Welcome to the “Science: 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 National Public Radio (NPR).  Accessed on 05 May 2019, 1630 UTC.

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

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Cornelia Li for NPR

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

From Gloom To Gratitude: 8 Skills To Cultivate Joy

May 5, 2019 • Taking time each day to note positive moments and personal strengths; mindful breathing and reaching out in kindness are all part of program that reduces anxiety and depression. But it takes practice.

Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images

THE SALT

Seafood Without The Sea: Will Lab-Grown Fish Hook Consumers?

May 5, 2019 • The seafood industry has some well-publicized problems: from overfishing to contaminants that make their way into fish. Now, a handful of startups aim to offer a “clean” alternative grown from cells.

Courtesy of Timothy Weaver

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

After A Big Failure, Scientists And Patients Hunt For A New Type Of Alzheimer’s Drug

May 3, 2019 • Now that so many experimental drugs targeting amyloid-beta have bombed, scientists are looking for different approaches for treating Alzheimer’s, including a drug that failed as a cancer treatment.

After A Big Failure, Scientists And Patients Hunt For A New Type Of Alzheimer’s Drug

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• On Tumblr: explore the beauty of science
• On Youtube: feed your curiosity with video adventures
• On Twitter: get bite-sized science facts

George Frey/Getty Images

POLITICS

2020 Democrats Aim High With Climate Change Proposals

May 3, 2019 • Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is centering his presidential campaign on combating climate change. On Friday, he rolled out his plan to shift the country to carbon-free energy.

King’s College London

ENVIRONMENT

Traces Of Cocaine, Pesticides Detected In U.K. Shrimp

May 2, 2019 • Scientists collected freshwater shrimp at 15 locations in Suffolk. Shrimp from all of the sites were found to have detectable amounts of cocaine, and many had other drugs or pesticides.

BlackJack3D/Getty Images

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Why Making A ‘Designer Baby’ Would Be Easier Said Than Done

May 2, 2019 • Ethical concerns aside, the genetic ingredients for human traits are so complex that editing a few embryonic genes is unlikely to have much effect — or achieve the fantasy of enhancing humans.

Why Making A ‘Designer Baby’ Would Be Easier Said Than Done

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Sourcebooks

Review

BOOK REVIEWS

‘Hacking Darwin’ Explores Genetic Engineering — And What It Means To Be Human

May 2, 2019 • The waters of genetic meddling are murky; in a new book, technology futurist Jamie Metzl reviews where we’ve been in the past as a guideline for where we might be headed.

James Wardell/Radius Images/Getty Images

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

How Drug Companies Helped Shape A Shifting, Biological View Of Mental Illness

FRESH AIR

May 2, 2019 • Mind Fixers, by historian Anne Harrington, takes a hard look at the ways the marketing of a new pill to treat a mental disorder can change the way the condition is defined and treated.

How Drug Companies Helped Shape A Shifting, Biological View Of Mental Illness

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

NATIONAL

Alabama Lawmakers Move To Outlaw Abortion In Challenge To Roe V. Wade

May 1, 2019 • The House overwhelmingly passed a bill Tuesday that could become the country’s most restrictive abortion ban. It would make it a crime for doctors to perform abortions at any stage of a pregnancy.

Alabama Lawmakers Move To Outlaw Abortion In Challenge To Roe V. Wade

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Dongju Zhang/Lanzhou University

RESEARCH NEWS

Denisovans, A Mysterious Kind Of Ancient Humans, Are Traced To Tibet

May 1, 2019 • Until now, the only Denisovan remains came from a cave in Siberia. The new find is “much more complete,” one expert says.

Denisovans, A Mysterious Kind Of Ancient Humans, Are Traced To Tibet

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Olivia Sun/NPR

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COLLABORATIVE

As Nuclear Waste Piles Up, Private Companies Pitch New Ways To Store It

April 30, 2019 • Nuclear power plants around the country are running out of room to store spent fuel. Federal plans for a permanent disposal site are stalled, so private companies come up with their own solutions.

As Nuclear Waste Piles Up, Private Companies Pitch New Ways To Store It

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Angela Hsieh/NPR

HIDDEN BRAIN

All The World’s A Stage—Including The Doctor’s Office

April 29, 2019 • Placebos belong in clinical trials, not in the doctor’s office. At least, that’s been the conventional wisdom for decades. This week, we ask whether placebos have more to offer than we’ve realized, and what they might teach us about healing. For research related to this episode, please visit: https://n.pr/2B9v2B0

All The World’s A Stage—Including The Doctor’s Office

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Eric Risberg/AP

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Measles Shots Aren’t Just For Kids: Many Adults Could Use A Booster Too

April 29, 2019 • With U.S. measles cases at record highs, doctors say adults who got vaccinated prior to 1968 should consider getting revaccinated to make sure they and their neighbors are protected.

Measles Shots Aren’t Just For Kids: Many Adults Could Use A Booster Too

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R. Fugate/Air Force Research Laboratory

NATIONAL

After Pentagon Ends Contract, Top-Secret Scientists Group Vows To Carry On

April 25, 2019 • The 60 or so members of the Jasons are normal academics by day. But each summer, they come together to study tough problems for the military, intelligence agencies and other parts of the government.

After Pentagon Ends Contract, Top-Secret Scientists Group Vows To Carry On

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Phillip Waterman/Getty Images/Cultura RF

HIDDEN BRAIN

This Is Your Brain On Ads: How Mass Marketing Affects Our Minds

April 25, 2019 • How many ads have you encountered today? On this week’s radio show, we discuss the insidiousness of advertising in American media.

This Is Your Brain On Ads: How Mass Marketing Affects Our Minds

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Paul Sancya/AP

NATIONAL

5 Years After Flint’s Crisis Began, Is The Water Safe?

MICHIGAN RADIO

April 25, 2019 • “In some ways we’re better,” says activist Melissa Mays. “In other ways, we’re forever poisoned, damaged, traumatized … that’s not gonna ever be better.”

Beck Diefenbach/AFP/Getty Images

Scientists Explain A Common Fight In Basketball

April 24, 2019 • Are players just pretending to be so certain the ball is out on their opponent? Or could there be a difference in how they experience the event that has them pointing a finger at the other player?

Gary Waters/Science Source

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Decoded Brain Signals Could Give Voiceless People A Way To Talk

April 24, 2019 • Scientists have found a way to transform electrical signals in the brain into intelligible speech. The advance may help people paralyzed by a stroke or disease, but the technology is experimental.

Decoded Brain Signals Could Give Voiceless People A Way To Talk

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• ——————–
• For the latest trends in science, technology, medicine, environment, cyber security, and artificial intelligence (AI), please check this blog daily.
• Until next time, Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencedigest) and (https://hawaiidigest.science.blog).