Quick hits: Using a pay phone; hated Halloween candy; oral health is part of overall health; dude ranches for all

Finding and using a pay phone is a modern curiosity.
(Photo by Darin Epperly, Flatwater Free Press)

Smartphones may be the way of today, but pay phones still exist, and a call can cost a mere quarter. "Lane Handke called his wife to tell her he was bringing home the shelves they needed to finish their cabinet. The call cost him 25 cents," reports of Kevin Warneke of Flatwater Free Press. "Then, he phoned a friend just to say hello. . . . Handke made his calls from a pay telephone standing outside the Pierce Telephone Co. building. He felt drawn to this pay phone by curiosity. Pulled toward it by nostalgia." He told Warneke, “I hadn’t used a pay phone in decades. People were looking and wondering what I was doing. I thought it was kind of cool.”

While wind, solar, nuclear and fossil fuels are all part of the U.S. energy grid, geothermal power may be the next source to enter the mix. "The promise of new engineering techniques for geothermal energy – heat from the Earth itself – has attracted rising levels of investment to this reliable, low-emission power source that can provide continuous electricity almost anywhere on the planet," writes geophysicist Moones Alamooti for The Conversation. "That includes ways to harness geothermal energy from idle or abandoned oil and gas wells. . . . In the first quarter of 2025, North American geothermal installations attracted $1.7 billion in public funding – compared with $2 billion for all of 2024."

Do you know which Halloween candies are the most
disliked? (Adobe Stock photo)

As Halloween gets closer, adults and kids out shopping are met with store shelves packed with chewy eyeballs, glow-in-the-dark worms, bat-shaped candy bars, corn that's not real corn, and festive fall packaging. But some people find the  sweet, sticky world of Oct. 31 candy disgusting -- so much so, there's a list of the 10 most despised Halloween candies. Guesses go here.

Oral health and overall health are closely linked, and some "practitioners think dentistry should no longer be siloed," reports Lola Butcher for Knowable magazine. "Dentistry and medicine have operated as parallel fields: Dentists take care of the mouth, physicians the rest of the body. That is starting to change. . . . Dental hygienists have started working in medical clinics; physicians and dentists have started a professional association to promote working together; and a new kind of clinic — with dentists and doctors under one roof — is emerging. . . . The list of connections between oral health and systemic health — conditions that affect the entire body — is remarkable."

Triangle X Ranch, inside Grand Teton National Park, has been in the Turner family for nearly a century. 
(Triangle X Ranch photo via The New York Times)

Saddle up or relax at one of these six dude ranches. "All-inclusive guest ranches let you connect with nature, as well as your inner cowpoke, on the trail, around the campfire and under the starry skies," reports Ruffin Prevost for The New York Times. Whether honing horse skills, seeking majestic views, or simply wanting to leave technology and stress behind by heading out to the American West, Prevost's list offers suggestions and resources for a rural getaway.

Here a seed, there a seed, everywhere a company selling or consolidating to sell seeds. "Keeping track of [seed] brands — especially corn and soybeans — can be daunting," reports of Chris Torres of Farm Progress. "Knowing who owns what can provide crucial insights into what companies are behind the brands you buy, how they source and develop genetics, and what sorts of technology may be available to you." A compact seed chart and a listing of university variety seed trials are found here.

Each piano was tuned slightly differently to produce 11,000 Strings.
(Photo by Stephanie Berg via the Smithsonian)

When 100 pianos at the Hailun piano factory in China were all played together to test their performance before being shipped out, conductor Peter Paul Kainrath was there to experience the "massive sound," reports Ella Feldman for Smithsonian magazine. "The cacophonic scene left Kainrath so inspired that he called Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas to discuss its potential. . . .The next morning, Haas told Kainrath that if he brought him 50 pianos, he would compose a piece. The resulting composition is Haas’ 11,000 Strings."

Flora & Fauna: Stealthy Eastern hellbenders; eavesdropping on forests; off-bottom oysters; what do wasps do?

Spotting an Eastern hellbender takes time, luck and 
snorkeling. (Adobe Stock photo) 

Taking a swim in an Appalachian river is the only way to get a glimpse of this stealthy animal that looks like it's part salamander and part alligator: the Eastern hellbender. "These rare salamanders, which can grow to over two feet long, lurk in the wild rivers of Appalachia. To spot one, you’ll need a snorkel, and some luck," reports Mihir Zaveri of The New York Times. "Hellbenders, which can live for 30 years or more, vaguely resemble large underwater lizards. . . . I heard a muffled yell from [my guide] who was floating upstream. I popped out of the water. 'Hellbender!' he shouted. 'Hellbender!'" Zavari's adventure with hellbender-in-action photos is here.

