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 supplied by National Public Radio (NPR).

Accessed on 23 October 2019, 2235 UTC.

Source:

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

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Jeff Chiu/AP

TECHNOLOGY

Google Claims To Achieve Quantum Supremacy — IBM Pushes Back

Google employees say they have built a computer capable of solving problems that current technology practically cannot.

Aaron Labaree for NPR

WORLD

A Forest Expert Team In Spain Fights Fire With Fire — Literally

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Teen Vapers Who Want To Quit Look For Help Via Text

CPR NEWS

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NASA/JPL-Caltech

JOE’S BIG IDEA

Itty-Bitty Satellites Take On Big-Time Science Missions

October 23, 2019 • CubeSats are only about twice the size of a Rubik’s Cube. Once dismissed as tools for students learning the principles of aerospace engineering, they’re now being used for more sophisticated missions.

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Jae C. Hong/AP

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COLLABORATIVE

Trump Plan Weakens Protections For California Fish, Diverts Water To Farms

October 22, 2019 • The move fulfills a Trump campaign promise to help California’s farmers. But it ignores the warnings of federal biologists who were sidelined.

Godong/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

GOATS AND SODA

Hospitals Around The World Have A Dire Shortage Of Blood

October 22, 2019 • The first global analysis of blood supply and demand finds that many developing countries are relying on risky emergency donations.

Evan Oto/Science Source

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Scientists Create New, More Powerful Technique To Edit Genes

October 21, 2019 • A new technique, dubbed ‘prime editing,’ appears to make it even easier to make very precise changes in DNA. It’s designed to overcome the limits of the CRISPR gene editing tool.

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Brennan Linsley/AP

HIDDEN BRAIN

What Monkeys Can Teach Us About Being Human

October 21, 2019 • What makes the mind of a human different from that of other animals? Psychologist Laurie Santos says we can’t know the answer to that question if we only study humans. This week, we turn to Laurie’s work with monkeys to understand which parts of human behavior are distinct, and which we share with other species.

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Science Source

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Keeping Your Blood Sugar In Check Could Lower Your Alzheimer’s Risk

October 21, 2019 • Diabetes can double a person’s chances of developing Alzheimer’s. Now researchers are beginning to understand the role of brain metabolism in the development of the disease.

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BSIP/Getty Images

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

Get Your Flu Shot Now, Doctors Advise, Especially If You’re Pregnant

October 21, 2019 • Pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease are particularly vulnerable to flu complications yet lag the elderly in getting vaccinated.

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Stephane De Sakutin/AFP via Getty Images

‘The Blob,’ A Smart Yet Brainless Organism Fit For Sci-Fi, Gets Its Own Exhibit

October 20, 2019 • Is it an animal? A type of fungi? No, it’s “the blob.” The amorphous “slime mold” may not have a nervous system, but it’s the star of a new exhibit at the Paris zoo.

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Pierre Kattar for NPR

GOATS AND SODA

VIDEO: See A Controversial Swarm Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In A Lab In Italy

October 20, 2019 • NPR was the only news organization allowed into the lab to witness the moment the releases began this year. The goal is to create a powerful new weapon in the fight against malaria.

Will & Deni McIntyre/Science Source

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

What’s Behind The Research Funding Gap For Black Scientists?

October 18, 2019 • Black scientists more often seek grants for community health studies, but molecular-level research proposals win more funding. More diversity throughout the process could help close the gap, says NIH.

Colin Marshall/NPR

VIDEOS: MADDIE ABOUT SCIENCE

Tree Scientist Inspires Next Generation … Through Barbie

October 18, 2019 • Nalini Nadkarni was one of the first people to study the canopy — the part of trees just above the forest floor to the top branches. Her discoveries have helped shape our understanding of forests.

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Dan Charles/NPR

THE SALT

Most U.S. Dairy Cows Are Descended From Just 2 Bulls. That’s Not Good

October 17, 2019 • The drive to make more milk has had an unsavory side effect: Cows have become more genetically similar and less fertile. Scientists are trying to recover valuable genetic variation that was lost.

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George Nikitin/AP

California To Unveil Earthquake Alert System Thursday

October 16, 2019 • The system will detect the beginning of a quake and send out alerts warning residents that they have a few seconds to prepare for a possibly deadly temblor.

Lauren Sommer/KQED

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COLLABORATIVE

Trees That Survived California Drought May Hold Clue To Climate Resilience

KQED

October 16, 2019 • When it comes to surviving the warming climate, scientists are finding that some plants and animals have an edge. The hope is that these “super adapters” can help preserve their species.

Caroline Cheung-Yiu

SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS

A Boy’s Mysterious Illness Leads His Family On A Diagnostic Odyssey

October 16, 2019 • Alex Yiu was born a seemingly healthy baby. But by age 2, his muscle control and speech were deteriorating. His baffling condition took a decade to diagnose. The reanalysis of a DNA test was the key.

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Doubleday

REVIEW

BOOK REVIEWS

Bill Bryson’s ‘The Body’ Is Missing His Characteristic Wit, Ingenious Way Of Analysis

October 15, 2019 • The author of the magisterial work A Short History of Nearly Everything turns his sights inside, but without the magic touch of the past that made his very big books transcend the common textbook.

Qieer Wang for NPR

SHORT WAVE

How Magic Mushrooms Can Help Smokers Kick The Habit

October 15, 2019 • Magic mushrooms — they’re not just for getting weird with your friends. Researchers are increasingly looking at psychedelics to treat conditions such as depression and addiction.

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Jes Burns/OPB

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COLLABORATIVE

Pumping Oxygen In A Lake To Try To Save Fish Facing Climate Change

OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING

October 14, 2019 • As the climate warms, many U.S. lakes are seeing more algal blooms, low oxygen levels and stressed out fish species. One team in Oregon hopes that pumping oxygen into the water can help.

Jae C. Hong/AP

WORLD

Death Toll Climbs After Typhoon Hits Japan

October 14, 2019 • More than 50 people are dead in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, which dropped extreme amounts of rain over the weekend and caused catastrophic flooding in residential areas.