Open and honest conversations. Thomas Rhett, Katherine Heigl and more stars have shared the ways they’re educating their children about racism following George Floyd’s May 25 death. “As the father of a black daughter and also two white daughters, I have struggled with what to say today,” the “Marry Me” singer, 30, captioned a Sunday, […]
How ‘swapping bodies’ with a friend changes our sense of self
Our sense of who we are is thought to be influenced by things like our childhood experiences, our interactions with others, and now, researchers say, our bodies. A study appearing August 26 in the journal iScience shows that, when pairs of friends swapped bodies in a perceptual illusion, their beliefs about their own personalities became […]
Just how much contact tracing and testing do we need to control the spread of the coronavirus?
Early on in the pandemic, lockdown and physical distancing measures were able to slow the spread of COVID-19 and bring case numbers down. But as the U.S. has begun to reopen, the number of new cases has surged in many places. To reopen safely and keep from overwhelming hospital capacities, according to public health officials, […]
How chemicals like PFAS can increase your risk of severe COVID-19
Nearly a year before the novel coronavirus emerged, Dr. Leonardo Trasande published “Sicker, Fatter, Poorer,” a book about connections between environmental pollutants and many of the most common chronic illnesses. The book describes decades of scientific research showing how endocrine-disrupting chemicals, present in our daily lives and now found in nearly all people, interfere with […]
Here's how to take a nap and not ruin your night's sleep
Is there anything more blissful than a long and lazy Sunday nap, preferably enjoyed after a big brunch that included a mimosa or two? Except, you’ll likely be hit with a severe case of napper’s remorse hours later when you’re tossing and turning in bed — or the following morning, when there’s not enough coffee […]
New NHS type 2 diabetes diet: How does the regimen work and how healthy is it?
News broke today that the NHS will begin offering a prescribed diet of shakes and soups to those with type 2 diabetes. NHS England announced the plan today, saying that 5,000 diabetic people would be offered the diet in order to help them ‘to help people stay well, maintain a healthy weight and avoid major […]
The masked singers: How a WVU choir director composed the perfect masks for performance art
We know that wearing a mask reduces the risk of transmitting viral droplets from person to person. But one question remains: Can you carry a tune in one? Not really, unless you’re going for a muffled, disinterested Kurt Cobain sound. Kym Scott, director of choral activities at West Virginia University, recognized the limitations of singing […]
How setting aside some ‘worry time’ can help reduce anxiety over COVID-19 lockdowns
Many New Zealanders will be feeling anxious, disappointed and even angry about the return of COVID-19 in the community. Many of us prefer to suppress these emotions because they are unpleasant or we may feel under-equipped to manage them. But if left unrecognized and unchecked, they will drive our behavior. We may act without thinking […]
How picornaviruses enter the host cell
Picornaviruses comprise a family of viruses that can cause a number of diseases, including polio, meningitis, and in rare cases, myocarditis, encephalitis and paralysis. In a new biomedical science dissertation from Linnaeus University, Helena Vandesande has studied, among other things, how picornaviruses infect the host cell and take over its machinery to replicate more virus […]
How building features impact veterans with PTSD
The built environment, where someone lives (private) or works (public), influences a person’s daily life and can help, or hinder, their mental health. This is especially true for those with mental health conditions such as PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Researchers in the Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Texas […]