An excellent explainer for ‘Welcome to Country’ dispelling myths put about by mendacious critics engaged in culture wars. #auspol ⁦@blakandblack⁩ blakandblack.com/2025/07/29/…

A groundbreaking DNA study has revealed a startling chapter in the story of human evolution: approximately 800,000 years ago, our ancestors teetered on the brink of extinction. According to genetic evidence, early human populations dwindled to as few as 1,280 individuals, marking a dramatic population bottleneck that lasted for nearly 117,000 years. This astonishing discovery sheds new light on the fragility of our species' origins—and the resilience that allowed us to survive and thrive against all odds. Using advanced computational models to analyze genetic data from modern populations, researchers identified a sharp decline in ancestral human numbers during the mid-Pleistocene epoch. The reason? Scientists suspect drastic climate change played a major role. During this period, Earth experienced a significant cooling trend, causing glaciations and altering global ecosystems. These environmental upheavals may have reduced food sources, fragmented habitats, and created harsh survival conditions for early humans, leading to a catastrophic drop in population size. The study estimates that humanity’s ancestral population hovered at around 1,280 breeding individuals for over 100,000 years. In evolutionary terms, this is considered an extremely small gene pool—so small, in fact, that it threatened our long-term survival. Yet from this tiny remnant, the human species eventually recovered. These few thousand individuals were the genetic founders of all modern humans. Our collective ancestry—every culture, every civilization, every person alive today—traces back to them. This bottleneck left a genetic signature that researchers can still detect today. It also helps explain some puzzling gaps in the fossil record, as the population collapse may have contributed to the disappearance of ancient hominin species and cultural transitions during that era. More importantly, it emphasizes the critical role that climate and environment have played in shaping human evolution. It serves as a stark reminder of how vulnerable even the most adaptable species can be in the face of global ecological shifts. The survival of our species through this evolutionary bottleneck is a testament to human adaptability, cooperation, and endurance. Against formidable odds, our ancestors navigated a period of intense adversity—and laid the genetic foundation for every human being alive today. As modern climate change increasingly affects ecosystems and species around the world, this ancient story of near-extinction resonates more than ever. Understanding our past may be the key to securing our future. #archaeohistories

What is Fascism? Read this... open.substack.com/pub/heathe…

Michelle Obama’s full speech from Michigan

History of disinformation deluges open.substack.com/pub/heathe…

Absolutely love this!

let’s hope we get a tight contest like the last time they met in a GF… maybe a few more goals. #AFLSwansLions #AFLGF

Apocalypse Then: The Volcanic Winter of 536 AD... It is easy for us to believe that 2020 was one of the worst years in human history. We lived through a devastating pandemic, the deaths of millions, and a major economic recession. However, there have been many worse years. The Volcanic Winter of 536AD was one of them. Whether a stroke of bad luck or the scourge of God, 536 AD seemed an apocalyptic time in which to live. Several sources from late antiquity speak of a drastic change in climate that caused immense hardship. The ancient Roman scholar Cassiodorus reported “a winter without storms, spring without mildness, and summer without heat.” Procopius wrote that “the sun gave forth its light without brightness…like the sun in eclipse.” The 12th Century scholar Michael the Syrian said that “the sun shone feebly for a year and a half.” Others described lower temperatures, harvest failure, famine, and disease from Europe to the Middle East. Climate historians believe that this major cooling that began in 536 AD occurred because of a massive volcanic eruption. This would account for the descriptions of dark skies and the subsequent cooling of the Earth for about 18 months. Temperatures fell by 2.5°C. It even snowed in China during summer. The atmosphere was highly toxic with hydrogen sulfide, neon, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and other dangerous elements. This took on a dusty veil that dulled the sun’s vibrancy. It took over a century for the climate to return to normal. This period is called the Late Antiquity Little Ice Age. Scientists have not yet determined which volcano or volcanoes erupted. There are several possible culprits: a volcano in Iceland, Tierra Blanca Joven in El Salvador, Krakatoa in Indonesia, or Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. However, Tierra Blanca Joven has recently been ruled out. Tree-ring analysis has shown that it erupted in 431 AD, a century before the volcanic winter. However, an analysis of ice samples found evidence of a volcanic eruption in Iceland dating to approximately 534 AD. Other tests of tree rings found two other eruptions in 540 and 547. The volcanic winter triggered social, political, and economic upheavals. Frost-killed crops led to famine. People as diverse as the Saracens, Mongolians, Lombards, and Slavs fled their drought-stricken homelands. There was barely any bread. Starvation killed thousands and allowed pestilence to fester. Bubonic plague struck a few years later, evolving into the infamous Plague of Justinian. It was one of the world’s first major pandemics and killed over 100 million people, including almost half population of the Eastern Roman Empire. Some scholars speculate that this plague was somewhat responsible for the Empire’s collapse. The volcanic winter has been linked to the demise of other civilizations, including Sassanid, Avars, and even the Moche in Peru. Despite the horrors of 536 AD, life returned to normal by the 600s. There was a decent economic recovery. European kingdoms started to smelt silver, which eventually replaced gold as the standard currency. This encouraged the emergence of a middle class. Farming and agriculture revived. It’s only human to complain about the times we live in. All the same, we should be thankful not to have lived through 536 AD. #archaeohistories

She won’t say it because she can’t. Why? Why is Jill Stein who dined with Mike Flynn and Putin in Moscow and only shows up every 4 years as a spoiler and has never even bothered to build a party or run other races…why does she refuse to call Putin a war criminal? It’s a mystery

👩🏻‍🏫💬 Try using these transitional words to improve the flow and coherence of your writing. [Source: tmblr.co/Z6FzFv2KEvXSr] #writing

RT @BOM_au: The long-range forecast for spring 2024 has been released. Find our more here: bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/ #Climate #Water #We…

VP Harris: “Let me be clear—I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself…”

WATCH: A video shown at the Democratic National Convention replayed some of the violence, destruction and chaos unleashed during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and included recordings of former President Donald Trump urging protesters on that day and afterward.

Pete Buttigieg on why he goes on Fox News is worth a few minutes of your time

Watch Elon’s reaction in this 2013 interview when his brother Kimbal admits they were “illegal” immigrants.

If you have a few moments to listen to this interview as a parent with your child. Possible one of the best post race interviews I have ever watched #PlayOn

Murdoch and Trump - a fraught relationship: theconversation.com/how-rupe…

If you’re interested in using satellite tools yourself check out this recent guide on using free satellite imagery applications, which used the case study of monitoring settlements in the West Bank. bellingcat.com/resources/202…

Just the Facts About US Immigration: Steve Ballmer Talks Through the Num... youtu.be/wt91pxCd0qA?si=rO1A… via @YouTube

RT @ShiannonC: It’s no coincidence that Christianity was first legitimised in the 4th century AD and the fall of the Western Roman Empire f…