Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition: Recent Episodes
Sandra Tsing Loh
The Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition explores the science and history of pandemics (appropriate for middle school and up). Each week, fascinating new three-minute modules are reported by science writers from the Loh Down on Science "Hive." Subjects include: global crises' unexpected "silver linings" (i.e. technological innovations), what Isaac Newton did during HIS 1600's college quarantine, the science of soap, COVID-19's surprising impacts on climate change, and Folding@home, a cool new project seeking to model a coronavirus cure with the help of our home computers (it worked for Ebola!).
Quarantining at home? Playing video games to get away from the pandemic? How about pandemics IN your video games? Find out about the obscure programming bug that ended thousands and thousands of virtual lives!
Written and reported by Ted Yoo.
References:
Lofgren, Eric T., and Nina H. Fefferman. "The untapped potential of virtual game worlds to shed light on real world epidemics." The Lancet infectious diseases 7.9 (2007): 625-629.
El tráfico en Los Ángeles está condenado a vivir en la infamia. ¿Hay algún beneficio? Con el brote de coronavirus, queda claro (nuevamente) que algunas ciudades tienen brotes más grandes. En general, las ciudades más grandes equivalen a brotes más grandes. ¿Lo curioso? ¡Las ciudades con los sistemas de transporte público más eficientes son las peores en contagiar! La buena noticia es que podemos usar esta información para atacar a los virus que van a dedo.
Traducido e informado por Karen Arcos.
Escrito por Sumner L. Norman, Ph.D.
La mayoría de nosotros no vio venir la pandemia, pero nuestros perros pudieron ¡¿olérselo?! ¿Sabíais que las enfermedades pueden “olerse”? Las narices caninas tienen 100 mil veces más sensibilidad que las nuestras. Ya hay perros entrenados para detectar ciertos tipos de cáncer ¡e incluso la malaria! Entonces, ¿los perros también podrían oler el coronavirus?
Traducido y grabado por Claudia López Cámara.
Original escrito por Sumner Norman, Ph.D.
Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Referencias:
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UPenn empieza la investigación de detección de COVID 19 mediante unidades caninas de olfateo.
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Sniffer Dogs in the Melanoma Clinic? The Lancet (1989)
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Perros detectan cáncer de vejiga en muestras de orina
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Perros detectan cáncer de pulmón en el aliento
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Perros detectan cáncer de ovarios en muestras de sangre
6.Nuevo estudio reporta perros que diagnostican exitosamente la malaria mediante olfateo de calcetines portados por niños de África: New study reports dogs successfully diagnosed malaria by sniffing socks worn by African children, EurekAlert (2018)
Con tantos productos de limpieza disponibles puede resultar difícil elegir cuales son los mejores - incluso si no hubiese una pandemia. Afortunadamente, muchas de las opciones son efectivas eliminando virus. La mayor diferencia está en cómo utilizar cada producto para limpiar las superficies. Y no, ¡estos productos NO se deben meter dentro de nuestro cuerpo!
Traducido y grabado por Claudia López Cámara.Original escrito por Kellen Kartub, Ph.D.
Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Para más información, accede al artículo de C&EN aquí, o consulta el gráfico publicado por Compound Chem aquí.
El alba. Un tiempo para amaneceres, café y pájaros extremamente ruidosos. ¿Se han vuelto más ruidosos, o se ha calmado el mundo?
Muchas teorías pueden explicar por qué nuestros amigos emplumados cantan. Y aunque parece que su coro del amanecer subió el volumen, los ornitólogos dicen que ese no es el caso. A medida que nuestro mundo se calma a un susurro, las aves tienen menos competencia. En realidad han atenuado su coro; nosotros hemos mejorado en escuchar.
Traducido y grabado por Karen Arcos.
Original escrito por Brenna Biggs.
Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Referencias:
- Pickett, P. Why Do Birds Sing So Early in the Morning?. Wild Birds Unlimited (2020).
- Greene, D. Do Those Birds Sound Louder To You? An Ornithologist Says You're Just Hearing Things. NPR (2020).
- Mayntz, M. The Dawn Chorus - What Birds Sing and Why?. The Spruce (2020).
