Science & Environment

[spaminator]

’Lord of the Rings’ director backs long shot de-extinction plan, starring New Zealand’s lost moa
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Christina Larson
Published Jul 08, 2025 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 3 minute read

Filmmaker Peter Jackson, left, and Colossal CEO Ben Lamm hold up bones from Jackson's collection of extinct moa bones in Wellington, New Zealand, 2024.
Filmmaker Peter Jackson, left, and Colossal CEO Ben Lamm hold up bones from Jackson's collection of extinct moa bones in Wellington, New Zealand, 2024. Photo by Courtesy of Colossal Bioscience /AP
WASHINGTON — Filmmaker Peter Jackson owns one of the largest private collections of bones of an extinct New Zealand bird called the moa. His fascination with the flightless ostrich-like bird has led to an unusual partnership with a biotech company known for its grand and controversial plans to bring back lost species.


On Tuesday, Colossal Biosciences announced an effort to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa — which once stood 12 feet (3.6 metres) tall — with $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh. The collaboration also includes the New Zealand-based Ngāi Tahu Research Centre.


“The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do,” said Jackson. “Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa.”

Outside scientists say the idea of bringing back extinct species onto the modern landscape is likely impossible, although it may be feasible to tweak the genes of living animals to have similar physical traits. Scientists have mixed feelings on whether that will be helpful, and some worry that focusing on lost creatures could distract from protecting species that still exist.


A depiction is represented of the largest species of moa, the South Island giant moa, which once could stand 12 feet (3.6 metres) tall.
A depiction is represented of the largest species of moa, the South Island giant moa, which once could stand 12 feet (3.6 metres) tall. Photo by Courtesy of Colossal Biosciences /AP
The moa had roamed New Zealand for 4,000 years until they became extinct around 600 years ago, mainly because of overhunting. A large skeleton brought to England in the 19th century, now on display at the Yorkshire Museum, prompted international interest in the long-necked bird.

Unlike Colossal’s work with dire wolves, the moa project is in very early stages. It started with a phone call about two years ago after Jackson heard about the company’s efforts to “de-extinct” — or create genetically similar animals to — species like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf.

Then Jackson put Colossal in touch with experts he’d met through his own moa bone-collecting. At that point, he’d amassed between 300 and 400 bones, he said.


In New Zealand, it’s legal to buy and sell moa bones found on private lands, but not on public conservation areas — nor to export them.

The first stage of the moa project will be to identify well-preserved bones from which it may be possible to extract DNA, said Colossal’s chief scientist Beth Shapiro.

Those DNA sequences will be compared to genomes of living bird species, including the ground-dwelling tinamou and emu, “to figure out what it is that made the moa unique compared to other birds,” she said.

Colossal used a similar process of comparing ancient DNA of extinct dire wolves to determine the genetic differences with gray wolves. Then scientists took blood cells from a living gray wolf and used CRISPR to genetically modify them in 20 different sites. Pups with long white hair and muscular jaws were born late last year.


Working with birds presents different challenges, said Shapiro.

Unlike mammals, bird embryos develop inside eggs, so the process of transferring an embryo to a surrogate will not look like mammalian IVF.

“There’s lots of different scientific hurdles that need to be overcome with any species that we pick as a candidate for de-extinction,” said Shapiro. “We are in the very early stages.”

If the Colossal team succeeds in creating a tall bird with huge feet and thick pointed claws resembling the moa, there’s also the pressing question of where to put it, said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who is not involved in the project.

“Can you put a species back into the wild once you’ve exterminated it there?” he said. “I think it’s exceedingly unlikely that they could do this in any meaningful way.”


“This will be an extremely dangerous animal,” Pimm added.

The direction of the project will be shaped by Māori scholars at the University of Canterbury’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre. Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, an expert in moa bones, said the work has “really reinvigorated the interest in examining our own traditions and mythology.”

At one of the archaeological sites that Jackson and Davis visited to study moa remains, called Pyramid Valley, there are also antique rock art done by Māori people — some depicting moa before their extinction.

Paul Scofield, a project adviser and senior curator of natural history at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, said he first met the “Lord of the Rings” director when he went to his house to help him identity which of the nine known species of moa the various bones represented.

“He doesn’t just collect some moa bones — he has a comprehensive collection,” said Scofield.

