“In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.” —Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning Kintsugi is a centuries-old Japanese art of fixing cracked pottery. Rather than hide the cracks, the technique involves rejoining the broken pieces with lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. When put back together, […]
As an astronomer, I am accustomed to observing the cosmos in quiet places. But since the start of self-isolation, it’s so quiet that my own heartbeat is the only background noise. I observe galaxies in the deep universe, in places so far away that their light takes billions of years to reach our eyes. I […]
As people across the U.S. and the rest of the world contend with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the research community should be alert to the possibility that it could hit some populations with substance use disorders particularly hard. Because it attacks the lungs, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could be an especially serious threat to […]
Last month, an eternity in COVID-19 time, I indulged in some wishful thinking. I predicted that the virus would lead to a resurgence of progressivism, in which the U.S. moves away from militarism and predatory capitalism and toward a greener, more socialist style of governance. The system I have in mind would be fully democratic, unlike […]
This is Scientific American’s Science Talk, posted on April 24th, 2020. I’m Steve Mirsky. And under our current, often locked-down situation, it’s still really important to try to get some exercise. Judy Foreman is the author of the new book Exercise is Medicine: How Physical Activity Boosts Health and Slows Aging. She’s a former nationally […]
Many of the people dying in the novel coronavirus pandemic appear to be harmed more by their own immune system than by the virus itself. The infection can trigger a cytokine storm—a surge in cell-signaling proteins that prompt inflammation—that hits the lungs, attacking tissues and potentially resulting in organ failure and death. But this phenomenon […]
So you think you may have COVID-19, and you want to get tested. Your first problem might be finding a test, depending on where you live and how sick you currently are. A recent survey conducted with administrators from 323 hospitals across the United States found… Quote: “Hospitals reported that severe shortages of testing supplies […]
Originally published in April 1906 Credit: Scientific American Advertisement “The full horror of the devastation which last week swept San Francisco and adjacent cities burst upon us. The earthquake which was the ultimate cause of the destruction of the greatest American city on the Pacific coast was incomparably the severest ever recorded in the United […]
The items below are highlights from the newsletter, “Smart, useful, science stuff about COVID-19.” To receive newsletter issues daily in your inbox, sign-up here: A HealthNewsReview.org critique of coverage of a study (not reviewed by experts) of exhaled respiratory droplets pertains to joggers, walkers, and others engaging in outdoor activities: “New York Times ‘Well’ column […]
About 4 billion people around the world are under lockdown to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Given that huge number, the drop in global greenhouse gases seems almost paltry by comparison. Forecasters expect emissions to fall more than 5% in 2020, the greatest annual reduction on record. But it’s still short of […]