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The findings suggest cities should prioritize protecting mature trees alongside planting new ones. Given the myriad health benefits associated with trees, tree maintenance has become even more crucial as human-caused climate change drives more extreme weather and intensifies heat risks in cities.

The study was published in the journal GeoHealth.

"Previous studies have mostly looked at how health outcomes are associated with static tree canopy coverage," said Northwestern's Daniel Horton, the study's senior author. "These snapshot-style studies looked at mortality rates and the tree canopy at one moment in time. But cities and their tree canopies constantly change, so we looked at how the canopy and death rates change over the years. We found that as tree canopy decreases, mortality increases."

Horton is an associate professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, where he leads the Climate Change Research Group (CCRG). He also is a faculty affiliate of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy and the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs.

Exploring nature-based solutions

The study grew out of the Buffett Institute's Defusing Disasters Working Group, an interdisciplinary initiative that unites climate scientists, physicians, public health experts, city leaders and community partners to explore how extreme weather affects vulnerable populations in Chicago. Co-led by Horton, the group also develops practical strategies to help cities reduce health risks and strengthen climate resilience.

"The Defusing Disasters Working Group set out to determine what makes Chicago residents vulnerable to extreme heat," Horton said. "We found that a number of different factors contribute to heat vulnerability, and trees are one part of the equation."

A walking tour of Chicago's North Lawndale and Douglas Park areas inspired Harrison Garcia, the study's lead author and a medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, to consider canopy coverage.

"I noticed how much more exhausting it felt to walk through areas with little tree cover compared to nearby blocks lined with mature trees," said Garcia, who also is a member of the Defusing Disasters Working Group. "I remember thinking that if the heat was affecting me so noticeably during a short walking tour, it must be shaping people's health over the long term."

To capture canopy changes, the team analyzed annual satellite measurements of tree canopy across every Chicago census tract from 2011 through 2021. Then, they combined satellite data with more than 220,000 death records from the Illinois and Chicago Departments of Public Health.

To isolate the relationship between tree canopy and mortality, the researchers developed a statistical model that accounted for differences in summer temperatures, air pollution, income, population size, racial and ethnic residential segregation and other neighborhood-level factors that can influence health. This approach enabled the research team to distinguish the effects of changing tree canopy from differences that already existed among neighborhoods.

Not all neighborhoods are affected equally

The team found that a neighborhood's overall tree canopy within each year was not significantly associated with mortality. Instead, what mattered were the year-to-year changes in tree canopy. Increases in canopy were consistently associated with fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, several musculoskeletal conditions and mental health-related illnesses.

"We used a technique called K-means clustering to group Chicago neighborhoods based on three factors: tree canopy, temperature and mortality," said study co-author Benjamin Barrett, a Ph.D. candidate in health and biomedical informatics at Feinberg and member of the Defusing Disasters Working Group. "That allowed us to identify patterns across Chicago and to pinpoint where protecting and expanding tree canopy is needed most."

The geographic disparities were striking. According to the model, neighborhoods on the South and West sides tended to experience hotter summer temperatures, greater absolute canopy losses and higher mortality than other parts of the city. Neighborhoods along Lake Michigan generally experienced cooler temperatures and lower mortality, while areas near the Forest Preserves had the city's largest tree canopy and experienced relatively lower mortality.

Mature trees matter

The study co-authors underscore an often-overlooked point: Planting trees and increasing tree canopy are not the same. While young saplings take years to develop broad, leafy crowns, mature trees already provide extensive shade and cooling. Losing those trees—to disease, storms or development—can erase decades of canopy growth almost overnight.

"Chicago must both maintain the canopy it has and expand the canopy where it's needed most," said study co-author Raed Mansour, a member of the Defusing Disasters Working Group and of the Openlands Board of Directors. "That means protecting mature trees from unnecessary removal, providing ongoing care for existing trees, replacing removed trees and investing in their long-term survival."

To illustrate the potential benefits, the research team modeled what might happen if Chicago increased tree canopy by about 0.03% each year, which is roughly equivalent to planting 14,000 trees annually. The model estimated this increase was associated with roughly 105 fewer deaths annually.

Trees as public health infrastructure

While trees can cool neighborhoods by providing shade and reducing the effects of urban heat islands, they also have numerous other health benefits. Trees improve air quality, encourage outdoor activity and contribute to healthier neighborhoods.

"Trees provide dozens of benefits," Mansour said. "They decrease stress, anxiety and blood pressure and increase social cohesion. They also reduce soil erosion and support biodiversity. Maintaining the urban canopy and planting trees where they are needed are both important. Many folks see trees primarily as aesthetic features or amenities, but they should be recognized as part of our public health infrastructure."

