be responsible for shadow bands. When light waves encounter an obstruction, they are diffracted. When light waves are bent around an obstacle, like a boundary or a sharp edge of a knife, they interfere and create dark and bright bands.
“At one point in time it was the most popular theory, that it was some kind of diffraction-interference effect,” he said.
The thought was, “Well, there is an eclipse and even though the moon has a curvy edge, it acts like a kind of knife edge.”
They checked that it was not a faulty electronic device that had produced false readings. Turnshek’s student researchers and he looked for a way to replicate the findings, pointing out that it did not necessarily mean the theory was wrong.
Turnshek explained that when you face a complex situation in the sciences, two things can be true simultaneously, and contribute to the phenomenon.
Turnshek led a second student team of researchers to Concan in Texas on April 8, 2024. This was within the totality path and the area where it would be the clearest weather.
Cloud cover prevented the researchers from detecting shadow bands, despite the fact that they deployed more sensitive sensors. Two high-altitude weather balloons and two balloons equipped with light sensors were used to collect data on temperature, humidity, wind speed, pressure and other variables.
Turnshek stated that “for the most part it was cloudy at ground level, but when we launched our two high altitude balloons we did not see any signals due to the shadow bands, despite the fact the detector we used was more sensitive.” “Ofcourse, I was extremely disappointed.”
A team of researchers was able to install an extra set of sensors in an aircraft flying over Vermont where there were more clear skies. However, the spectrogram of the aircraft did not display the 4.5 hertz pattern that they observed on the balloon at high altitude during the 2017 eclipse. Researchers were also unable to conduct any ground-based observations of shadow bands in Vermont. This rendered the data as inconclusive.
An open book
Turnshek and some of his colleagues will visit Leon, Spain to witness the solar eclipse. However, he says he won’t be able to repeat the experiment due to the logistics involved. He’s there primarily as a visitor this time.
The eclipse is a spectacular event, so I thought I’d just enjoy it in Spain. But I couldn’t resist, so I took one of our electronic detectors with me.
Turnshek hopes that he can detect the bands of shadow and record video using the ground-based technology he used in Texas 2024. It will be impossible to clarify the results without using measurements taken from above by a balloon or plane.
Maybe someone will read our results for 2017 and 2024 and say “I am in Spain.” “I’ve got my plane.”
What are the Shadow Bands?
Turnshek’s not the only one looking for shadow bands to record on Wednesday.
Gordon Telepun will attend the eclipse on Mallorca, the Spanish Island. He was a NASA Ambassador in 2017 and 2020 to spread knowledge about eclipses. In five out of seven eclipses, he’s seen bands in the shadow.
You won’t see the bands on asphalt, grass or anything like that. Telepun has created an app to help you find the bands.
If you want to find them, then you need to be able to recognize rows. You should know what to look for. “They’re going be very faint.”
He noted that shadow bands were easy to overlook because they occur just before totality – the most thrilling time for viewers wearing solar lenses and gazing up at the thin, final crescent sun.
Joe Conti is a Massachusetts-based independent researcher, physics enthusiast, and citizen scientist who invites eclipse watchers in Iceland and Spain, as part of his citizen science project, to use their smartphones to record the optical mystery. He said that five groups had expressed an interest to participate so far.
Conti suggests a cardboard board covered with white paper. He expressed his hope that the collected data could help scientists to solve the mystery of shadow bands.
Turnshek advises those who are lucky enough to see totality and shadow bands on Wednesday to stay south of the mountains and coastline, as this is where clouds will be more likely to form.
The sun should be as high in the sky as possible. It will occur in the early evening, when the sun is setting.
Even in clear weather, he added, it’s more cloudy near the horizon.

HealthNews

Canned Vs Dried Beans: Which Is Actually Healthier?

It can sometimes be difficult to adopt a healthy life style, especially with the abundance of additives and processed food. Prices are also usually higher. Beans and legumes, which are rich in fiber, minerals and plant-based proteins, make a great staple food. It’s more complicated to choose between dried beans and canned ones, so Tasting Table asked registered dietitian Angel Luk for her advice.
Luk explained that “nutritionally they are very similar, but canned food will typically have more sodium due to the processing required to make it shelf stable.” Excess salt consumption can raise blood pressure in people with high blood-pressure. Too much sodium causes fluid retention, which can lead to increased blood pressure. If this is the case, you can buy dried beans and soak before cooking. Adding soaking to your diet is a great way to get healthy food into your body.
Luk noted that soaking dry beans is a hassle for those who are intimidated to cook or busy with other things. “I don’t want anyone to be denied the benefits of plant protein by forcing them to use dry.” She suggested that you buy canned beans with lower sodium and then rinse them before use. Next, you need to decide which beans are best for your goals.
Beans of all types are good for you, especially popular varieties like kidney, navy, pinto and black beans. Angel Luk’s personal choice was soybeans. She said that they have an amino acid profile complete and are high in iron, fiber, and protein. There are many ways to prepare them.
She said, “I grew up eating it as an Asian and it is delicious. It’s also very versatile.” I think that taste and variety are important in health promotion because we cannot always focus on the nutrient content. According to Luk’s Portfolio Eating Approach, soy protein can reduce LDL cholesterol up to 30%.
There are many healthy and tasty options when choosing the canned beans. You can find 20 delicious bean recipes and 12 canned beans to keep in your pantry. These include dishes such as a pumpkin and black beans casserole, pan-fried Chinese Green Beans, and vegetarian white bean pie with a crisp puff pastry topping.