- Kacelnik, A. Studies of Foraging Behaviour and Time Budgeting in Great Tits (Parus major). (1979).
Ha llegado el momento de que los “gamers” (jugadores de videojuegos) unan sus fuerzas con las mejores mentes científicas para encontrar una cura contra el nuevo coronavirus. Folding@home permite que investigadores utilicen tú ordenador para hacer simulaciones y poder determinar la estructura de las proteínas del nuevo coronavirus. ¿Su objetivo? Encontrar el punto débil del coronavirus para poderlo desactivar.
Para más información, click aqui. Folding@home puede ser descargado aqui.
Sigue al equipo de Folding@home en Twitter: @foldingathome y @drGregBowman Traducido y grabado por Claudia López Cámara.Original escrito por Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. Basado en una entrevista con el profesor Greg Bowman.Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
¿Atrapado en una casa llena de snacks y opciones limitadas para hacer ejercicio? ¿Estás tentado de recurrir a Ben & Jerry en busca de un dulce, dulce consuelo? Los expertos dicen que esto es normal ... ¡pero no saludable!
Durante tiempos de estrés y duelo, incluso los insectos consumen más dulces para tranquilizarse. Para frenar nuestros antojos, los expertos sugieren mejorar nuestra salud mental. ¡Haz ejercicio, pinta o exprésate! El gran pintor Pablo Picasso utilizó el arte en tiempos difíciles… ¿deberíamos hacer lo mismo?
Traducido y grabado por Claudia López Cámara.
Original escrito por Brenna Biggs.
Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Referencias:
Robinson, B. What Is "Quarantine 15"?. Psychology Today (2020). Berinato, S. That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief. Harvard Business Review (2020). Julia. Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty. Decoding Creativity (2016).
¿Has tenido sueños extraños últimamente? Si es así, no estás solo. ¡Los sueños estresantes están aumentando! El estrés de la pandemia podría ser el culpable. Esta no es la primera vez que un evento estresante cambia la forma en que soñamos.
Traducido y grabado por Heidi Waite.
Original escrito por Emily Sarah Sumner, Ph.D.
Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Referencias:
Weinstein, Netta, Rachel Campbell, and Maarten Vansteenkiste. "Linking psychological need experiences to daily and recurring dreams." Motivation and emotion 42, no. 1 (2018): 50-63.
Hartmann, Ernest, and Tyler Brezler. "A systematic change in dreams after 9/11/01." Sleep 31, no. 2 (2008): 213-218.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dreaming-in-the-digital-age/202004/common-themes-in-dreams-about-the-pandemic
El Movember, o noviembre con barba, parece haberse adelantado este año ¿Pero son las barbas un nido de coronavirus? Antes que cojáis la cuchilla, ¡pongámoslo en contexto!
Traducido y grabado por Claudia López-Cámara.
Original escrito por Emily Sarah Sumner, Ph.D.
Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Twitter, Facebook, TikTok. ¡Estamos inundados de diferentes redes sociales! Es imposible escapar de las noticias. Nos siguen A TODAS PARTES. Están en nuestros teléfonos, televisores y todo el mundo quiere hablar de ello.
Traducido y grabado por Heidi Waite.
Original escrito por Emily Sarah Sumner.
Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Durante tiempos inciertos, la toma de decisiones razonables parece haberse esfumado.
Consumidores alrededor del mundo se abastecen para tener suficiente en su despensa...¡y que les dure años! Incluso nuestros ancestros tenían tácticas de supervivencia similares. Es posible que los sobrevivientes de la peste bubónica de Inglaterra en el siglo XVII no construyeran grandes fortalezas. Pero, acumularon lo que pudieron encontrar (¡hola, cerveza!). ¿Pero por qué?
Los psicólogos lo achacan a un mecanismo de la evolución. Hemos sobrevivido milenios cooperando en grupo. Nuestras habilidades sociales nos han traído hasta aquí. Si vemos que nuestra "tribu" se abastece, ¡también nos abastecemos nosotros! Aunque podríamos defendernos de los grandes depredadores con esta impresionante colaboración, ¡nuestras tiendas también se quedan sin papel higiénico!
Traducido y grabado por Claudia López Cámara.Original escrito por Brenna Biggs.Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Referencias:
- Defoe, D. A Journal of the Plague Year. E. Nutt (1722).
