Significant energy savings when electric distribution vehicles take their best route
Range anxiety with electric commercial vehicles is real, since running out of battery can have serious consequences. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed tools to help electric delivery-vehicles navigate strategically to use as little energy as possible. The secret lies in looking beyond just the distance travelled, and instead focusing on overall […]
Are Indoor Plants Good for Mental Health?
Like many people, you may have spent more time indoors since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Decorating your house with indoor plants not only beautifies your space; it may also have some benefits for your mental health. Indoor plants and mental health The average person spends more than 85% of their time indoors. Houseplants […]
Opinion | Our Food Supply Is Drowning in Salt
Since the first Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) were released in 1980, and for each updated version released every 5 years, there has been a consistent message: decrease dietary sodium. The 2020-2025 DGAs recommend 2,300 mg/day of sodium for men and women 14 years and older, and many esteemed scientific societies have issued similar guidance […]
Pangolin trafficking: Nigeria’s illegal trade
Since the first reported pangolin seizure in Nigeria in 2010, the country has seen an explosion in the black market for the world’s most trafficked mammal — becoming Africa’s hub for the criminal export of pangolin products to East Asia. Use of pangolin scales in traditional Chinese medicines has resulted in Asian species declining dramatically […]
Just How Many New Depression, Anxiety Cases Popped Up in 2020?
Depressive and anxiety disorders increased substantially around the world since the start of the pandemic, hitting some groups harder than others, according to a new systematic review and meta-analyses. Two proxy measures for the impact of COVID-19 — daily infection rates and reductions in human mobility — were both significantly associated with surges in major […]
Rocks on floor of Jezero Crater, Mars, show signs of sustained interactions with water
Since the Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater on Mars in February, the rover and its team of scientists back on Earth have been hard at work exploring the floor of the crater that once held an ancient lake. Perseverance and the Mars 2020 mission are looking for signs of ancient life on Mars and […]
Examining the Underpinnings of COVID Anti-Vaccine Sentiment
In the U.S., the reservoir of vaccine resistance is large enough to prevent control of the coronavirus pandemic. Since COVID-19 vaccines were first authorized, over half of all U.S. COVID-19 cases — an estimated 23 million new infections — and more than 300,000 deaths have occurred. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that just from June […]
Doctors Warn Of Future Disease Outbreaks As Kids’ Vaccination Rates Drop
Routine vaccination rates for children have significantly dropped since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, leading doctors to worry that there could be outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including ones that carry more risk to children than COVID-19. The number of routine vaccines distributed through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccines for Children program — which provides immunizations […]
Q&A: Loice Swisher, MD, on National Physician Suicide Awareness Day
Each year since 2018, doctors around the country recognize National Physician Suicide Awareness Day on September 17. One of the co-founders of this awareness campaign, Loice Swisher, MD, of Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, shared her own experience of suicidal thoughts after her daughter was left “neurologically devastated” following surgery on a malignant […]
Experts Predict What Flu Season Will Be Like This Year
You probably didn’t hear too much about the flu season last year, since the COVID-19 pandemic took the spotlight from the usual fall and winter viruses. But while you may still be focused on the coronavirus (as you should be), flu season is fast approaching. Below, experts share their predictions for the flu season, how […]