More information

Harrison C. Garcia et al, Increasing Urban Tree Canopy Associated With Reduced Mortality: A Longitudinal Analysis of Chicago Neighborhoods, GeoHealth (2026). DOI: 10.1029/2025gh001651

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Robert Egan

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Citation: As urban tree shade shrinks, mortality rises (2026, August 5) retrieved 5 August 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-08-urban-tree-mortality.html

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The discovery of human bones is nothing new; in fact, they have turned up at Brading Roman Villa since its rediscovery in 1880. What's remained a mystery is their age, but new radiocarbon dates and some coins hint at a short window of time in which the inhabitants of the villa mysteriously died.

The most disturbing aspect is the bones scattered within the villa itself, said author Michael Fulford, professor of archaeology at the University of Reading. "How did they get there (mixed in) with other Roman domestic rubbish as well? Were the people who brought them in aware of what they had found?"

The mystery of the bones

Brading Roman Villa, today under the stewardship of Brading Roman Villa Trust, was first discovered and excavated by retired army officer Captain John Thorp and William Munns from 1880 to 1881. It was during the initial excavations that workers uncovered the now-famous mosaic floors depicting the god of wine, Bacchus, and a stunning mosaic of Medusa.

However, scattered across the villa within various rooms were also the haunting remains of human bones. According to the study, later digs in the 1990s and 2000s made the same grim finds, human remains dispersed outside the building, including one teenager discovered in a well alongside three young dogs.

Researchers were able to determine that the remains belonged to at least four adults, one teenager and a baby. But matching bones to specific individuals and rooms was no longer possible because the 1880s excavations never properly documented these finds.

"Frustrating, but not unexpected with antiquarian finds," Fulford said.

Examination of the bones revealed chilling details: Some showed signs of cut marks, while others had been gnawed on.

To try to pin down when these people died, five bones were sent for radiocarbon dating at the University of Glasgow. One failed to yield results, but when the other four dates were returned to the researchers, a pattern emerged. All pointed to a single event, or at least a cluster of events occurring one after the other, between A.D. 220 and 410.

Coins may hint at a massacre

An unexpected clue came from 90 Roman coins collected at the site since its first excavations. The coins reveal a curious gap that occurred between A.D. 330 and 348, a gap not evident at most other Roman British sites but one that lines up with the simultaneous deaths of the villa's occupants.

"The radiocarbon dates make it clear that the bones are of late Roman date, not post-Roman, and that is the important result," Fulford said. "The coins point to a possible historical context ... but it is no more than a suggestion."

The gap in the coin assemblage may be linked to a mysterious crisis, something serious enough to prompt a hurried visit from Emperor Constans in the winter of A.D. 343.

The darker possibility points to a bloody purge that occurred in Roman Britain in the 350s, when Roman Emperor Constantius launched a brutal crackdown on Britain after a usurper named Magnentius was defeated, sending an agent to hunt down any of the loser's supporters. The ancient historian Ammianus Marcellinus recorded how Britons, both supporters and innocents, were tortured, imprisoned and executed, with many having their property confiscated.

Either way, it is plausible that the villa's inhabitants fell victim to a massacre, as shown by the cut marks and the abandonment of the grand reception, hinting at the death or disappearance of its former owner.

This may also explain the scatter of bones, with victims thrown into shallow graves, later dug up by scavengers like dogs and foxes who, in turn, left evidence of their destruction in the form of gnaw marks.

But Fulford is careful not to overstate these claims. The researchers cannot definitely prove that the deaths were violent.

For now, the mystery remains open. "I can't be certain of a massacre, hence the question mark in the title," Fulford said.

Yet the disarticulated bones are unusual enough that they demand some kind of explanation.

Written for you by our author Sandee Oster, edited by Sadie Harley, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.

More information

Michael Fulford et al, Brading Roman Villa: Evidence of a Late Roman Massacre?, Britannia (2026). DOI: 10.1017/s0068113x26100816

Who's behind this story?

Sandee Oster

Archaeology PhD candidate at Witwatersrand. Science writer for Science X and archaeology blogger. Field research in South Africa. Full profile →

Sadie Harley

BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →

Robert Egan

Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →

© 2026 Science X Network

Citation: Scattered Roman bones point to potential fourth-century purge at Brading Villa (2026, August 5) retrieved 5 August 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-08-roman-bones-potential-fourth-century.html

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To be sure, the Bond creator offered many clues as to what the character looked like in his 14 novels. A SMERSH dossier on Bond in From Russia With Love describes him as 6 feet tall, 168 pounds, with black hair and blue eyes and a thin scar down his right cheek. In two other novels, Fleming makes a point of noting a resemblance to crooner Hoagy Carmichael.