’Lord of the Rings’ director backs long shot de-extinction plan, starring New Zealand’s lost moa

Filmmaker Peter Jackson owns one of the largest private collections of bones of an extinct New Zealand bird called the moa.

torontosun.com

 

[petros]

’Lord of the Rings’ director backs long shot de-extinction plan, starring New Zealand’s lost moa
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Christina Larson
Published Jul 08, 2025 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 3 minute read

Filmmaker Peter Jackson, left, and Colossal CEO Ben Lamm hold up bones from Jackson's collection of extinct moa bones in Wellington, New Zealand, 2024.
Filmmaker Peter Jackson, left, and Colossal CEO Ben Lamm hold up bones from Jackson's collection of extinct moa bones in Wellington, New Zealand, 2024. Photo by Courtesy of Colossal Bioscience /AP
WASHINGTON — Filmmaker Peter Jackson owns one of the largest private collections of bones of an extinct New Zealand bird called the moa. His fascination with the flightless ostrich-like bird has led to an unusual partnership with a biotech company known for its grand and controversial plans to bring back lost species.


On Tuesday, Colossal Biosciences announced an effort to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa — which once stood 12 feet (3.6 metres) tall — with $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh. The collaboration also includes the New Zealand-based Ngāi Tahu Research Centre.


“The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do,” said Jackson. “Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa.”

Outside scientists say the idea of bringing back extinct species onto the modern landscape is likely impossible, although it may be feasible to tweak the genes of living animals to have similar physical traits. Scientists have mixed feelings on whether that will be helpful, and some worry that focusing on lost creatures could distract from protecting species that still exist.


A depiction is represented of the largest species of moa, the South Island giant moa, which once could stand 12 feet (3.6 metres) tall.
A depiction is represented of the largest species of moa, the South Island giant moa, which once could stand 12 feet (3.6 metres) tall. Photo by Courtesy of Colossal Biosciences /AP
The moa had roamed New Zealand for 4,000 years until they became extinct around 600 years ago, mainly because of overhunting. A large skeleton brought to England in the 19th century, now on display at the Yorkshire Museum, prompted international interest in the long-necked bird.

Unlike Colossal’s work with dire wolves, the moa project is in very early stages. It started with a phone call about two years ago after Jackson heard about the company’s efforts to “de-extinct” — or create genetically similar animals to — species like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf.

Then Jackson put Colossal in touch with experts he’d met through his own moa bone-collecting. At that point, he’d amassed between 300 and 400 bones, he said.


In New Zealand, it’s legal to buy and sell moa bones found on private lands, but not on public conservation areas — nor to export them.

The first stage of the moa project will be to identify well-preserved bones from which it may be possible to extract DNA, said Colossal’s chief scientist Beth Shapiro.

Those DNA sequences will be compared to genomes of living bird species, including the ground-dwelling tinamou and emu, “to figure out what it is that made the moa unique compared to other birds,” she said.

Colossal used a similar process of comparing ancient DNA of extinct dire wolves to determine the genetic differences with gray wolves. Then scientists took blood cells from a living gray wolf and used CRISPR to genetically modify them in 20 different sites. Pups with long white hair and muscular jaws were born late last year.


Working with birds presents different challenges, said Shapiro.

Unlike mammals, bird embryos develop inside eggs, so the process of transferring an embryo to a surrogate will not look like mammalian IVF.

“There’s lots of different scientific hurdles that need to be overcome with any species that we pick as a candidate for de-extinction,” said Shapiro. “We are in the very early stages.”

If the Colossal team succeeds in creating a tall bird with huge feet and thick pointed claws resembling the moa, there’s also the pressing question of where to put it, said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who is not involved in the project.

“Can you put a species back into the wild once you’ve exterminated it there?” he said. “I think it’s exceedingly unlikely that they could do this in any meaningful way.”


“This will be an extremely dangerous animal,” Pimm added.

The direction of the project will be shaped by Māori scholars at the University of Canterbury’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre. Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, an expert in moa bones, said the work has “really reinvigorated the interest in examining our own traditions and mythology.”

At one of the archaeological sites that Jackson and Davis visited to study moa remains, called Pyramid Valley, there are also antique rock art done by Māori people — some depicting moa before their extinction.

Paul Scofield, a project adviser and senior curator of natural history at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, said he first met the “Lord of the Rings” director when he went to his house to help him identity which of the nine known species of moa the various bones represented.