Researchers who want to know more about what's happening in Wisconsin forests have launched an eavesdropping system designed to record the sounds of birds, animals, people, weather and leaves 24/7. "Once a month, researchers hike through the woods in the Baraboo Hills to check on small boxes strapped to tree trunks. The boxes hold microphones that are running 24 hours a day, capturing the soundscape of the forest," reports Bridgit Bowden of Wisconsin Public Radio. "Bioacoustics enable researchers to get a fuller picture of the forest, the species that inhabit it and how they change over time."

Scientists seek ways for bees to spread pesticides that 
are safe for pollinators. (Offrange graphic)

To help crops stay safe from pests and molds, scientists suggest letting pollen-gathering bees do what they do best: The work. "A bumblebee prepares to leave its hive. But first, it passes through a dispenser and picks up a dusting of biofungicide, a pesticide made of mycelium, that it will soon pass on to every strawberry flower it visits," reports Leah Borts-Kuperman for Offrange. "The pest-control formula will then be transmitted from flower to flower by pollinators who will hopefully prevent the farm’s strawberries from developing the gray mold no one wants." Read more about "bee vectoring" here.

An off-bottom oyster harvesters pulls his crop from floating cages. (Photo by E. Plunk, Louisiana Illuminator)

Beset by changes in climate and natural disasters, some of Louisiana's oyster industry is delving into the off-bottom oyster business. "On-bottom culture, where oysters attach to reefs or substrate on the water’s bottom, is and has been the most popular method of oyster harvesting in Louisiana’s waters," reports Elise Plunk for New Orleans Public Radio. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lists the state’s strong interest in off-bottom oyster cultivation as a way to help build resiliency into an industry under threat from sediment diversions. . . . Whether this technique can beat back worsening hurricanes, climate change and the impact of sediment diversions is still undetermined."

When I grow up, I want to be a garlic nerd. A stinky, vampire-busting garlic nerd who grows garlic from garlic seeds, which isn't common. Most garlic doesn't grow from seeds. "Ever since people began cultivating garlic — six millennia ago by some estimates. . . scarcely a single plant was coaxed to produce one solitary seed. And so it forgot how," writes Katherine Cusumano for Offrange. "About 15 years ago, a Missouri farmer named Mark Brown began trying to coax true seeds from his garlic — an attempt, essentially, to undo thousands of years of domestication." Brown's example has been followed by many garlic-obsessed planters working on their own seeds and ideas for improving the spice plant. 

The common wasp is an insect hunter.
(Adobe Stock photo)

Besides building nearly indestructible mud or paper nests and terrifying adults and children alike with the threat of their searingly painful stings, do wasps have a purpose? Ecology researcher and wasp expert Seirian Sumner wants people to know that in the world of insects, wasps are an apex predator. She told CNN News, "Wasps are nature’s pest controllers. Without wasps. . .we would be inclined to use more chemicals to control the populations of the other insects and creepy crawlies that we don’t like: caterpillars, aphids, spiders, beetles – you name it – there is a wasp that hunts it. So wasps are really important top predators in regulating all of those insect populations within the ecosystem.” 

Flora & Fauna: Axolotl is the 'comeback king;' corn seed miracle; big snake haul; two-note song; tracking butterflies

Known for their regenerative powers, scientists are learning
from the 'adorable' axolotl. (Photo by TK, Unsplash)

Limb regeneration may sound like an 'X-Files' episode, but U.S. scientists are working on it. "With a silly smile and frilly gills, the axolotl has wriggled its way into the hearts of millions," reports Dino Grandoni of The Washington Post. "But this adorable species of salamander is also helping researchers investigate a serious medical mystery: Could the human body be coaxed to regrow a severed arm or leg? Scientists are turning to the axolotl because it is an expert at regeneration. . . .The species is also a comeback king, able to regrow not only lost limbs but also tissue in the heart, lungs and even the brain."

It's hot and humid, and corn tasseling season is almost here. "If someone writes a book about the 'seven great wonders of agriculture,' tasseling and pollination must be on the list," reports Tom J. Bechman of Farm Progress. "The process of producing hundreds of new corn kernels per plant, all from one original seed, is simple yet complex at the same time." Read how the miracle of corn happens here.

