Two Democratic senators are pushing for legislation to change the Federal Aviation Administration's standards around seat sizing and spacing on aircrafts. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Tammy Baldwin have introduced a new bill, which would also require the FAA to set new standards for aircraft evacuations that are more realistic in case of emergencies. The agency currently requires passengers to be able to evacuate within 90 seconds of an emergency. Advocates worry this may not be enough time given the cramped conditions.
BRAIN STUDY
It turns out the shape and size of our brains could have a lot to do with how our brains actually function. A new study published in the journal Nature challenges the idea that our thoughts, behavior and feelings are based on interconnected neurons communicating with each other. The study doesn't dispute the theory but found that the unique shapes and curves in each of our brains impact our thoughts and behavior. One of the researchers compares the brain to a pond saying the shape of a pond affects the waves and ripples created by a pebble. The study's lead author said the findings offer new opportunities to understand the effects of diseases such as dementia and stroke.
Palestinians in the sealed-off Gaza Strip are scrambling to find safety, as Israeli strikes demolish entire neighborhoods, hospitals run low on supplies and a power blackout is expected within hours.
Claudia Goldin, a Harvard University professor, was awarded the Nobel economics prize on Monday for research that helps explain why women around the world are less likely than men to work and to earn less money when they do.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel after the attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead on both sides. Americans were reported to be among those killed and missing.
Men dug through rubble with their bare hands and shovels in western Afghanistan on Sunday in desperate attempts to pull victims from the wreckage of earthquakes that killed at least 2,000 people.
Israel’s military ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip on Monday, halting entry of food, fuel and supplies to its 2.3 million people as it pounded the Hamas-ruled territory with waves of airstrikes in retaliation for the militants’ bloody weekend incursion.