“He doesn’t just collect some moa bones — he has a comprehensive collection,” said Scofield.

View attachment 29932

’Lord of the Rings’ director backs long shot de-extinction plan, starring New Zealand’s lost moa

Filmmaker Peter Jackson owns one of the largest private collections of bones of an extinct New Zealand bird called the moa.

torontosun.com

For food?

 

[spaminator]

Walmart recalls 850,000 water bottles after ejecting caps led to vision loss
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jul 11, 2025 • 1 minute read

This image provided by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows Walmart's "Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles," which Walmart is recalling on Friday, July 11, 2025, because the lid can "forcefully eject" and unexpectedly strike consumers. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission via AP)
This image provided by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows Walmart's "Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles," which Walmart is recalling on Friday, July 11, 2025, because the lid can "forcefully eject" and unexpectedly strike consumers. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission via AP) AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is recalling about 850,000 stainless steel water bottles because the lid can “forcefully eject” and unexpectedly strike consumers — resulting in permanent vision loss for two people to date.


The recall covers Walmart’s “Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles,” which have been sold at the chain’s stores across the country since 2017. According to a notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday, these products pose “serious impact and laceration hazards.”


That’s because when a consumer attempts to open the bottles “after food, carbonated beverages or perishable beverages, such as juice or milk, are stored inside over time,” the lid can eject forcefully, the CPSC notes.

As of Thursday’s announcement, Walmart had received three reports of consumers who were injured after being struck in the face by these lids when opening their bottles. And two of those people “suffered permanent vision loss after being struck in the eye,” the CPSC added.

Consumers are urged to stop using the now-recalled Ozark Trail bottles — and contact Walmart for a full refund. Shoppers can also bring the products to their local Walmart store for that compensation.

The bottles being recalled can also be identified by their model number, 83-662 — which doesn’t appear on the product itself, but would show on packaging. The stainless-steel base is silver and the lid is a black, one-piece screw cap. There is also an Ozark Trail logo embedded on the side of the 64-ounce bottle.

The Associated Press reached out to Walmart for further comments on Friday.

Walmart recalls 850,000 water bottles after ejecting caps led to vision loss

The recall covers Walmart's "Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles."

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Walmart recalls 850,000 water bottles after ejecting caps led to vision loss
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jul 11, 2025 • 1 minute read

This image provided by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows Walmart's "Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles," which Walmart is recalling on Friday, July 11, 2025, because the lid can "forcefully eject" and unexpectedly strike consumers. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission via AP)
This image provided by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows Walmart's "Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles," which Walmart is recalling on Friday, July 11, 2025, because the lid can "forcefully eject" and unexpectedly strike consumers. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission via AP) AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is recalling about 850,000 stainless steel water bottles because the lid can “forcefully eject” and unexpectedly strike consumers — resulting in permanent vision loss for two people to date.


The recall covers Walmart’s “Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles,” which have been sold at the chain’s stores across the country since 2017. According to a notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday, these products pose “serious impact and laceration hazards.”


That’s because when a consumer attempts to open the bottles “after food, carbonated beverages or perishable beverages, such as juice or milk, are stored inside over time,” the lid can eject forcefully, the CPSC notes.

As of Thursday’s announcement, Walmart had received three reports of consumers who were injured after being struck in the face by these lids when opening their bottles. And two of those people “suffered permanent vision loss after being struck in the eye,” the CPSC added.

Consumers are urged to stop using the now-recalled Ozark Trail bottles — and contact Walmart for a full refund. Shoppers can also bring the products to their local Walmart store for that compensation.

The bottles being recalled can also be identified by their model number, 83-662 — which doesn’t appear on the product itself, but would show on packaging. The stainless-steel base is silver and the lid is a black, one-piece screw cap. There is also an Ozark Trail logo embedded on the side of the 64-ounce bottle.

The Associated Press reached out to Walmart for further comments on Friday.

Walmart recalls 850,000 water bottles after ejecting caps led to vision loss

The recall covers Walmart's "Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles."

torontosun.com

perhaps they could be sent to gaza.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

perhaps they could be sent to gaza.

The bottles or the victims of the bottles?

 

[spaminator]

U of S researchers discover genes protecting wheat from disease
A unique gene pair in wild wheat could unlock a new path to stripe rust resistance, researchers say.