135lb female Burmese python found while radio-tracking 
a male scout snake. (Conservancy of Southwest Florida photo)

'Snakes on a Plane' might be a good summer movie fun, but in Florida, hundreds of people drop the film drama and eradicate snakes on land. "It was a milestone moment in Florida’s 25-year war on invasive Burmese pythons: an eye-popping announcement that biologists had removed 20 tons of the slithering invaders from waters in and around the Everglades in little more than a decade, as well as shattering their previous record for a single-season haul," reports Richard Luscombe of The Guardian. "The successes of the team at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida showcase the progress that has been made in efforts to reverse the snakes’ takeover of the state’s natural wilderness."

The only thing sharks can regenerate is their teeth.
That's probably enough. (Photo by Wai Siew, Unsplash)

Two notes + Razor-sharp teeth = One summer blockbuster. “Da, duh. E and F have become synonymous with tension, fear and sharks, representing the primal dread of being stalked by a predator," writes media history scholar Jared Bahir Browsh for The Conversation. "Fifty years ago, Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster film – along with its spooky score composed by John Williams – convinced generations of swimmers to think twice before going in the water. . . . I decided to take a deeper dive into the staying power of these two notes. . . "

Pollen is a way to track butterflies.
(Jozsef Szabo photo, Unsplash)

If you want to help the world be a better place for all creatures, then do one small thing to help insects: Provide an insect-friendly habitat. "This includes supporting a variety of native plants that can provide both nectar and leaves, which are food for many herbivorous insects throughout their lives. A good habitat also provides places for insects to nest, such as bare ground or leaf litter. Bigger patches are better, but even small gardens can be helpful," write Christopher Halsch and Eliza Grames for The Conversation. "At the same time, limiting exposure to other threats is important. Actions such as dimming artificial lights at night and reducing the use of pesticides can help."

How can the fluttering trails and migrations of butterflies be traced and mapped? With pollen. "Those tiny pollen grains are helping researchers study a process that until now has been largely inscrutable: the migratory patterns of insects as they move around the globe," reports Saugat Bolakhe for Knowable magazine. "Analyzing pollen collected from 264 butterflies from 10 different countries . . researchers identified 398 different plants they could use to track the butterflies’ movements."

Bayer considers Monsanto bankrupcy as one way to settle thousands of Roundup lawsuits

Roundup is used by farmers
around the world.

 

Despite being the most popular herbicide in the world, Roundup continues to be at the heart of thousands of lawsuits alleging the product's active ingredient, glyphosate, is linked to human cancers. Bayer, which owns Roundup, is working on resolving the lawsuits while "exploring a bankruptcy filing for its Monsanto agriculture business," report Andrew Scurria, Akiko Matsuda, Patrick Thomas and Alexander Gladstone of The Wall Street Journal.

Because Bayer has already attempted and failed to resolve much of its Roundup litigation, the "German drug and agriculture conglomerate is preparing a bankruptcy filing," intended to "cover the weedkiller’s U.S. manufacturer, Monsanto," the Journal reports. "A Chapter 11 filing by Monsanto would pause lawsuits against the division and open a path to settling its share of Roundup-related liability in bankruptcy court."

Roundup was developed by Monsanto and sold to U.S. farmers and gardeners beginning around 1974. The product was used for roughly 40 years before lawsuits against Monsanto began following a study published in 2013 that suggested glyphosate may cause human cancer. The Journal reports, "Lawsuits alleging a link between glyphosate — the key ingredient in Roundup — and cancer have dogged Bayer since its 2018 acquisition of Monsanto."

Roundup litigation, payouts and company stock slumps have cost Bayer billions and led the company to warn "farmers, suppliers and retailers that it may stop producing Roundup absent a resolution of the tort claims. . . . Bayer’s shares are down about 75% since it acquired Monsanto in 2018," according to the Wall Street Journal report. "The Roundup litigation has cost the company about $10 billion in legal payouts as part of the $16 billion it has so far set aside for settlements."

Nonetheless, the company said it "is committed to resolving its litigation headache in the next 12 to 18 months," the Journal reports. "About 67,000 cases alleging it caused plaintiffs’ cancer are pending. . . . U.S. farmers rely on Roundup to produce soybean, corn and cotton crops that are genetically modified to withstand the weedkiller."

To read how Bayer could use bankruptcy to carve out lawsuit resolutions, click here.