Emergency officials have long pondered how to convince the public to follow evacuation orders. Now they have an answer. Use fear. Bombard the public with images of blazing wildfires and crashing waves. Warn that people who stay home will have no electricity, water or emergency rescue. Remind everyone of the most recent disaster to hit […]
News
Stars That Race through Space at Nearly the Speed of Light
Most people probably know that the universe is full of elementary particles—but not everyone knows that it is also full of extremely fast stars moving freely through space like barracuda through the ocean. These stars are ejected by gravitational slingshots located at the focal point of galaxy mergers—where a pair of supermassive black holes coalesce […]
Michael Collins, Apollo 11 Astronaut Who Orbited Moon, Dies at 90
Gemini and Apollo astronaut Michael Collins, who orbited the moon during the world’s first lunar landing mission, has died at the age of 90. Collins’ death on Wednesday (April 28) was made known by his family and NASA. “We regret to share that our beloved father and grandfather passed away today, after a valiant battle with […]
Blood Clots and the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine: What We Know So Far
Earlier this month the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine following reports that, within two weeks of getting it, six women developed blot clots, and one of them died. About 6.8 million people had received that vaccine at that time. […]
Coronavirus News Roundup, April 17–April 23
The items below are highlights from the free newsletter, “Smart, useful, science stuff about COVID-19.” To receive newsletter issues daily in your inbox, sign up here. The chances that you will get a “breakthrough” infection with SARS-CoV-2 despite being vaccinated more than two weeks ago (with both doses in the case of a two-dose COVID-19 […]
A Healthy Environment as a Human Right
As the impact of our species on the natural world intensifies, so does the knowledge of our dependency on it: from crop-pollinating critters and wild fish populations that nourish millions, to ecosystems that inhale carbon emissions and filter air and water. These connections have bolstered a legal argument around the importance of a healthy environment—that […]
What’s Really in Your Water?
When water is safe, there is nothing better to drink. It’s good for teeth, skin, weight control and even the ability to think straight. But drinking water contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, heavy metals or other harmful substances can cause diarrhea, brain damage, infertility and cancer. Bottled water is no guarantee of water safety. Not only […]
The Fast Lane for COVID Testing Has Opened Up in the U.S.
For a recent flight that required a negative COVID-19 test result, I went through a process so silly and laborious that it got me wondering. First, I booked an appointment at an approved testing center, about a 25-minute drive from my home. Upon arriving, I paid $175 to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. […]
First Flight of NASA’s Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Is Delayed
We’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the first Mars helicopter lift off. NASA had originally aimed to conduct the first Red Planet flight of its Ingenuity helicopter—the first-ever powered flight on a world beyond Earth—on Sunday (April 11). A high-speed rotor-spinning test on Friday (April 9) didn’t go as planned, however, pushing the debut […]
Sweeping Whale Streaming Series, Profile of CRISPR Discoverer and an Examination of Future Realities
Secrets of the Whales by Brian Skerry Streaming on Disney+, starting April 22 Despite being warm-blooded, air-breathing mammals descended from land animals, whales give birth, nurse and raise their young entirely at sea. This sweeping four-part series takes a riveting view of these mysterious and mesmerizing ocean dwellers. Executive produced by James Cameron and narrated […]