Author of the article:Aidan Jaager
Published Jul 14, 2025 • 3 minute read

University of Saskatchewan researchers may have uncovered a way to fight off deadly diseases in wild wheat, offering hope for farmers dealing with crop losses from stripe rust.


Researchers Valentyna Klymiuk and Curtis Pozniak are studying how a unique pair of genes found in wild wheat varieties are resistant to harmful pathogens.


“Part of our research is keeping one step ahead of pathogens by identifying new resistance genes which ideally could be stacked like Lego blocks, so the pathogen can’t easily overcome the resistance,” Klymiuk said.

The U of S Crop Development Centre (CDC) focuses on improving crop varieties by integrating basic research into crop breeding. The CDC then translates scientific discoveries into new varieties that growers can use.

“The genetic research we do is important because it helps us understand how the genes and plants are contributing to enhanced yield under heat and drought. That can protect the plants against a whole range of different pathogens,” Pozniak, who is the professor and director at CDC, said, noting it’s important to choose varieties that perform well in heat and drought conditions.


Researchers said although wild wheat hasn’t been domesticated and can’t be used directly in breeding, it contains useful diversity to respond to environmental threats, making it ideal for learning new methods of crop resistance.

“Once we started assessing the resistance, we could see that it was different to others that we have studied before. The resistance was acting in an atypical way, which signalled a very different plant response,” Pozniak said.

One gene is typically responsible for the expression of stripe rust, a fungal disease that grows on wheat leaves, but two genes working together as a pair were required for full resistance, Klymiuk said.

One senses the invading pathogen while the other activates the plant’s immune response, stopping the pathogen in its tracks.


Like flipping a breaker to see which rooms in a house go dark, Klymiuk’s experiments involved turning each of the genes “off.”

“When the gene is switched ‘off’ the plant can no longer protect itself and becomes susceptible to the pathogen. However, this unique gene pair proved to be a bit of an anomaly, which caused a hiccup in the researcher’s results,” she said.

Initially, Klymiuk thought only a single gene was responsible.

“Most of our results made sense but there were a few plants that didn’t give us the expected results. This was a head scratcher, so we went back to rethink our experiments and to test if two genes were actually involved. Once we retested, the results became clear,” she added.

The team later discovered that two outlier genes interact at a protein level, physically coming together to initiate the resistance response.


Pozniak said this could help produce stronger and more resilient wheat varieties in the future.

“It’s all about the three pillars of plant breeding which includes having the yield potential and stable yield performance where disease resistance is important. Combining that with marketability allows growers the potential to sell their product in international markets.”

“This project also really helps us understand and appreciate the complexity of plant biology. Plants really need to adapt, and they do it in cool and interesting ways,” he said.

Curtis Pozniak - College of Agriculture and Bioresources

Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program (SRP) Chair in Durum and High-Yield Wheat Breeding and Genetics

agbio.usask.ca

U of S researchers discover genes protecting wheat from disease

A unique gene pair in wild wheat could unlock a new path to stripe rust resistance, researchers say.

torontosun.com

 

[bill barilko]

 

[spaminator]

Man pulled into MRI machine after he walked into an exam room wearing a chain necklace
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jul 18, 2025 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 1 minute read

WESTBURY, N.Y. — A man was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large chain necklace, police said.


The man, 61, had entered an MRI room while a scan was underway Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI. The machine’s strong magnetic force drew him in by his metallic necklace, according to the Nassau County Police Department.


Police said the incident “resulted in a medical episode” that left the man hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities did not release his name and did not have an update on the man’s condition on Friday.

A person who answered the phone at Nassau Open MRI on Long Island declined to comment Friday.

MRI machines “employ a strong magnetic field” that “exerts very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects,” according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which says the units are “strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room.”

Man pulled into MRI machine after he walked into an exam room wearing a chain necklace

A man was hospitalized in New York after he was pulled into an MRI machine because he walked into the exam room wearing a large chain necklace.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Man pulled into MRI machine after he walked into an exam room wearing a chain necklace
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jul 18, 2025 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 1 minute read

WESTBURY, N.Y. — A man was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large chain necklace, police said.


The man, 61, had entered an MRI room while a scan was underway Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI. The machine’s strong magnetic force drew him in by his metallic necklace, according to the Nassau County Police Department.


Police said the incident “resulted in a medical episode” that left the man hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities did not release his name and did not have an update on the man’s condition on Friday.

