Florida health officials on Sunday announced an investigation into a cluster of measles cases at an elementary school in the Fort Lauderdale area with a low vaccination rate, a scenario health experts fear will become more and more common amid slipping vaccination rates nationwide. On Friday, Broward County Public School …
Read More »All That Rain Is Driving Up Cases of a Deadly Fungal Disease in California
This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Last week, a long, narrow section of the Earth’s atmosphere funneled trillions of gallons of water eastward from the Pacific tropics and unleashed it on California. This weather event, known as an atmospheric river, broke rainfall …
Read More »Kyiv Is Using Homegrown Tech to Treat the Trauma of War
An air raid alert has just started when Victoria Itskovych joins a Zoom call from Kyiv. “It’s, like, a usual situation,” she says. “But really, it’s not usual.” February 24 will mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For nearly two years now, Kyiv has been under …
Read More »A Virus Found in Wastewater Beat Back a Woman’s ‘Zombie’ Bacteria
For years, a type of bacteria called Enterococcus faecium lurked in Lynn Cole’s bloodstream. Often found in hospitals, E. faecium is usually a gut-dwelling bacteria but can creep into other areas of the body. Her doctors tried various antibiotics, but the bacteria was zombie-like: It kept coming back. Running out …
Read More »Smoking Alters Your Immune System for Years After You Quit
It’s 2024—we know that cigarettes are bad for you. But scientists are still uncovering new and troubling ways that smoking changes you from the inside out. Today in Nature, a new study from the Institut Pasteur in Paris reports that smoking has a lingering effect on the immune system that …
Read More »What Should Your Sex Toys Be Made of?
Buying a sex toy can be daunting. There’s always uncertainty when you buy from a new company—it can be tough to tell whether the materials are high quality, whether they’re safe to be in contact with your most sensitive areas, and what sorts of wear and tear you can expect. …
Read More »23andMe Is Under Fire. Its Founder Remains ‘Optimistic’
23andMe has been a lot of things throughout its history. Founded in 2006, it’s best known as a genetic testing company that provides insights into people’s ancestry and health risks from tubes of spit they send through the mail. It’s also a data company, having amassed a trove of DNA …
Read More »This Small Wearable Device Reduces Parkinson’s Symptoms
In 2015, Lucy Jung was a young industrial designer working on assistive devices for stroke victims, people with multiple sclerosis, and those with other conditions which meant they struggled with fine motor control. Her projects included a pen that used high-frequency vibrations to help Parkinson’s patients write more clearly. Then …
Read More »Apple Beats an Apple Watch Lawsuit
In recent months, Apple has grappled with a series of lawsuits concerning the fate of its popular Apple Watch line. But this week, the company had a victory. As reported by Reuters, a federal judge ruled in Apple’s favor and dismissed an antitrust lawsuit that claimed that Apple had illegally …
Read More »A Study at the Center of the Abortion Pill Battle Was Just Retracted
Scientific publisher Sage Journals has retracted three papers on abortion—including a controversial 2021 study on mifepristone, the medication at the center of a US legal battle. The 2021 study found that mifepristone, one of two pills used in a medication abortion, significantly increased the risk of women going to the …
Read More »