GENERAL INTEREST
New York Times, February 10, 2020
Well-intentioned efforts like limiting access to huge portions of sugar-sweetened soda, the scientists note, are effectively thwarted by well-heeled industries able to dwarf the impact of
educational efforts by health departments that have minuscule budgets by comparison.
Science, February11, 2020
About 37,000 years ago, Budj Bim and another nearby volcano formed through a rapid series of eruptions, new evidence reveals, suggesting the legend may be the oldest story still being told today.
Science History: Fine China from China
Cosmos, February 10, 2020
The science of porcelain would make a good plot for a spy novel - a story of ancient industrial espionage involving a product prized throughout much of the known world.'
Science News, February 12, 2020
The passed-down DNA helps with functions including tumor suppression and hormone regulation
Quanta, February 07, 2020
By exploiting randomness, three mathematicians have proved an elegant law that underlies the chaotic motion of turbulent systems.
COSMOS
Science News, February 07, 2020
Ever heard of a black aurora? Or a pulsating aurora?
Symmetry, February 11, 2020
Although scientists have yet to find the spooky stuff, they aren't completely in the dark.
Something in Deep Space Is Sending Signals to Earth in Steady 16-Day Cycles
Vice, February 04, 2020
Scientists have discovered the first fast radio burst that beats at a steady rhythm, and the mysterious repeating signal is coming from the outskirts of another galaxy.
Rocks, Rockets and Robots: The Plan to Bring Mars Down to Earth
Scientific American, February 06, 2020
Coordinated by NASA and ESA, an ambitious effort to retrieve samples from the Red Planet faces major obstacles
'Racing Certainty' There's Life on Europa, Says Leading UK Space Scientist
Phys.Org, February 06, 2020
That's the view of leading British space scientist Professor Monica Grady, who says the notion of undiscovered life in our galaxy isn't nearly as far-fetched as we might expect.
INNOVATION
OZY, February 12, 2020
Transportation, a key contributor to climate change, could finally play savior instead.
Here's How We Could Go Carbon Neutral in 25 Years
MIT Technology Review, January 30, 2020
The real trick is putting biowaste to work.
A Remedy for Harmful Algal Blooms? Scientist Thinks He's Found One
Environmental Health News, February 03, 2020
"We're going to see cleaner water and we're going to see it at a large scale. It will work"
Nature, February 12, 2020
Across the globe, drained peat-lands are emitting billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. Scotland has emerged as a leader in efforts to restore bogs to health.
The Contrarian Who Cures Cancers
Quanta, February 03, 2020
James P. Allison believed that unleashing the immune system was a way to beat cancer when almost no one else did. A Nobel Prize and a growing list of cancer survivors vindicate him.
HEALTH
Oh My Aching Back: Do Yoga, Tai Chi or Qigong Help?
Science Daily, February 06, 2020
About 80 percent of Americans will experience low back pain at some point. Patients are often advised to manage their back pain with exercise and mind-body interventions. But, do they really help? Researchers compared and contrasted yoga, tai chi and qigong, and found them to be effective for treatment of low back pain.
The Guardian, February 05, 2020
Research into genetic mutations suggests possibility of tests that would detect cancer earlier.
NPR/Shots, February 08, 2020 (w/audio)
Pediatrician Jennifer Shu, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, says the shelves of kids' cough medicine at the pharmacy are not really about good medicine - it's marketing.
How Climate Change Affects Mental Health
Yale Climate Connections, February 04, 2020
Experiencing disaster - or even reading about it in the news - can be stressful and scary. These steps can help.
We Need Better Regulation of Stem Cell Therapies, Especially Rogue Clinics
STAT, February 06, 2020
Rogue stem cell clinics continue to victimize hopeful patients seeking cures for cancer, Parkinson's disease, autism, chronic pain, and more.
Cosmos, February 12, 2020
New study highlights problem of daily exposure in many cities.
NATURE
New York Times, February 11, 2020
The beloved bar has come a long way in quality and complexity. Here's a primer on how it's made, and how to choose the best and most ethically produced.
The Atlantic, February 07, 2020
Six date seeds as old as the Dead Sea Scrolls are now flourishing as trees on a kibbutz.
Scientific American, February 09, 2020
We laugh even before we can speak, but why? Science has some answers to the mystery of human laughter, and some of them might surprise you.
An Ancient Australian Volcano Is a Haven for Giant Pink Slugs
Atlas Obscura, January 31, 2020
Just because they're huge and garish doesn't mean they're easy to find.
Deformation of Zealandia, Earth's Hidden Continent, Linked to Forging of the Ring of Fire
Science Daily, February 07, 2020
Recent seafloor drilling has revealed that the 'hidden continent' of Zealandia -- a region of continental crust twice the size of India submerged beneath the southwest Pacific Ocean -- experienced dramatic elevation changes between about 50 million and 35 million years ago.
ENVIRONMENT
India's Ancient Tribes Battle to Save Their Forest Home from Mining
The Guardian, February 10, 2020
Unfortunately for the country's original indigenous peoples, the Hasdeo Arand sits on top of more than a billion metric tonnes of coal reserves.
Environmental Health News, February 12, 2020
Coal, oil and gas have given communities across the U.S. both steady paychecks and devastating pollution. It's time to make health a priority in meeting our energy demands.
Carbon Brief, February 12, 2020
As global temperatures rise, this "permafrost" land is at increasing risk of thawing out, potentially releasing its long-held carbon into the atmosphere.
Science Daily, February 11, 2020
Synthetic chemicals that were released into the environment for the first time 80 years ago have been linked to harmful health effects, and more of them are migrating slowly from the soil, according to new research.
Latino Groups Vow to Fight For Ban on Pesticide Linked to Children's Health Problems
NBC News, February 11, 2020
"The fight to ban this chemical that poisons farmworkers and all consumers from the food we eat is not finished," the president of the United Farm Workers said.
CLIMATE
Nine 'Tipping Points' That Could Be Triggered by Climate Change
Carbon Brief, February 10, 2020
The persistent march of a warming climate is seen across a multitude of continuous, incremental changes.
Science Daily, February 07, 2020
As the effects of climate change become more evident, more than half of US adults (56%) say climate change is the most important issue facing society today, yet 4 in 10 have not made any changes in their behavior to reduce their contribution to climate change, according to a new poll.
The Environmental Burden of Generation Z
Washington Post, February 03, 2020
Kids are terrified, anxious and depressed about climate change. Whose fault is that?
Carbon Brief, February 11, 2020
The "Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation", known as "AMOC", is one of the major current systems in the world's oceans and plays a crucial role in regulating climate.
The Guardian, February 07, 2020
A new record set so soon after the previous record of 17.5C in March 2015 is a sign warming in Antarctica is happening much faster than global average.