A person who answered the phone at Nassau Open MRI on Long Island declined to comment Friday.

MRI machines “employ a strong magnetic field” that “exerts very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects,” according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which says the units are “strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room.”

Man pulled into MRI machine after he walked into an exam room wearing a chain necklace

A man was hospitalized in New York after he was pulled into an MRI machine because he walked into the exam room wearing a large chain necklace.

torontosun.com

what if you have iron fillings?

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

what if you have iron fillings?

Or brass balls?

 

[Taxslave2]

what if you have iron fillings?

Pop pop pop. No more fillings

 

[spaminator]

Glow-in-the-dark animal captured on camera for first time
Author of the articleostmedia News
Published Jul 20, 2025 • Last updated 14 hours ago • 2 minute read

A glowing quoll.
A glowing quoll. Photo by Ben Alldridge/SWNS /TORONTO SUN
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Wait, no, it’s a glow-in-the-dark animal?


A photographer from Down Under has become the first person to capture a photo of a glowing marsupial in the wild.


Aussie photographer Ben Alldridge submitted a photo as part of the 2025 Beaker Street Science Photography Prize. The photo was of a wild Eastern quoll, which is carnivorous marsupial that’s native to Tasmania and exhibits biofluorescence.

Using invisible ultraviolet light, Alldridge captured the mammal glowing in the dark, and his photo is considered the first photographic evidence of a quoll exhibiting biofluorescence in its natural habitat, people.com reported.

“Where their fur is normally fawn or black, under certain wavelengths of light, they exhibit a process referred to as biofluorescence — like nature’s version of a white shirt glowing at a disco,” Alldridge said, per the Daily Mail.


Smithsonian Magazine reported that several mammals across the globe, many of them nocturnal, are known to exhibit this phenomenon, including polar bears, moles, zebras, wombats, armadillo and more. Non-mammals such as corals, insects, spiders, fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds also exhibit the phenomenon, although the exact biological purpose of biofluorescence is still unknown.

Alldridge said he hopes his photos and studies into biofluorescence will help solve the mystery surrounding it.


“I’d say it’s likely a messaging or identifying system similar to our fingerprints, but that is wild speculation at best,” he said, per the Daily Mail. “For now, we will just say they like to party.”

Alldridge’s photography will be considered as part of the ongoing research.

“The amount of light we waste illuminating space — both physical and now literal — is ridiculous, and in many cases is counterproductive to why the lights are installed to begin with,” Alldridge said.

Alldridge’s photo is one of 12 finalist images to be exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery from Aug. 6-31, as part of the Beaker Street Festival.

Glow-in-the-dark animal captured on camera for first time

A photographer from Down Under has become the first person to capture a photo of a glowing marsupial in the wild.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Man pulled into MRI machine after he walked into an exam room wearing a chain necklace
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jul 18, 2025 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 1 minute read

WESTBURY, N.Y. — A man was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large chain necklace, police said.


The man, 61, had entered an MRI room while a scan was underway Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI. The machine’s strong magnetic force drew him in by his metallic necklace, according to the Nassau County Police Department.


Police said the incident “resulted in a medical episode” that left the man hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities did not release his name and did not have an update on the man’s condition on Friday.

A person who answered the phone at Nassau Open MRI on Long Island declined to comment Friday.

MRI machines “employ a strong magnetic field” that “exerts very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects,” according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which says the units are “strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room.”

Man pulled into MRI machine after he walked into an exam room wearing a chain necklace

A man was hospitalized in New York after he was pulled into an MRI machine because he walked into the exam room wearing a large chain necklace.

torontosun.com

Man dies after heavy weight-training chain around neck pulls him into MRI machine
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jul 19, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read

WESTBURY, N.Y. — A man who was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large weight-training chain around his neck has died, according to police and his wife, who told a local television outlet that he waved goodbye before his body went limp.


The man, 61, had entered an MRI room while a scan was underway Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI. The machine’s strong magnetic force drew him in by the metallic chain around his neck, according to a release from the Nassau County Police Department.


He died Thursday afternoon, but a police officer who answered the phone at the Nassau County police precinct where the MRI facility is located said the department had not yet been given permission to release the name Saturday.

