News at a glance: Jailed conservationists freed, physics titan dies, and diversity in anatomical illustrations

ASTRONOMY Scientists flock to the eclipse Tens of millions in North America turned their specially protected eyes to the skies on 8 April for several minutes of darkness when the Moon blocked the disk of the Sun, casting a shadow across Mexico, 15 U.S. states, and Canada. Researchers and citizen scientists seized the opportunity to study the corona—the wispy, outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere—from the ground and in eclipse-chasing aircraft. They expected to see loops of plasma and other solar flares because the eclipse coincided with solar maximum, a period of high magnetic activity. Researchers also recorded environmental sounds to capture unusual animal behavior, such as birds that stop singing and bees that return to their hives. Total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth about every 18 months. Greenland, Iceland, and Spain get the next turn, in August 2026. SEXUAL HEALTH Uganda’s antigay law upheld In a blow to global LGBTQ+ rights that could also harm public health, Uganda’s Constitutional Court on 3 April upheld most of the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 , including a section stipulating life in prison—and, in some cases, the death penalty—for gay sex. The court, responding to a petition from legal scholars, lawmakers, and activists, scrapped parts of the law but not its harshest provisions. Health groups say the decision, which is likely to be appealed, will lead people to shun HIV ...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research