Hoping to live on the moon one day? Your chances just got a tiny bit better. Researchers found that lunar pits and caves reach stable temperatures, making them potentially suitable for human life.

Planetary scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles have been doing the research. Although much of the moon's surface temperatures ranges from as high as 260 degrees during the day to as low as 280 degrees below zero at night, the moon has pits and caves where temperatures stay at roughly 63 degrees Fahrenheit, making human habitation a possibility, according to their new research.

For perspective, a day or night on the moon equals a little over two weeks on the earth—making long-term research and habitation difficult with such extremely hot and cold temperatures. Researchers say these stable spots could transform the future of lunar exploration and long-term habitation. The shadowed areas of these pits could also offer protection from harmful elements, such as solar radiation, universal rays and micrometeorites (微小陨石).

About 16 of the over 200 discovered pits most likely come from collapsed lava tubes—tunnels that form from cooled lava or crust, according to Tyler Horvath, a UCLA doctoral student and head of the research. The researchers think overhangs inside of these lunar pits, which were initially discovered in 2009, could be the reason for the stable temperature.

The research team also includes UCLA professor of planetary science David Paige and Paul Hayne at the University of Colorado Boulder. "Humans evolved living in caves, and to caves we might return when we live on the moon," said Paige in a UCLA press release.

There are still plenty of other challenges to establishing any sort of long-term human residence on the moon—including growing food and providing enough oxygen. The researchers made clear that NASA has no immediate plans to establish a base camp or habitations there.

Birmingham Writers Group welcomes members from all walks of life from the West Midlands- we're a the mixed group, and we always enjoy new views. We'll support each other's writing, and provide constructive and critical advice during our group meetings which take a variety of forms. All we require is that our members are regular writers and that they treat each other with respect.

What we write

Our current membership features many fiction writers with a little knowledge of poetry for good measure, but we're open to non-fiction writers too; fiction with a small length is the work of choice, but we also cover radio plays and screenplays. We do ask any material read out at our meetings should be suitable for diverse audiences. Furthermore, we welcome second language writing but we're not equipped to teach writing if you're only just starting out.

When we meet

We generally meet twice monthly. After the official meetings, some members might go to a nearby pub for a chat. We also arrange additional social evenings elsewhere. Because we're a private group with no external funding, we have to rely on some membership fees. However, you may attend two meetings at no charge to determine whether the group is suitable for you. A per-meeting attendance fee of & 5 is asked when you attend a third meeting.

So if you like what you've read here, please contact us and we'll let you know when the next meeting will be and how to join. We do not wish to miss potential members out; welcome to talk to us if you have difficulty participating.

Air pollution remains a critical health risk in the European Union, claiming over 500,000 lives in 2021, with findings suggesting nearly half of these could have been prevented if pollution were reduced to levels recommended by health experts. Data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) show that of these deaths, 253,000 were linked to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) going beyond the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. These particles are especially dangerous as they can pass into the bloodstream and affect various organs. Nitrogen dioxide and ozone also contributed to the mortality (死亡频率) statistics, associated with 52,000 and 22,000 deaths respectively. The EU's environment commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, underlined that air pollution poses the top environmental health risk in the EU. Nevertheless, there is evidence of improvement, with deaths from PM2.5 decreasing by 41% between 2005 and 2021, and the EU targets a reduction of 55% by 2030.

In response to these concerns, the WHO, which updated its air quality guidelines in 2021, warns that no level of air pollution can be considered safe but has set upper limits for certain pollutants. The European Parliament vote to bring the EU's air quality standards in line with the WHO but decided to delay doing so until 2035.

Sinkevicius said that air quality is indeed improving due to effective clean air policies. Beyond death counts, the EEA also assessed air pollution's broader impact on diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes, stressing not only mortality but the quality of life impacts. EEA researcher Alberto Gonzalez Ortiz pointed to severe disability states caused by these conditions, worsened by air pollution.

The EEA's comprehensive approach shows that while the fight against air pollution has seen progress, immediate action is still critical to reduce pollution and reduce its widespread effects on public health.