Adrienne Jones-McAllister told News 12 Long Island in a recorded interview that she was undergoing an MRI on her knee when she asked the technician to get her husband, Keith McAllister, to help her get off the table. She said she called out to him.

She told News 12 that the technician summoned into the room her husband, who was wearing a 20-pound chain that he uses for weight training, an object they’d had a casual conversation about during a previous visit with comments like: “Ooooooh, that’s a big chain!”

When he got close to her, she said, “at that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in and he hit the MRI.”

“I said: ’Could you turn off the machine, call 911, do something, Turn this damn thing off!”’ she recalled, as tears ran down her face. “He went limp in my arms.”


She said the technician helped her try to pull her husband off the machine but it was impossible.

“He waved goodbye to me and then his whole body went limp,” Jones-McAllister told the TV outlet.

Jones-McAllister told News 12 that McAllister suffered heart attacks after he was freed from the MRI machine.

A person who answered the phone at Nassau Open MRI on Long Island declined to comment Friday. The phone number went unanswered on Saturday.

It wasn’t the first New York death to result from an MRI machine.

In 2001, 6-year-old Michael Colombini of Croton-on-Hudson was killed at the Westchester Medical Center when an oxygen tank flew into the chamber, drawn in by the MRI’s 10-ton electromagnet.

In 2010, records filed in Westchester County revealed that the family settled a lawsuit for $2.9 million.

MRI machines “employ a strong magnetic field” that “exerts very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects,” according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which says the units are “strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room.”

Man dies after heavy weight-training chain around neck pulls him into MRI machine

A man who was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large weight-training chain has died.

torontosun.com

 

[Taxslave2]

Glow-in-the-dark animal captured on camera for first time
Author of the articleostmedia News
Published Jul 20, 2025 • Last updated 14 hours ago • 2 minute read

A glowing quoll.
A glowing quoll. Photo by Ben Alldridge/SWNS /TORONTO SUN
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Wait, no, it’s a glow-in-the-dark animal?


A photographer from Down Under has become the first person to capture a photo of a glowing marsupial in the wild.


Aussie photographer Ben Alldridge submitted a photo as part of the 2025 Beaker Street Science Photography Prize. The photo was of a wild Eastern quoll, which is carnivorous marsupial that’s native to Tasmania and exhibits biofluorescence.

Using invisible ultraviolet light, Alldridge captured the mammal glowing in the dark, and his photo is considered the first photographic evidence of a quoll exhibiting biofluorescence in its natural habitat, people.com reported.

“Where their fur is normally fawn or black, under certain wavelengths of light, they exhibit a process referred to as biofluorescence — like nature’s version of a white shirt glowing at a disco,” Alldridge said, per the Daily Mail.


Smithsonian Magazine reported that several mammals across the globe, many of them nocturnal, are known to exhibit this phenomenon, including polar bears, moles, zebras, wombats, armadillo and more. Non-mammals such as corals, insects, spiders, fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds also exhibit the phenomenon, although the exact biological purpose of biofluorescence is still unknown.

Alldridge said he hopes his photos and studies into biofluorescence will help solve the mystery surrounding it.


“I’d say it’s likely a messaging or identifying system similar to our fingerprints, but that is wild speculation at best,” he said, per the Daily Mail. “For now, we will just say they like to party.”

Alldridge’s photography will be considered as part of the ongoing research.

“The amount of light we waste illuminating space — both physical and now literal — is ridiculous, and in many cases is counterproductive to why the lights are installed to begin with,” Alldridge said.

Alldridge’s photo is one of 12 finalist images to be exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery from Aug. 6-31, as part of the Beaker Street Festival.
View attachment 30106

Glow-in-the-dark animal captured on camera for first time

A photographer from Down Under has become the first person to capture a photo of a glowing marsupial in the wild.

torontosun.com

All the critters around Chernobyl do that.

 

[spaminator]

Man pulled into MRI machine after he walked into an exam room wearing a chain necklace
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jul 18, 2025 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 1 minute read

WESTBURY, N.Y. — A man was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large chain necklace, police said.


The man, 61, had entered an MRI room while a scan was underway Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI. The machine’s strong magnetic force drew him in by his metallic necklace, according to the Nassau County Police Department.


Police said the incident “resulted in a medical episode” that left the man hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities did not release his name and did not have an update on the man’s condition on Friday.

A person who answered the phone at Nassau Open MRI on Long Island declined to comment Friday.

