Sunday, December 22

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Vodka won’t protect you from coronavirus, and 4 other things to know about hand sanitizer
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COVID-19, HEALTH & WELLNESS

Vodka won’t protect you from coronavirus, and 4 other things to know about hand sanitizer

As concern about coronavirus grows, hand sanitizer is in high demand. Biologist Jeffrey Gardner explains why alcohol is a key ingredient in hand sanitizer, and why he doesn’t recommend making your own supply at home. 1. Why is alcohol the main ingredient in most hand sanitizers? Alcohol is effective at killing different types of microbes, including both viruses and bacteria, because it unfolds and inactivates their proteins. This process, which is called denaturation, will cripple and often kill the microbe because its proteins will unfold and stick together. Heat can also denature some proteins – for example, when you cook an egg, the solidified egg whites are denatured proteins. 2. Alcohol doesn’t kill some microbes very well - why not? There are different types of bacteria and viruses, ...
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Predicting the coronavirus outbreak: How AI connects the dots to warn about disease threats
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AI, COVID-19, HEALTH & WELLNESS, TECHNOLOGY

Predicting the coronavirus outbreak: How AI connects the dots to warn about disease threats

Canadian artificial intelligence firm BlueDot has been in the news in recent weeks for warning about the new coronavirus days ahead of the official alerts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. The company was able to do this by tapping different sources of information beyond official statistics about the number of cases reported. BlueDot’s AI algorithm, a type of computer program that improves as it processes more data, brings together news stories in dozens of languages, reports from plant and animal disease tracking networks and airline ticketing data. The result is an algorithm that’s better at simulating disease spread than algorithms that rely on public health data – better enough to be able to predict outbreaks. The company uses the t...
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Why public health officials sound more worried about the coronavirus than the seasonal flu
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COVID-19, HEALTH & WELLNESS, VIDEO REELS

Why public health officials sound more worried about the coronavirus than the seasonal flu

The spread of the new coronavirus, which has infected over 80,000 people worldwide and resulted in the death of more than 3,000, has raised alarms around the world. At the same time, the seasonal influenza, known as the flu, causes severe illness in between 3 million and 5 million people, with hundreds of thousands of deaths every year worldwide. With so many fewer cases than the flu, what explains the dramatic response to COVID-19 and worry around the globe? And how would a person know whether seasonal influenza-like symptoms are COVID-19? As an epidemiologist, here’s how I look at these questions. Difficult to distinguish The first thing to realize is that the emergence of the novel coronavirus isn’t a rare “black swan” event. Rather, this is a product of evolution; there have been ab...
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What Americans think about who deserves tuition-free college
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Journalism

What Americans think about who deserves tuition-free college

Tuition-free college has gotten a lot of momentum of late. Front-runners in the Democratic presidential field – including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden – have all come out in support of federally funded tuition-free college. And it isn’t just Democrats. Nineteen states have passed tuition-free college policies, including Republican strongholds Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky. So have nearly 300 cities or counties. But there is still debate about who should be eligible. Should there be an income cap, for instance, so that only poor or middle-income families are eligible? Should there be a minimum high school GPA requirement? In my recently published survey, I found that Americans view tuition-free college more positively when it’s open to everyone – compared to when ...
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Even very young children can become prejudiced but schools can do something about it
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VIDEO REELS

Even very young children can become prejudiced but schools can do something about it

Racism has negative consequences for children’s health. It harms the kids who experience it personally and those who witness it, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an organization that represents 67,000 doctors who treat children. I’m a developmental psychologist who studies the origins of prejudice in children, including teenagers. The research team I lead investigates the kinds of experiences that can help make kids become less prejudiced. We help local school districts with their efforts to encourage all children to get along well with others, including their classmates and teachers. What makes it hard to have friends? Getting along well with others in childhood is about making friends, respecting others’ viewpoints, and thinking about what’s fair when resolving conflic...
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Joaquin Phoenix’s lips mocked – here’s what everyone should know about cleft lip
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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Joaquin Phoenix’s lips mocked – here’s what everyone should know about cleft lip

After discussing actor Joaquin Phoenix’s appearance on her talk show earlier this month, Wendy Williams received near universal condemnation for mocking those affected with cleft lip – a common birth defect in which the upper lip does not form completely while still an embryo. To her credit, Williams was quick to apologize. Note that it is also unclear whether Phoenix has a cleft lip or simply a scar. Unfortunately, however, the incident was another reminder of how individuals with facial differences (and their families) often feel stigmatized and can face discrimination and social isolation. We have each devoted major portions of our professional lives to understanding what causes clefts and to the treatment and advocacy of those affected. We are geneticists and a pediatric craniomaxillo...
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What everyone should know about Reconstruction 150 years after the 15th Amendment’s ratification
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SOCIAL JUSTICE

What everyone should know about Reconstruction 150 years after the 15th Amendment’s ratification

I’ll never forget a student’s response when I asked during a middle school social studies class what they knew about black history: “Martin Luther King freed the slaves.” Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929, more than six decades after the time of enslavement. To me, this comment underscored how closely Americans associate black history with slavery. Many African Americans made education a high priority after the Civil War. National Museum of African American History and Culture While shocked, I knew this mistaken belief reflected the lack of time, depth and breadth schools devote to black history. Most students get limited information and context about what African Americans have experienced since our ancestors arrived here four centuries ago. Without independent study, most adults a...
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Nonprofits that empower leaders of color are more apt to do something about racial inequality
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Journalism

Nonprofits that empower leaders of color are more apt to do something about racial inequality

The U.S. is becoming more racially diverse. Since 2010, 96% of all U.S. counties registered an increase in their percentage of nonwhite residents. Yet the people who lead nonprofits in the U.S. remain disproportionately white. This mismatch can make it difficult for such organizations to understand and address racial inequality in their community and throughout the country. As a scholar of diversity, I know most nonprofits want to become more racially diverse. However, many struggle to achieve this goal. While researchers, funders and community leaders often highlight the dismal levels of racial diversity among nonprofit boards, an even greater disparity often goes overlooked. Not mentioned is the fact that scarcely 10% of nonprofit executive directors are people of color. Current reali...
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What to know about applying for seasonal work
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LIFESTYLE

What to know about applying for seasonal work

Department stores, coffee shops, specialty stores like toy stores, and distribution and fulfillment centers are all hiring temporary workers now Opportunities abound for those looking to make some extra money over winter break. “Retailers hire hundreds of thousands of people for seasonal jobs. If you can give an employer between four and eight weeks you can find a job this holiday season,” said Ellen Davis, president of the National Retail Federation Foundation and senior vice president of strategic initiatives at the National Retail Federation. Department stores, coffee shops, specialty stores like toy stores, and distribution and fulfillment centers are all hiring temporary workers now, Davis said. Restaurants are often looking for workers on a more permanent basis, but they do hav...
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What to know about ‘teacup’ pigs
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Journalism

What to know about ‘teacup’ pigs

The touted “teacup” pigs do not stay small. In fact, they grow to become quite large. Baby pigs are cute. So what could be more enticing than a miniature pig that supposedly maintains that baby-pig appeal? Many Americans (National Geographic's number is around 1 million) are plunking down hundreds and even thousands of dollars to acquire tiny pigs as pets. The problem is, the touted “teacup” pigs do not stay small. In fact, they grow to become quite large. Fox News in January reported on how the “overgrown swine” are packing animal shelters. Pig sanctuaries are also full. The term teacup is deceptive, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The popular pig breed getting snatched up is generally a pot-bellied pig. In its marketing information, American Mini Pig shar...
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