02/03/20 They Didn't Believe It! The Germ Theory of Disease

GENERAL INTEREST

Kimchi, Cow Poop and Other Spurious Corona-virus Remedies
Washington Post, February 02, 2020
As the virus spreads and with no cure in sight, some people are looking to alternative remedies to protect themselves from infection or cure themselves if they've already contracted it.

How Hard Is It to Scramble Rubik's Cube?
Phys.Org, January 31, 2020
There are many fascinating mathematical questions related to Rubik's Cube.

Why We Knock on Wood
The Conversation, January 31, 2020
Knocking on wood may seem trivial, but it is one small way people quell their fears in a life full of anxieties.

What Will the World Look Like in 2030?
The Atlantic, February 01, 2020
One thing is certain: The next decade will look very different from what most people expect.

No One Can Explain Why Planes Stay in the Air
Scientific American, February, 2020 issue
Do recent explanations solve the mysteries of aerodynamic lift?

New York Times, February 05, 2020
Quadratics, which are introduced in elementary algebra classes, pop up often in physics and engineering in the calculating of trajectories, even in sports. A mathematician has rediscovered a technique that the ancient Babylonians used.

Universe Today, January 31, 2020
These powerful storms can disrupt electronic equipment, including communication equipment, aviation equipment, power grids, and satellites.

Scientists Cooled a Nanoparticle to the Quantum Limit
Science News, January 30, 2020
The particle's motion reached the lowest level allowed by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
 
The Age of Interstellar Visitors
Quanta, January 29, 2020
As astronomers get better at finding the comets and asteroids of other stars, they'll learn more about the universe and our place in it.
   
A New Form Of Northern Lights Discovered In Finland - By Amateur Sky Watchers
NPR, January 30, 2020 (w/video)
Two of the group's photographers managed to capture pictures of the aurora at the exact same second, from locations 120 kilometers (75 miles) apart.

Exploring Strangeness and the Primordial Universe
Science Daily, January 31, 2020
Within quark-gluon plasma, strange quarks are readily produced through collisions between gluons.  
 

An Intelligent Interaction Between Light and Material
Cosmos, February 05, 2020
Researchers hope it's a new platform for computing.

Step Aside CRISPR, RNA Editing Is Taking Off
Nature, February 04, 2020
Making changes to the molecular messengers that create proteins might offer flexible therapies for cancer, pain or high cholesterol, in addition to genetic disorders.

Electric Vehicle Batteries Will 'Dwarf' The Grid's Energy-Storage Needs
Forbes, January 29, 2020
There will be more than enough batteries in electric vehicles by 2050 to support a grid that runs on solar and wind-if the two are connected by smart chargers, according to experts at the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Cosmos, January 27, 2020
Korean scientists propose novel way to treat damaged cartilage.

An Ultra-Fast Microscope for the Quantum World
Phys.Org, January 29, 2020
The operation of components for future computers can now be filmed in HD quality, so to speak.

HEALTH

30 Low-Calorie Breakfasts to Keep You Full All Morning, According to Dietitians
Prevention, November 26, 2019 (archive)
Kickstart your day with a satisfying breakfast packed with high-quality protein, fiber, and healthy fats.

Keeping Aging Muscles Fit Is Tied to Better Heart Health Later
New York Times, January 29 2020
For men at least, entering middle age with plenty of muscle may lower the later risk of developing heart disease by more than 80 percent.

The Conversation, February 03, 2020
Leprosy, mentioned in both Old and New testaments, is the first documented disease for which quarantine was imposed.

The 'Forever Chemicals' Fueling a Public Health Crisis in Drinking Water
The Guardian, February 03, 2020
About 700 PFAS-contaminated sites have been identified across the US while those exposed to enough chemicals can face devastating health consequences

Most Dietary Supplements Don't Do Anything. Why Do We Spend $35 Billion a Year on Them?
Washington Post, January 27, 2020
How is it that perfectly respectable public-health initiatives, such as vaccines and water fluoridation, give rise to suspicion and conspiracy theories, while an entire industry that's telling us out-and-out falsehoods in order to take our money gets a free pass?

NATURE 

New Coronavirus Can Spread Between Humans -But It Started In a Wildlife Market
National Geographic, January 21, 2020
Bats are now considered the original source of all major corona-viruses.

Sand Dunes Play a Team Game
Cosmos, February 05, 2020
That's why they don't collide. When they move, dunes pace themselves to maximise separation.

Your Brain on Mars: How Scientists Will Track Astronauts' Mental Performance on Missions
Phys.Org, January 31, 2020
A journey to Mars is not going to be easy and there are a number of problems that need to be solved before we go.

Florida Hunters Capture More Than 80 Giant Snakes in Python Bowl
The Guardian, January 30, 2020
Annual challenge encourages the public to catch as many of the invasive giant snakes that decimate native wildlife as possible.

The Grand Unified Theory of Rogue Waves
Quanta, February 05, 2020
Rogue waves - enigmatic giants of the sea - were thought to be caused by two different mechanisms. But a new idea that borrows from the hinterlands of probability theory has the potential to predict them all.

The Intercept, January 18, 2020
Lobbying documents and emails show a vast strategy by the pesticide industry to influence academics, beekeepers, and regulators, and to divert attention away from the potential harm caused by pesticides.

Amsterdam Leads the Way on Wetland Restoration
CityLab, January 31, 2020
The Dutch capital has long been a global model for flood management in a manmade landscape. Now it is seeking to break ground on how it preserves wetlands.

Before Gore, Greta, and the Green New Deal
Environmental Health News, February 02, 2020
Let's start with an inveterate American tree-hugger named William O. Douglas.

Insects Are Dying and Nobody Knows How Fast
Deutsche Welle, January 28, 2020
Conservationists say fears of an insect apocalypse, Armageddon and absolute extinction are overblown, but acting now could save populations that are plummeting.

We're Not Fixing This Environmental Crisis. One Ditch in Indiana Could Provide a Solution.
Center for Public Integrity, January 30, 2020
If you want to clean up the largest pollution spill in the country, one unaltered by decades of work and billions of dollars, you need to spend a lot of time making tiny measurements.

The Independent, February 04, 2020
Seasonal shift is drawing species out of hibernation in what would be the depths of winter.

Climate Change: Where We Are in Seven Charts and What You Can Do to Help
BBC News, January 14, 2020
So how warm has the world got and what can we do about it?

Red Alert as Arctic Lands Grow Greener
Science Daily, January 31, 2020
New research techniques are being adopted by scientists tackling the most visible impact of climate change -- the so-called greening of Arctic regions.

Andes Meltdown: New Insights Into Rapidly Retreating Glaciers
Yale Environmental 360, January 30, 2020
Using satellite data, scientists are documenting the inexorable melting of South America's glaciers and ice fields, with Andean glaciers thinning by nearly three feet a year since 2000.  he loss of ice poses a threat to water supplies and agriculture from Bolivia to Chile.

The World's Oceans Are Speeding Up - Another Mega-Scale Consequence of Climate Change
Washington Post, February 05, 2020
New research finds a surprising and worrying acceleration across 76 percent of the world's oceans.