MRI machines “employ a strong magnetic field” that “exerts very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects,” according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which says the units are “strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room.”

Man pulled into MRI machine after he walked into an exam room wearing a chain necklace

A man was hospitalized in New York after he was pulled into an MRI machine because he walked into the exam room wearing a large chain necklace.

torontosun.com

Man dies after heavy weight-training chain around neck pulls him into MRI machine
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jul 19, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read

WESTBURY, N.Y. — A man who was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large weight-training chain around his neck has died, according to police and his wife, who told a local television outlet that he waved goodbye before his body went limp.


The man, 61, had entered an MRI room while a scan was underway Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI. The machine’s strong magnetic force drew him in by the metallic chain around his neck, according to a release from the Nassau County Police Department.


He died Thursday afternoon, but a police officer who answered the phone at the Nassau County police precinct where the MRI facility is located said the department had not yet been given permission to release the name Saturday.

Adrienne Jones-McAllister told News 12 Long Island in a recorded interview that she was undergoing an MRI on her knee when she asked the technician to get her husband, Keith McAllister, to help her get off the table. She said she called out to him.

She told News 12 that the technician summoned into the room her husband, who was wearing a 20-pound chain that he uses for weight training, an object they’d had a casual conversation about during a previous visit with comments like: “Ooooooh, that’s a big chain!”

When he got close to her, she said, “at that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in and he hit the MRI.”

“I said: ’Could you turn off the machine, call 911, do something, Turn this damn thing off!”’ she recalled, as tears ran down her face. “He went limp in my arms.”


She said the technician helped her try to pull her husband off the machine but it was impossible.

“He waved goodbye to me and then his whole body went limp,” Jones-McAllister told the TV outlet.

Jones-McAllister told News 12 that McAllister suffered heart attacks after he was freed from the MRI machine.

A person who answered the phone at Nassau Open MRI on Long Island declined to comment Friday. The phone number went unanswered on Saturday.

It wasn’t the first New York death to result from an MRI machine.

In 2001, 6-year-old Michael Colombini of Croton-on-Hudson was killed at the Westchester Medical Center when an oxygen tank flew into the chamber, drawn in by the MRI’s 10-ton electromagnet.

In 2010, records filed in Westchester County revealed that the family settled a lawsuit for $2.9 million.

MRI machines “employ a strong magnetic field” that “exerts very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects,” according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which says the units are “strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room.”

Man dies after heavy weight-training chain around neck pulls him into MRI machine

A man who was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large weight-training chain has died.

torontosun.com

Man killed in horrific MRI incident was stuck in machine for nearly an hour: Family
Kin claim technician did not tell man to remove chain before going in room to see his wife

Author of the articleenette Wilford
Published Jul 22, 2025 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 2 minute read

Keith McCallister, 61, killed after getting sucked into MRI machine while wearing a massive chain around his neck.
Keith McCallister, 61, was killed after getting sucked into an MRI machine while wearing a massive chain around his neck. GoFundMe
The man who died after being sucked into an MRI machine while wearing a 20-pound chain was walked into the room by a technician who failed to tell him to remove the massive necklace, his family claims.


Keith McAllister, 61, of Westbury, N.Y., died while inside Nassau Open MRI on July 16 where his wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, was undergoing a knee scan.


“The male victim was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck causing him to be drawn into the machine which resulted in a medical episode,” Nassau County Police said in a statement.

McAllister was taken to hospital in critical condition but died the next day.

“While my mother was laying on the table, the technician left the room to get her husband to help her off the table,” Jones-McAllister’s daughter, Samantha Bodden, wrote in a GoFundMe.

“He forgot to inform him to take the chain he was wearing from around his neck off when the magnet sucked him in.”

She added: “My mother and the tech tried for several minutes to release him before the police were called. He was attached to the machine for almost an hour before they could release the chain from the machine.”


Bodden reiterated the claim that McAllister was not told to take off his chain before he was led into the room.

“Several news stations are saying he wasn’t authorized to be in the room when in fact he was because the technician went and brought him into the room,” said her statement.

The strong magnetic field created by an MRI machine can cause metal objects to be pulled in with force, as well as heat up metal objects, potentially burning a patient.

Jones-McAllister told News 12 Long Island that the technician had commented during a previous visit about her husband’s “big chain.”