But the closest Fleming ever came to describing Bond outside the books was while working with cartoonist John McLusky in the late 1950s on a comic strip for the Daily Express. Fleming even commissioned another artist to draw a 007 portrait based on his notes to inspire McLusky, then embarked on a long, typewritten correspondence with the illustrator fine-tuning the look. Only a few pages of that nearly 70-year-old exchange have survived — and were recently excavated by McLusky’s son, Sean, who’s been selling his father’s art through London’s A Gallery — but they do offer one critical piece of casting advice that seems as pertinent today as it did back then.

“In general,” Fleming wrote, dismissing one of McLusky’s drawings of 007, “I think we should avoid giving Bond an American-shaped head and a duck’s haircut.”

***

Also in Rambling Reporter:

Another multimillion-dollar book deal goes down in flames over accusations its author used AI; Operation Varsity Blues’ ring leader is back — and still wants to help kids get into college.

This story appeared in the Aug. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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Ross has been an actor on stage, in commercials, and in independent films since childhood, and has written hundreds of articles and essays on genre literature and cinema for Barnes & Noble, Gizmodo, Kotaku, and Yahoo! Entertainment.

Ross produces the Swan Songs film podcast and hosts The Sound of Tomorrow, a pop culture and current affairs radio show based in Rochester, New York, where he lives with his husband and dogs and supports the local arts and cinema scene. You can find him on Bluesky.

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August 5, 2026

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Credit: Ted Lasso, Apple TV

Table of Contents

We thought we said goodbye to lovable goof Ted Lasso back in 2023, but he's returned for a surprise fourth season on Apple TV. Jason Sudeikis is, of course, back as the title character, an American college football coach hired by Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) to coach her Richmond football club, despite his lack of experience with the sport. Having won the team in a messy divorce, she figured Ted was destined to ruin the franchise her ex-husband loved so much. Of course, we all know how that went: Ted (and the team) persevered, mostly thanks to his unrelenting good nature and belief in others.

If you are looking for more streaming shows with the same can-do spirit, here are 10 to consider—not all of them having anything to do with sports, because in 2026, we need to take joy and inspiration wherever we can find it.

Chad Powers (2025 – )

One minute, Russ Holliday (series star and co-creator Glen Powell) is the biggest name in collegiate football, with a future that couldn't be brighter. The next, he's fumbled a touchdown and shoved a fan into a wheelchair-bound cancer patient. Not great! Eight years later, he's looking for a comeback and, with shades of Mrs. Doubtfire, he reinvents himself via prosthetics and a wig as the title's Chad Powers, a charmingly naive athlete who signs on to the football team at a tiny Georgia college. It's a goofy premise, but Powell's performance sells it, and the show becomes more engaging as Russ/Chad is forced to ask himself whether this new persona is a total con, or the person he'd actually like to be. Stream Chad Powers on Hulu.

Parks and Recreation (2009 – 2015)

Amy Poehler stars as Leslie Knope, a can-do go-getter in the sleepy town of Pawnee, Indiana. Irrepressibly perky, she's the deputy director of the local Parks and Rec Department, with ambitions that extend to the White House. Her dream is as inspiring as it is unhinged, but she's hard not to root for—at least a little. In the best workplace comedy tradition, her office is filled with lovable oddballs: gruff libertarian Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman); cynical underachiever Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari); and saucy Donna Meagle (Retta), whose mysterious but definitely wild personal life is only ever alluded to. It's all amiably silly, and full of characters determined to do their best, albeit with mixed results. Stream Parks and Recreation on Peacock.

A Man on the Inside (2024 – )

Another well-loved TV celebrity stars in a lightly satirical comedy that's a bit more plot-oriented than a typical sitcom. Ted Danson plays Charles Nieuwendyk, a hapless retired professor and recent widower who listens to his daughter's plea that he find something to keep him occupied. He answers an ad from a private investigator seeking someone to go undercover by moving into a retirement community in San Francisco in hopes of discovering who's been stealing the residents' jewelry. As he comes to care about the people he's investigating (and lying to), Charlie's job only gets harder. The second season moves to a small liberal arts college, and co-stars Danson's real-life wife, Mary Steenburgen. Stream A Man on the Inside on Netflix.

Somebody Somewhere (2022 – 2024)

Bridget Everett plays Sam Miller, a woman struggling to find her new direction after moving back to her hometown to care for her dying sister (don't worry: there's plenty of comedy in the drama, and it's not as heavy as it sounds). She's solidly middle-aged and starting over, kinda—making new friends in a familiar environment where she has to confront the past and the future alike. Luckily, her love of singing, and a community of goofy oddballs, are there to help. It's another story of a person of a certain age trying to rebuild their life following an upheaval. Stream Somebody Somewhere on HBO Max.

