The Anthropocene is here, but not as an epoch

+ why do bees have a queen − or not? US Edition - Today's top story: The Anthropocene is not an epoch − but the age of humans is most definitely underway [View in browser]( US Edition | 6 March 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( We’re certainly living in the age of humans, or the Anthropocene – a time when human activities, ranging from fossil fuel burning to deforestation to pollution, are changing the climate and the environment. But is this really a new Anthropocene Epoch in Earth’s geologic time scale? Scientists have been debating that question for 15 years. Some even proposed a date for the start of an Anthropocene Epoch – 1952. But this week, the international scientific committee responsible for such a momentous change in the global time scale rejected the proposal. Erle Ellis of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County served on a working group involved in those discussions. He explains why the Anthropocene Epoch was rejected – and why that decision [has no bearing on the reality that humans are changing the planet]( in vast and often destructive ways. Also in this week’s science news: - [How high altitude can make you feel so low]( - [Hidden costs of food production]( - [Employers use AI to infer how you feel]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. Stacy Morford Environment + Climate Editor Human influence on the climate started even before the Industrial Revolution. Print Collector/Getty Images [The Anthropocene is not an epoch − but the age of humans is most definitely underway]( Erle C. Ellis, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Scientists have been debating the start of the Anthropocene Epoch for 15 years. I was part of those discussions, and I agree with the vote rejecting it. Why do batteries lose charge more quickly when it’s cold? Halfpoint Images/Moment [Lithium-ion batteries don’t work well in the cold − a battery researcher explains the chemistry at low temperatures]( Wesley Chang, Drexel University Electric vehicles are catching on across the US, but they’re also catching on fire in colder regions like the Northeast and Midwest. Robber flies visually track their prey before spearing it with their proboscis. Paloma Gonzalez-Bellido [Robber flies track their beetle prey using tiny microbursts of movement]( Siddhant Pusdekar, University of Minnesota Not much is known about the predator fly Laphria saffrana. New research identified how they count the wingbeats of their favored prey, letting it slip out of focus before adjusting their heads. [What is IVF? A nurse explains the evolving science and legality of in vitro fertilization]( Heidi Collins Fantasia, UMass Lowell IVF is a decades-old procedure that has allowed increasing numbers of prospective parents to have children. Evolving legislation may put it under threat. [Estimated 2.5 million people displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable]( Tricia Wachtendorf, University of Delaware; James Kendra, University of Delaware Census data and research show all things are not equal in disaster displacement, as two experts in disaster recovery explain. [Why do bees have queens? 2 biologists explain this insect’s social structure – and why some bees don’t have a queen at all]( Phil Starks, Tufts University; Aviva Liebert, Framingham State University A queen’s main job in the hive is to lay eggs and pass genes on to offspring. But many bee species do just fine without queens or big colonies. [Measles is one of the deadliest and most contagious infectious diseases – and one of the most easily preventable]( David Higgins, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus A pediatrician and preventive medicine physician explains how measles vaccines became victims of their own success and the risk that rising outbreaks pose to everyone. - [Altitude sickness is typically mild but can sometimes turn very serious − a high-altitude medicine physician explains how to safely prepare]( Brian Strickland, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Whether you’re ascending to high altitudes for casual travel or for adventure tourism, there are specific strategies to help you acclimate and reduce the likelihood of altitude sickness. - [Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores]( Ziyad Al-Aly, Washington University in St. Louis Two new high-profile studies add to the increasingly worrisome picture of how even mild cases of COVID-19 can have detrimental effects on brain health. - [The true cost of food is far higher than what you spend at the checkout counter]( Kathleen Merrigan, Arizona State University A new UN report finds that the true global cost of producing food is $12.7 trillion more than consumers pay at the checkout counter. We pay those uncounted costs in other ways. - [Arctic rivers face big changes with a warming climate, permafrost thaw and an accelerating water cycle − the effects will have global consequences]( - [Emotion-tracking AI on the job: Workers fear being watched – and misunderstood]( - [COVID-19 rapid tests still work against new variants – researchers keep ‘testing the tests,’ and they pass]( - [Low-level blasts from heavy weapons can cause traumatic brain injury − 2 engineers explain the physics of invisible cell death]( --------------------------------------------------------------- - Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: - [Politics Weekly]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Economy & Business]( - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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