“That was not the first time that guy has seen that chain,” she claimed. “They had a conversation about it before.”

Adrienne Jones-McAllister and husband Keith McCallister, who was killed after getting sucked into MRI machine while wearing a massive chain around his neck.
Adrienne Jones-McAllister and husband Keith McCallister, who was killed after getting sucked into MRI machine while wearing a massive chain around his neck. (GoFundMe) GoFundMe
When McAllister got close to her, Jones-McAllister recalled to the outlet, “at that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in and he hit the MRI.”

She added: “He went limp in my arms, and this is still pulsating in my brain.”

He died the following day after experiencing “several heart attacks following the tragic accident,” the GoFundMe campaign says.

Bodden remembered McAllister as a “husband, a father, a stepfather, a grandfather, a brother, and an uncle” as well as “a friend to many.”

Donate to A wife in need of trying to lay her husband to rest, organized by samantha bodden

On July 16th, 2025, my mother’s husband, Keith McAllister, was tra… samantha bodden needs your support for A wife in need of trying to lay her husband to rest

gofundme.com

Man killed in horrific MRI incident was stuck in machine for nearly an hour: Family

The man who died after being sucked into an MRI machine in NY while wearing a big chain was walked into the room by a technician.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Environment Canada issues heat warning for southern Ontario
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Published Jul 23, 2025 • 1 minute read

Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for parts of southern Ontario starting Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach up to 35 C.


The weather agency says a stretch of the province bordering Lake Ontario, from St. Catharines to Toronto, will see peak humidex values of up to 44 C.


It says while daytime high temperatures will not be as extreme on Friday and into the weekend, nighttime lows are expected to remain warm, providing little relief from heat.



Environment Canada says temperatures on Friday will be near 30 C, with a humidex of up to 40 C.

It’s not the first heat warning for Ontario this summer — extreme heat reaching the mid-30s broke temperature records in many parts of the province in June.

During extreme heat events, people are advised to drink water often, watch for signs of heat exhaustion and to check on older adults and those at risk of heat illness.

Environment Canada issues heat warning for southern Ontario

Environment Canada issued a heat warning for parts of southern Ontario starting Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach up to 35 C.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

People try to beat heat in GTA, rest of southern Ontario
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Fatima Raza
Published Jul 24, 2025 • 2 minute read

A heat warning in the GTA and other parts of southern Ontario had workers and residents looking for ways to keep cool on Thursday, as temperatures were expected to reach up to 35 C.


“It’s, like, very hot and humid, and just dead air. It really gets to you,” said Chris Brown, a construction worker in Toronto.


Brown said he had been working outside at a downtown site since 7 a.m. and noticed the heat escalating with every hour.

“We’re kind of used to working in the heat and for our particular job, we need to wear long sleeves, so that kind of sucks but you get used to it,” Brown said.

“Just take lots of breaks and water.”



Environment Canada warned that with the humidity, it could feel like up to 44 C across a stretch of the province bordering Lake Ontario from St. Catharines to Toronto.


The weather agency says nighttime low temperatures of 20 to 23 C would provide relief from the daytime heat.

Temperatures are expected to decrease on Friday to near 30 C, though there could still be a humidex value of up to 40 C.

It’s not the first heat warning for Ontario this summer — extreme heat reaching the mid-30s broke temperature records in many parts of the province last month.

“It has been a bit of a scorcher of a summer so I feel like spring held on for the longest time and summer kind of came on strong,” said Liam Abanid.


Abanid said he had been walking in Toronto’s St. James Park with friends, but after about 20 minutes he was feeling the heat and planning to head inside.

During extreme heat events, people are advised to drink water often, watch for signs of heat exhaustion and to check on older adults and those at risk of heat illness.

For a Massachusetts couple who arrived in Toronto just hours before the peak afternoon heat, the extra sunshine was all the more reason to hit the beach and find something icy to sip on.

“We’re on vacation, so we’re going to drink maybe things that have alcohol in them,” Tracie Lussier said with a laugh.

“We’ll find ourselves inside with a nice cold beer or a drink,” her husband Brian said.

And “lots of water,” he added.

— With files from Maan Alhmidi.

’REALLY GETS TO YOU’: People try to beat heat in GTA, rest of southern Ontario

A heat warning in the GTA and other parts of southern Ontario had workers and residents looking for ways to keep cool on Thursday.

torontosun.com