Scientists are stumped after learning that Antarctica is missing a gigantic amount of sea ice that measures up to four times the size of Texas. It's currently the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, a time when sea ice is expected to expand. However, Antarctica has witnessed a drastic decrease. Sea ice is said to be controlled by a balance between the atmosphere and oceans each year. Dr Steve Rintoul, CSIRO Fellow and Research Team Leader, explained [via the Sydney Morning Herald]: "The factors that influence sea ice include winds from north to south are stronger than usual which pushes sea ice towards Antarctica and restricts how far sea ice spreads. "The warmer water means there is less sea ice, and even things like melting the surface melt can alter sea ice forming." Data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) shows that the ice was more than 2.6 million square kilometres below the 1981 to 2010 average. While it's natural for levels of sea ice to change, Dr Rintoul noted that this is the lowest amount recorded in the last 40 years. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Despite factors such as the atmosphere playing its part, the exact reason behind the decline is baffling scientists. "It is stunning," Dr Rintoul said. "The fact is we don’t know why [we’ve got record low sea ice]. "No one predicted this, we don’t understand why this season is as low as it is." Eric Rignot of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of California, Irvine told Axios that it's too early to determine how responsible climate change is to this year's sea ice decline. He went on to note that when declines started in 2016, researchers couldn't say whether it was part of a larger trend. "Now, we can say with a bit more certainty that this is not anomalous behaviour — it's a change of state," he told the outlet. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

South African authorities say they have detected “movement” underground at a shuttered gold mine where they believe at least 31 illegal miners died in a suspected gas explosion last month

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Deshaun Watson was cleared by the team’s medical staff to play Sunday with a bruised right shoulder, but the quarterback made the decision following a brief warmup

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will host a town hall with educators on Sept. 28 that will also

WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 5, 2023--

A man who has had body modifications and is covered in tattoos to look like a “Black Alien” has said he can’t find a job as people “judge” him. Frenchman Anthony Loffredo is known as the Black Alien after having extreme body modifications, such as a split tongue and implants, as well as being heavily tattooed from head to toe – eyeballs included. He has amassed 1.2 million followers on Instagram as people take interest in the unmissable 34-year-old and his ever-transforming modifications. But despite his large social media following, in real life, Loffredo has opened up about the difficulties he faces due to his unusual look, including finding jobs. Speaking on an episode of the Club 113 podcast, Loffredo said: “I can’t find a job, there’s lots of negative stuff. It could be positive because you feel better, but you have to know there’s also a dark side.” Loffredo also opened up about what it’s like to deal with the way strangers react to him every day. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter He explained: “It’s a fight everyday, because everyday you find new people who don’t understand, who want to judge. “It’s life, not everyone understands everything. Like me, I don’t understand lots of things about lots of people. “You can’t judge someone, no one knows what’s inside someone’s head, why they’re doing that, you need to talk with this person.” To achieve his “project” of looking like an alien, Loffredo has had two fingers on his left hand amputated, as well as his ears and tip of his nose. But, he insisted he is simply a normal guy who wants to be treated like a normal person. He said: “I’m a normal guy, I work, I have a family… I like being looked at like a normal guy with a job, with a family, who has a friend, girlfriend, all of that. That’s what makes me normal.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had six RBIs and the Toronto Blue Jays stopped a five-game losing streak with a 20-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays, scoring their last 10 runs off position players

Adidas AG is pausing sales of Yeezy sneakers for the rest of this year, but Chief Executive Officer

By Casey Hall SHANGHAI Shanghai driver Zhu Zhimin works 15 hours a day to earn the same money

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 31, 2023--

Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar described the 26-year-old man as 'a repugnant human being'

The "Lord's chicken" no more: US fast food chain Chick-fil-A -- beloved among Americans for its sandwiches, nuggets and milkshakes -- found itself on the receiving end of right-wing ire this...