HealthNews

My Daughter Loves Pigeons. My Wife Wants to Keep Us Away From Them.

Here is the newsletter’s bonus question. Slate’s parenting column, Care and Feeding offers advice on raising children. Do you have a question to ask Care and Feeding? Send it to us here.
Please Feed and Care for Your Pets
We live in an urban area with my wife, Lillian. We have two children: “Carter” (age 1) and “Emerald” (4 years old). Emerald is fascinated by pigeons, which are plentiful in the area. Emerald loved it when pigeons perched on her hand last week. We regularly feed the birds in the park. When my wife watched the video, she wasn’t thrilled.
Now she wants us to stop feeding the pigeons! Emerald used some hand sanitizer after she finished her work, so what’s the problem? Isn’t my wife being irrational?
Bye-Bye Birdie
Dear Birdie,
When I first read your email, I thought that you were being irrational. I couldn’t imagine pigeons sitting on the hands of your daughter. Since then, I have been educated by many pigeon lovers who enjoy these birds as much as your daughter. I am now a convert to my prejudice. They can spread disease but the risk is more from the dust that comes from scrubbing up the dried pigeon waste than from the birds. Hand-washing is important after touching them. It’s not illegal to feed pigeons in NYC but the practice is discouraged, mainly because leftover food attracts rats. “Feed a Pigeon and Feed a Rat” is a city slogan. In light of all this, “allowing my child to hold and feed pigeons”, or “forbidding her from holding and feeding pigeons”, are two reasonable responses to the pigeon issue. But! It’s worthwhile to try to convince her to change her mind about pigeons and join the team that is OK with feeding and/or holding pigeons. You could do your own research on pigeons and come up with an idea that would benefit Emerald, the birds, and you.
–Logan
Slate’s Parenting Tips
How can I move on in my relationship with her? In the last five weeks, she hasn’t spoken to my husband or me, nor asked about our daughter. It’s not hard to guess why: She decided last year that she would take a beach trip for a whole week this summer, but she chose a location three hours from our home. My family and my brother’s family were expected to go with her without any coordination.

HealthNews

Outbreak of Vibrio Vulnificus, a Flesh-Eating Bacteria, Kills 5 in Louisiana

Louisiana officials reported that this year, five people died after being infected with Vibrio Vulnificus. This bacteria is a flesh eating bacteria which thrives on warm waters and brackish ones.
In coastal waters there are naturally occurring Vibrio bacteria. People can become infected when they touch an open wound or eat undercooked shellfish (especially oysters). Health officials reported this week that four more people were infected with the disease and hospitalized.
Officials said that all nine cases of seawater exposure reported in Louisiana are associated with the wounds.
Vibrio is more prevalent from May to October when the seawater is warmer. Climate change has led to outbreaks in areas that were once considered too cold for the bacteria to survive, like Long Island Sound.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have calculated that Vibrio cases in the United States could rise by 50% by 2090 as compared to 1995 due to higher sea temperatures.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vibrio is one of 12 Vibrio species that can cause vibriosis in humans. Vibrio Vulnificus, for example, is the most prevalent. According to the C.D.C. The C.D.C.
The C.D.C. said that one out of five Vibrio-vulnificus patients dies, often within days or weeks after becoming sick. said. Diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea are all symptoms of infection. Infections that spread to the bloodstream can cause low blood-pressure and skin blisters.
All the Louisiana patients were suffering from underlying conditions that can lead to severe complications or infections.
Vibrio Vulnificus has been reported in other states this year. According to the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Department of Health, there have been two deaths in Florida from this pathogen. One in Marion County, Central Florida, and another in Palm Beach. The Florida Department of Health reported that 14 people have fallen ill with the pathogen in total. Researchers in New York reported in April that they detected Vibrio infected water near the Long Island coast.
Florida officials have warned about the increased risk of infection after extreme weather conditions, like hurricanes or storms which push brackish waters inland. Vibrio-vulnificus was responsible for 19 deaths in 2024, when Hurricane Helene hit and Milton hit.
Louisiana health officials warned people to avoid brackish and salt water if there were open wounds. They also advised them to thoroughly wash their hands with soap if possible. The officials also advised people to thoroughly cook their seafood, and keep it separate from the juices of raw fish and seafood.

