Climate Change Could Fuel the Spread of a Flesh-Eating Parasite
A small but growing number of leishmaniasis cases are being reported in the U.S. As climate change pushes rodent and sand fly habitat northward, scientists caution that in the future, an increasing...
View ArticleWhen Done Right, Lighter Pavement Cools U.S. Cities
Research shows that building lighter-colored, more reflective roads could lower air temperatures by more than 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit and reduce the frequency of heat waves by 41 percent across U.S....
View ArticleThe Thorny Ethics of Displaying Egyptian Mummies to the Public
Mummy exhibits are big draws for museums, but curators are grappling with issues of cultural and racial sensitivity. Advocates for greater modesty say mummies did not agree to have their bodies put on...
View ArticleThe Climate Emergency Calls for a New Approach to Mental Health
A combination of cascading disruptions to essential systems and acute disasters generated by rising temperatures could produce individual and collective traumas at levels the U.S. has never before...
View ArticleBook Review: Lifting the Curtain on a Long-Neglected Disease
In “The Kissing Bug,” Daisy Hernández blends memoir and science in describing the deadly toll of a parasitic disease that plagues Hispanic immigrants. Fascinating and tragic in equal parts, Hernández...
View ArticleAfrica Braces for a Third Wave of Covid-19
On Sunday, the WHO’s Regional Office for Africa released data showing a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths on the continent. In some hot spots, the latest wave of infections has swamped health...
View ArticleLegal Experts Settle on Definition for ‘Ecocide’
The announcement was seen by environmentalists and international legal scholars as a key step in a growing global campaign to criminalize ecocide, which requires one of the court’s 123 member nations...
View ArticleAre Brazil’s Amazon Policies ‘Crimes Against Humanity’?
Indigenous chiefs and human rights organizations, citing what they call Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s campaign to “plunder the wealth of the Amazon,” have asked the International Criminal Court...
View ArticleA High-Stakes Chinchilla Relocation Effort Stalls
In the mountains of northern Chile, a small colony of endangered chinchillas lives atop 3.5 million ounces of extractable gold. A mining project with a $860 million construction price tag hinges on it...
View ArticleIn the Florida Keys, Residents Face the Reality of Rising Seas
Monroe County, which encompasses the Keys, plans to spend $1.8 billion over the next 25 years to raise 150 miles of roads, deploying a mixture of new drains, pump stations, and vegetation to prevent...
View ArticleImmune System Mutiny: Mast Cells and the Mystery of Long Covid
When I showed up in my doctor’s office, I was a young woman on an absurdly limited diet, experiencing a myriad of fluctuating symptoms. Decades later, I received a diagnosis: mast cell activation...
View ArticleWhat the Media Gets Wrong About Red-State Vaccine Hesitancy
Vaccine hesitant conservatives are often portrayed in the media as anti-science and prone to conspiracy theory. But that narrative betrays a lack of curiosity and empathy: Many poor and rural...
View ArticleEp. 56: Understanding a Terrorist’s Brain
This month: Scientists and counterterrorism experts believe understanding the underlying motivations of radical extremists will help them deradicalize people. Now, one group has studied the brain...
View ArticleAfter Florida Condo Collapse, Engineers Search for Answers
The quiet, highly technical work of structural engineers and building inspectors entered the spotlight after the sudden collapse late last week of Champlain Towers South, a 12-story condo in Surfside,...
View ArticleBook Review: Edgar Allan Poe’s Engagement With American Science
In “The Reason for the Darkness of the Night,” John Tresch makes the case for Edgar Allan Poe’s overlooked role in the forging of American science. Along the way, Tresch offers a heady portrait of the...
View ArticleThe Debate Over Umbilical Cord Screenings and Stillbirths
Which types of cord abnormalities can be directly associated with stillbirth, and whether or not they can be detected and prevented, is an ongoing matter of contention among medical experts. Without a...
View ArticleHeatwaves and Drought Are Killing Trees at an Alarming Rate
In Arizona, a long-running drought and resulting water stress has contributed to the die-off of as many as 30 percent of the native junipers, even though they are accustomed to a dry climate. Over the...
View ArticleIn Cape Cod, New Efforts to Coexist With Sharks
Countries around the world have spent millions of dollars on nets and barriers to keep sharks away from humans, with little to no success. But increasingly sophisticated satellite and tracking...
View ArticleSchool Boards’ Unscientific Response to Covid-19 Is Nothing New
Although school boards do need to accommodate for other matters — from logistical to financial to cultural — they are mainly tasked with putting children’s needs first. As a consequence they should be...
View ArticleBook Review: The History of Animal-Based Medicine in China
In “Mao’s Bestiary,” Liz P.Y. Chee explores the use of wild animals in traditional Chinese medicine, which is more closely linked to politics and profit than to ancient culture. Rather, Chee shows that...
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