Haikyu!! (2014 – 2020)

One of the best and most beloved anime series of the past decade-and-change happens to be a reasonably good match for Ted Lasso, even while it concerns a high school volleyball team in Japan. Shoyo Hinata is athletic, though short, and determined to play volleyball professionally—whatever his stature. He signs on to his high school club, only to learn that he's the only member of the once-mighty team. Hinata eventually recruits enough scrappy underdogs to make a go of it...but they're overwhelmingly defeated their first time out, in large part due to Tobio Kageyama, a brutal and brilliant opposing player. Hinata vows revenge, but soon finds himself and his rival on the same team. Now they all have to work together if they're to have a shot at the championship. Stream Haikyu!! on Netflix and Crunchyroll.

Shrinking (2023 – )

A fun, funny, occasionally serious dramedy (vibe-match here, even if the setting is very different), Shrinking stars Jason Segal as cognitive behavioral therapist Jimmy Laird, who's been in a depression spiral since the death of his wife a year before the show opens. When he tries to get through a workday following a night of partying, he chews out a whiny patient—which is not exactly standard procedure. But Jimmy finds himself invigorated, nonetheless, and telling people what he really thinks becomes his new thing, with mixed results. Jessica Williams plays fellow therapist Gaby Evans, perpetually upbeat despite her recent divorce, while Harrison Ford is clearly having a great time playing Jimmy's crusty boss and mentor. Michael J. Fox joined the cast for the third season, and it's been renewed for a fourth. Stream Shrinking on Apple TV.

What do you think so far?

Welcome to Wrexham (2022 – )

Almost certainly inspired by Ted Lasso, this (mostly) lighthearted docu-series follows the fortunes of Wrexham A.F.C., a Welsh professional association football club that has seen better days, despite being one of the oldest clubs in the world. In 2020, it was bought by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, who, despite having no particular experience with the sport (sound familiar?), were determined to revive its fortunes. The show has won eight Emmys so far, and won over audiences and critics with its inspiring tone and willingness to make fun of the occasional cluelessness of its leads. Stream Welcome to Wrexham on Hulu.

Abbott Elementary (2021 – )

Quickly establishing itself as one of the great workplace mockumentaries, Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary portrays its cast of (mostly) well-meaning characters running up against an American educational system that doesn't always reward good intentions. It's another vibe match—a show about a group of goofballs doing their best in the face of overwhelming odds, and sometimes even succeeding. The 2022 Emmy win for the great Sheryl Lee Ralph became a viral moment, if only because it was so well-deserved for an actress representing an incredibly talented, brilliantly funny cast. Stream Abbott Elementary on Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max.

Rooster (2026 – )

The world of Rooster is a bit darker than that of Ted Lasso (this is more of a comedy-drama), but we're still playing in a similar sandbox. Greg Russo (Steve Carell) is the author of a series of popular, but critically dismissed, detective novels. Despite that, his world is falling apart around him rather precipitously in the opening episodes: He's started dating a grad student, and his already complicated relationship with his daughter grows even more so when she accidentally (kinda) burns down a house. It's a show about a likable, well-meaning character who struggles to maintain his principles and outlook when faced with a world that's more than happy to throw mud in his face. Stream Rooster on HBO Max.

Friday Night Lights (2006 – 2011)

A show that survived on viewer affection and critical acclaim more than ratings (at a time when such a thing was still possible), Friday Night Lights ran for five seasons without ever being a particularly big hit—but it's had an impressive afterlife. A drama about small-town high school football rather than a comedy, the show nonetheless stays positive and inspirational, even as it captures the highs and (often heartbreaking) lows of life for the kids, coaches, and families around tiny Dillon, Texas. A reboot is in the works. Stream Friday Night Lights on Prime Video and Paramount+. %!s()

Eric Kvaalen
Les Essarts-le-Roi, France

An article in Nature gives a graph showing oxygen consumption as a function of speed for walking and running (“Endurance running and the evolution of Homo”, 2004).

For walking, the curve is U-shaped, with a minimum of about 165 millilitre O2 per kilogram body weight per kilometre at around 1.3 metres per second. Running (which includes jogging) is a straight line that decreases from around 210 ml O2/kg/km at 2 m/s to around 200 at 6 m/s.

This means that if you want to go a certain distance in a given, fairly long amount of time while consuming the lowest possible amount of oxygen, then you should walk.

However, when the allotted time is less than a certain value, corresponding to a slightly fast walk, then you should alternate between running as fast as you can and walking at that slightly fast walking speed.

My theory is that, because dogs don’t climb and have no aerial predators, they tend to not have much concept of ‘up’

Note, however, that this is talking about total oxygen consumption, not extra oxygen consumption over normal basal rate. To minimise extra oxygen consumption, the optimum is a slower walk than that for total consumption.

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