HealthNews

5 dead from rare flesh-eating bacteria in Louisiana

State health officials announced on August 6 that five people had died from bacteria that cause flesh-eating infections in Louisiana so far this year.
The Louisiana Department of Health has reported that nine Vibrio-vulnificus cases have occurred in Louisiana in 2026. Officials said that all nine patients were suffering from underlying medical conditions. They had also been hospitalized following exposure to seawater.
The Vibrio-vulnificus bacteria is sometimes called the “flesh eating bacteria”, because it can cause an infection to eat at the flesh surrounding a wound. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infections can happen when a wound exposed to brackish or salty water occurs where fresh and salty water mix.
Louisiana officials have warned residents that the bacteria is more prevalent as water temperatures rise along the coast. Officials said that the number of cases in Louisiana is higher than it was in previous years. Louisiana had an average of 7 cases per year and 1 death during the 10 previous years.
Florida reported the second Vibrio-vulnificus death in Florida this year.
What is vibrio-vulnificus or “flesh eating bacteria”?
The bacterium Vibrio Vulnificus can cause vibriosis. This can in turn lead to necrotizing faciitis.
This potentially deadly infection may quickly cause tissue damage, blisters and low blood pressure. It can also lead to organ damage, severe sepsis, and even death.
Vibriosis is a serious illness that can lead to intensive care and limb amputations. The CDC reports that 1 out of 5 vibriosis patients die. This can happen within a few days or hours after becoming ill.
Health officials report that the bacteria is found more in coastal waters from May through October when temperatures are higher.
The CDC says that cases may increase following tropical storms or hurricanes as the storm surge can push seawater to freshwater. The CDC warns that eating seafood raw or uncooked, especially oysters, can cause infection.
The Cleveland Clinic says that different types of vibrio cause different infections. Vibrio vulnificus is responsible for the “most severe forms of vibriosis.” Health officials claim that another type of vibrio bacterium causes cholera.
The Mobile County Health Department in Alabama has recorded 10 vibriosis cases this year. In 2026, the Mississippi Department of Health recorded two cases.
Other states, including Connecticut, Maryland New Jersey New York, North Carolina, and New Jersey have also reported Vibrio in the past.
Vibrios vulnificus symptoms
According to the CDC and the Louisiana Department of Health, symptoms of vibriosis usually begin within 24 hours of exposure.
Symptoms include:
Fever and chills
The rash or reddened, swollen or warm patch that causes rapid spread and pain
Blisters filled with fluid and discolored skin
Diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting
Low blood pressure is often accompanied by fatigue, weakness and dizziness.
Confussion or altered mental states
Rapid heartbeat
What you can do to prevent ‘flesh eating bacteria’
Swimming is a great way to:
If you have an open wound, avoid entering brackish or saltwater. This includes fresh tattoos or piercings as well as minor cuts and scrapes.
Even if it is not your intention to come in contact with raw fish or coastal waters, you should cover any wounds that are open with waterproof bandages. Storms can cause flooding, which exposes you to the bacteria.
After contact with raw or coastal seafood, wash the exposed skin immediately with soapy water.
Wear protective clothing and shoes if you’re at risk. This includes people with conditions such as liver disease, kidney failure and diabetes.
The CDC recommends that you avoid eating seafood.
Before eating, cook seafood including oysters.
Surfaces that have been in contact with seafood or its drippings should be thoroughly cleaned.
Hands should be thoroughly washed after touching raw seafood. Wear gloves if you’re at risk.
Contributing: C.A. Bridges and Mary Walrath Holdridge, USA Today NETWORK-Florida

HealthNews

Across the US, ‘the Ticks Are Winning’

Sarah Zhang argues in a recent Atlantic article that America’s tick issue, which was once an irritating itch, is now more of a failure to protect public health. Since 2000, the number of Lyme disease infections has more than doubled. Eight other tick-borne diseases have also been detected in this time frame, including meat allergy alpha gal syndrome. Experts say the current “you’re on your own” approach–permethrin-treated clothes, tucked-in pants, body checks–is no match for exploding tick populations and their expanding territory. In a recently published paper, a CDC researcher warned that “the ticks are winning.” According to a tick researcher, it is “impossible” for him to hike in many areas of Long Island off the coast New York because of ticks.
Zhang writes that scientists are pushing for an eco-friendly campaign, similar to a government-backed mosquito control program, that targets ticks’ favorite hosts: deer. This could include controversial deer-culling, drugs that convert deer’s blood to a tick killer serum, vaccines and pesticides targeted at wildlife. Scientists argue there is no single solution, and that we should instead focus on preventing tick bites rather than treating diseases caused by them. Zhang’s article contains the complete debate on killing deer and rethinking pesticides.
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