Got Science? From a 'FarFarOut' Planet to Midwest Flooding, Here's What You Missed in March - Cincinnati CityBeat

FarFarOut is marked by yellow lines, surrounding it are clusters of galaxies.Scott Sheppard Carnegie Institution for Science and David Tholen University of Hawaii

1. FarFarOut, Man

The most distant object yet discovered in the solar system has been observed by astronomers from the Carnegie Institution, University of Hawaii and Northern Arizona University. The dwarf planet's unofficial name is "FarFarOut" and it's estimated to be around 400 kilometers across. True to its name, FarFarOut is likely around 140 astronomical units (AUs) from the sun. To give some perspective, the Earth is 1 AU from the sun (around 90 million miles), while Pluto is around 40 AU (3.67 billion miles).

Why does it matter? Astronomers have been searching for a “Planet X” for a while, a hypothesized massive planet beyond Pluto. A lot depends on FarFarOut’s orbit, which is far more oval shaped than the Earth’s. If at 140 AUs FarFarOut is closest to the Sun, then — theoretically — something massive must be pulling at the dwarf planet. It wouldn’t make for direct evidence of a larger planet beyond Neptune, but it would give researchers solid evidence that something is out there.

2. The Midwest Flooded

Melting snow and excessive spring rains in mid-March flooded rivers across Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and the Dakotas. The deluge has claimed four lives and cost over $3 billion in damaged buildings and roads. Drinking water was declared unsafe for 600,000 Kansas City residents due to treatment plants being inundated.  But farmers, who were already struggling from low commodity prices from the trade war with China, have been hit the hardest, with many dealing with ruined stored crops and drowned livestock.

Why does it matter? Warmer weather and additional spring rains are around the corner, meaning the flooding will likely get worse and more widespread. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects that up to 200 million people are at risk from flooding this spring. While Cincinnati is currently projected to only have minimal flooding, the future might not be so dry. As climate change worsens, the Midwest will see more extreme rainfall events and flooding, causing erosion, declining water quality and negative impacts on transportation, agriculture, human health and infrastructure. On March 21, as reported by CityBeat's Nick Swartsell, Cincinnati City Council declared landslides along Columbia Parkway a city emergency, which have continued to shut down parts of the major roadway — it marked the council's first emergency declaration since 2001. 

3. Second Patient Cleared of HIV

A London man became the second adult in the world to be cleared of an HIV infection after receiving a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia. HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The virus attacks helper T-cells, which regulate the body’s immune response. Patients in the advanced stages of AIDS cannot turn on their immune system, leaving them exposed to infections.

Why does it matter? Bone marrow transplants will not likely gain traction for patients who are HIV positive — it’s a risky procedure with nasty side effects that can last for years afterward. But hope in finding a cure has been renewed. According to the World Health Organization, since the beginning of the epidemic in the 1980s, about 35 million people have died of HIV worldwide and more than 70 million people have been infected. The sub-Saharan Africa region — where a lack of access to reproductive care and cultural, structural and legal barriers hamper HIV prevention efforts — remains the most affected. However, due to a massive public education and health campaign spearheaded by the United Nations, progress has been made: Over 80 percent of people living with HIV are aware of their status and 66 percent are on treatment.

4. Geoengineering Climate

A new study from Harvard, MIT and Princeton has suggested releasing chemicals into the high atmosphere could prevent runaway global warming. The model showed that the right dose of aerosols would reflect enough of the sun’s rays back into space to reduce rising temperatures by half. More importantly, the effects would be the same across the planet, eliminating the current regional inequities between those responsible for climate change and those who experience its worst consequences.

Why does it matter? The idea has raised more than a few eyebrows and not just from the chemtrail conspiracy crowd. The model doesn’t show what happens when you shoot aerosols into the sky, just that the effects of the sun’s rays are dimmed. We may not be capable of fundamentally changing the atmosphere and there’s the question of whether we even should. Global climate is a complicated system and releasing massive amounts of chemicals into the atmosphere could have unintended consequences. But even if we don’t attempt to geoengineer our way out of the problem, humans are going to have to get creative if we are going to solve the challenges of climate change.

5. What to Do This Month

Cincinnati Nature Center has a native plant sale 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day from April 19 to June 2 with over 120 species of native plants available. They’ll even help you figure where to put them on your property. Even if you don’t think that the grass monoculture that occupies the modern American lawn is an abomination like I do, you can at least provide a habitat for local bees, butterflies and birds.

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