Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
Even at thousands of metres high, germs are inescapable, according to new research at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Near the world's tallest peak above sea level at Mount Everest, researchers detected human-associated microbes from coughing and sneezing that could potentially have been leaving trails of human bacteria for centuries.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research journal, analyzed samples from the South Col, at 7,925 metres high, where nature explorers set up their final camp before climbing up to the mountain's peak. Researchers were able to find microbial DNA related to humans like staphylococcus, which can cause staph infections and food poisoning. They also found streptococcus bacteria, which is often associated with strep throat.
“There is a human signature frozen in the microbiome of Everest," said one of the researchers and professor of of ecology and evolutionary biology, Steve Schmidt, in a news release.
By using gene-sequencing technology to conclusively verify the DNA samples on both dead and living microbes, the researchers were surprised to find bacteria that normally live in warm and wet environments like the human nose and mouth able to withstand the frigid, harsh conditions on the mountain.
Additionally they were able to find organisms previously found in the Andes and Antarctica, including a genus of fungi called Naganishia, which can endure freezing temperatures and UV radiation. While most microbes don't survive the cold terrain and high UV light on the mountain, researchers believe Naganishia may still be able to grow with water and sunlight to have just enough heat to survive.
This isn't the first time trails left by humans have made a mark on the famous mountain trail. The increasing amount of tourism has also increased the amount of trash left behind by climbers as some struggling to complete the climb often leave behind their tents when it's too cold or difficult to dig out, or let their human waste fall into crevasses on the mountain.
There is also concern for climate change's effect on the mountain as melting glaciers have caused the popular starting point of the trek at the south base camp to move further down after 2,000-year-old ice began to melt.
The researchers hope their findings will not only help us understand how humans can further impact the planet's environment but potentially how humans can affect the environment on other planets and moons.
“We might find life on other planets and cold moons,” Schmidt said. “We’ll have to be careful to make sure we’re not contaminating them with our own.”
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
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A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a Grade 4 student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.