Happy November, dudes! To get into the fall spirit (even though none of these have anything to do with fall), here’s a list of stuff that went down on November 1st throughout history. Enjoy the random knowledge!

• 1512 - Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling Unveiled

• 1755 - Lisbon Earthquake

• 1952 - First Hydrogen Bomb Detonated by the U.S

• 2000 - First Crew Arrives at the International Space Station

Authors: Hannah Tooker, Evan Ochs

In the Now

Bye, Bye Brie Cheese?

Picture this: brie cheese, with its iconic creamy bloom, vanishing from cheese boards everywhere. But don’t panic — not yet, anyway. Brie isn’t going extinct in the way we’d think; it’s more like an endangered species, under quiet threat from a surprising culprit: a tiny fungus known as Penicillium camemberti. This unassuming fungus is the force behind Brie’s legendary soft rind and luscious texture, but it’s a force that may be weakening.

Cheesemakers have depended on P. camemberti for centuries, cloning it to create consistent batches of brie, camembert, and even blue cheese. But the cloning practice has come at a cost: genetic diversity. With limited genetic variability, this single strain faces a higher risk of being wiped out by environmental changes or diseases, leaving brie and its creamy cousins hanging by a fungal thread.

Adding to the issue, P. camemberti can’t reproduce sexually, so each cloned generation loses some adaptability to weather changes. It’s a risky recipe, where uniformity has quietly trumped biodiversity, and a few environmental shifts could jeopardize the cherished mold — and the cheese it flavors.

While this may seem like the beginning of the end, organizations like the Centre National Interprofessionnel de l’Economie Laitière (CNEIL) are working behind the scenes to preserve backup strains in labs, hoping to forestall a crisis. They’re fighting to keep the delicate balance of microbial ecosystems alive — the ecosystems that turn milk into the brie we adore.

For now, brie lovers can still indulge, but the next time you savor its creamy decadence, remember: this cheese’s future hinges on the survival of a single, vulnerable strain of fungus.

Building of the Week

Kyoto International Conference Center(1966)

Science Stuff

NASA’s Twin Study

In 2015, NASA launched an unprecedented experiment, sending astronaut Scott Kelly to live on the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly a year while his identical twin, Mark Kelly, remained on Earth. The purpose? To understand how long-term space travel affects the human body by comparing the two brothers’ biology over time.

Scott’s extended stay in space put him in a unique environment with zero gravity, higher radiation exposure, and limited physical activity—conditions completely different from Earth. NASA scientists used the genetic similarity between Scott and Mark to monitor specific changes in Scott’s body and compare them directly to Mark’s, allowing insights that regular studies on Earth couldn’t provide.

After Scott returned, scientists found notable changes. His telomeres—caps on the ends of chromosomes that usually shorten with age—actually lengthened in space, though they returned to normal once he was back on Earth. Other findings included changes in gene expression, immune system function, and even his microbiome. While most of these changes were temporary, some lingered, indicating that prolonged space exposure has lasting effects.

The study was a milestone for space medicine, suggesting that long-term space travel may significantly impact human health. As NASA sets its sights on Mars and beyond, understanding these effects is crucial for future missions. The twin study remains a foundational piece of research, shaping how we prepare astronauts for the unique challenges of deep space exploration.

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