Science: NPR

Welcome to the “Scence: NPR” update from Hawaii Science Digest. Views expressed in this science and technology news summary are those of the reporters and correspondents. Content provided by NPR (National Public Radio). Accessed on 25 April 2019, 0405 UTC.

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https://www.npr.org/sections/science/

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Meal Kits Have A Smaller Carbon Footprint Than Grocery Shopping, Study Says

Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

THE SALT

Meal Kits Have A Smaller Carbon Footprint Than Grocery Shopping, Study Says

April 22, 2019 • While it may seem that heaps of plastic from meal kit delivery services make them less environmentally friendly than traditional grocery shopping, a new study suggests that’s not necessarily true.

Scientists Dig Into Hard Questions About The Fluorinated Pollutants Known As PFAS

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Scientists Dig Into Hard Questions About The Fluorinated Pollutants Known As PFAS

April 22, 2019 • PFAS are a family of chemicals accumulating in the soil, rivers, drinking water and the human body. How much exposure to these substances in clothes, firefighting foam and food wrap is too much?

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'Einstein's Unfinished Revolution' Looks At The Quantum-Physics-And-Reality Problem

Bettmann Archive

REVIEW

BOOK REVIEWS

‘Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution’ Looks At The Quantum-Physics-And-Reality Problem

April 19, 2019 • A century after the birth of quantum mechanics, no one is sure what it is telling us about the nature of reality — and Lee Smolin’s book adds to a stream of excellent works on the topic.

Hurricane Michael Was A Category 5, NOAA Finds — The First Since Andrew In 1992

Scott Olson/Getty Images

ENVIRONMENT

Hurricane Michael Was A Category 5, NOAA Finds — The First Since Andrew In 1992

April 19, 2019 • With winds of 160 mph, the October hurricane was the strongest on record to make landfall on the Florida Panhandle, where communities are still trying to recover. NOAA upgraded it from a Category 4.

Rich Pedroncelli/AP

Tiny Earthquakes Happen Every Few Minutes In Southern California, Study Finds

April 18, 2019 • A new catalog of Southern California earthquakes is 10 times larger than its predecessor list. The details of frequent, small quakes help scientists study what triggers large, destructive ones.

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Gene Therapy Advances To Better Treat ‘Bubble Boy’ Disease

April 17, 2019 • The latest advance is not only encouraging news for patients with severe combined immunodeficiency. It’s a test case for all those scientists working to develop better gene therapy techniques.

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Scientists Restore Some Function In The Brains Of Dead Pigs

Stefano G. Daniele and Zvonimir Vrselja, Sestan Laboratory, Yale School of Medicine

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Scientists Restore Some Function In The Brains Of Dead Pigs

April 17, 2019 • The cells regained a startling amount of function, but the brains didn’t have activity linked with consciousness. Ethicists see challenges to assumptions about the irreversible nature of brain death.

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Carlos Giusti/AP

Climate Change Was The Engine That Powered Hurricane Maria’s Devastating Rains

April 17, 2019 • Maria was the rainiest storm known to have hit Puerto Rico. Scientists say a storm of such severity is nearly five times more likely to occur today, with warmer air and ocean water, than in the ’50s.

First U.S. Patients Treated With CRISPR As Human Gene-Editing Trials Get Underway

Molekuul/Getty Images/Science Photo Library

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

First U.S. Patients Treated With CRISPR As Human Gene-Editing Trials Get Underway

April 16, 2019 • This could be a crucial year for the powerful gene-editing technique CRISPR as researchers start testing it in patients to treat diseases such as cancer, blindness and sickle cell disease.

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Microplastic Found Even In The Air In France's Pyrenees Mountains

VW Pics/UIG via Getty Images

ENVIRONMENT

Microplastic Found Even In The Air In France’s Pyrenees Mountains

April 15, 2019 • Tiny fragments broken down from larger pieces of plastic have already been found in rivers, lakes, oceans and in agricultural soil. But very few studies of wind-borne microplastic have ever been done.

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'Our Planet' Nature Documentary Addresses The 800-Pound Gorilla — Human Impact

Sophie Lanfear/Silverback/Netflix

MOVIE INTERVIEWS

‘Our Planet’ Nature Documentary Addresses The 800-Pound Gorilla — Human Impact

April 15, 2019 • The new Netflix series takes a hard look at the effects of our behavior on the natural world. Series producer Alastair Fothergill says that this is a different, more urgent type of show.

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What Can A Personality Test Tell Us About Who We Are?

Courtesy of Pottermore.com

HIDDEN BRAIN

What Can A Personality Test Tell Us About Who We Are?

April 15, 2019 • The desire to find our tribe is universal. We like to know who we are and where we belong. This fascination has led to a thriving industry built on the marketing and sale of personality tests. These tests offer individuals – and, increasingly, employers – quick and easy insights that can be used to make some of life’s biggest decisions. But most fail to stand up to scientific scrutiny. This week, we revisit our 2017 episode about the world of personality testing, and explore the many different ways we assess personality and potential – from the Chinese zodiac to Harry Potter houses to the Myers-Briggs test.

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Patrick Semansky/AP

Do You Love Lying In Bed? Get Paid By NASA To Do It For Space Research

April 14, 2019 • Researchers are currently looking for candidates who will stay in bed 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 60 straight days for a study on how the body adapts to weightlessness.

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High Stress Drives Up Your Risk Of A Heart Attack. Here's How To Chill Out

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SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

High Stress Drives Up Your Risk Of A Heart Attack. Here’s How To Chill Out

April 14, 2019 • A study of siblings finds those who have a stress-related disorder have a 60 percent higher risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular event, compared to their less-stressed brothers and sisters.

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Can This Breakfast Cereal Help Save The Planet?

Olivia Sun/NPR

THE SALT

Can This Breakfast Cereal Help Save The Planet?

April 13, 2019 • Some environmentalists say food production needs a fundamental reboot, with crops that stay rooted in the soil for years, like Kernza, a prairie grass. Even General Mills says it likes the idea.

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Israeli Robotic Moon Landing Fails In Final Descent

Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images

SPACE

Israeli Robotic Moon Landing Fails In Final Descent

April 11, 2019 • Israeli scientists are studying what caused an engine failure in the closing minutes of what they hoped would be a historic lunar landing.

Ketamine May Relieve Depression By Repairing Damaged Brain Circuits

Kevin Link/Science Source

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Ketamine May Relieve Depression By Repairing Damaged Brain Circuits

April 11, 2019 • Scientists are learning how the party drug ketamine relieves depression so quickly — and why its effects fade over time.

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For the latest trends in science, technology, medicine, health, environment, cyber security, and artificial intelligence (AI), please visit this blog daily. Thanks for joining us today.

Until next time,

Russ Roberts

https://atomic-temporary-155977078.wpcomstaging.com

https://hawaiidigest.science.blog (backup/alternate website)

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