- Norberg, M.; Rucker, D. Psychology can explain why coronavirus drives us to panic buy. It also provides tips on how to stop. The Conversation (2020).
- Taylor, C. Here’s why people are panic buying and stockpiling toilet paper to cope with coronavirus fears. CNBC (2020).
- Croston, G. The Thing We Fear More Than Death. Psychology Today (2012).
- Woods, G. Did Carson Cause the Toilet Paper Shortage of 1973? KGAB (2020).
¿Intentando destruir el coronavirus? ¡La Organización Mundial de la Salud dice que se lave las manos! Veinte segundos en el lavamanos es suficiente. ¿Si no tienes jabón ... o agua limpia?
A medida que las ciudades se han desarrollado, las fuentes de agua y las corrientes de desechos se desarrollan con ellas. Incluso París comenzó como un pozo negro de tifus y otras enfermedades. Para áreas aún en desarrollo, esto crea un verdadero reto en tiempos de lavado adicional de manos. ¿Qué podemos aprender de la historia? ¿Eso cómo puede ayudar a nuestro futuro?
Traducido y grabado por Karen Arcos.
Original escrito por Brenna Biggs.
Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Referencias:
- Kepnes, M. Unusual Place of the Month: Paris Sewers. Nomadic Matt (2018).
- Hugo, V. Les Misérables. A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven & Cie (1862).
- Lesté-Lasserre, C. Coronavirus found in Paris sewage points to early warning system. Science (2020).
- Singhal, S. Every drop counts in these times of COVID-19. Down to Earth (2020).
- Gharib, M., Huang, P. 6 Solutions To Beat COVID-19 In Countries Where The Usual Advice Just Won't Work. NPR (2020).
- 1 in 3 people globally do not have access to safe drinking water – UNICEF, WHO. WHO (2019).
Las descargas de aplicaciones de videollamadas se han disparado por la pandemia. Poco después, muchos estaban cansados de ellas. Resulta que algunas de las comunicaciones más importantes no son verbales. ¿Cómo recuperamos los detalles perdidos en el video pixelado?
La pandemia del nuevo coronavirus ha sido causada por un virus originado en animales. Si este virus puede saltar de una especie animal a otra, ¿qué evitará que ataque a nuestras mascotas? Estudios científicos sobre previas pandemias de coronavirus sugieren que los gatos ¡pueden contagiarse! Pero los científicos tampoco están muy preocupados. Aunque los coronavirus pueden infectar a gatos, no hay evidencias de que los gatos puedan pasar el virus a los humanos. Podemos dormir tranquilos - ¡si es que Fluffy me deja sitio!
Las propiedades auto-desinfectantes del cobre son conocidas y están bien estudiadas. Las bacterias y los virus no sobreviven mucho tiempo en una superficie de cobre. De hecho, hay investigaciones que muestran que recubrir con cobre las superficies que se tocan comúnmente es un método excelente para prevenir la propagación de enfermedades.
A medida que la sociedad se reabra, ¿qué será de nuestros amigos de cuatro patas? Se pasaron todos esos meses dentro de casa, distrayéndonos y acompañándonos en la oficina e incluso durante llamadas de Zoom. ¿Tendrán problemas de apego? Los expertos en animales avisan de que los perros necesitan tiempo para ajustarse a sus nuevas rutinas…¡cómo nosotros! Dale a Luna tiempo, espacio y sobretodo, ¡paciencia!
El alcohol es simplemente un tipo de molécula. Aunque esté presente en nuestras cervezas y cócteles, en cantidades suficientemente grandes el alcohol mata virus como el coronavirus. ¡Escuche y aprenda cómo el alcohol mata los virus! Y recuerde verificar que los desinfectantes para manos contengan un 60% de alcohol como mínimo.
La pandemia del coronavirus ha obligado a muchos al teletrabajo. Para los humanos, este tiempo ha sido muy estresante. Pero ¿cuál es la perspectiva de la Madre Tierra? Con la actividad humana reducida, los cielos se han despejado y la contaminación ha disminuido. ¡Parece que le está yendo bien al planeta! ¿Pero esto cuánto durará? Vivimos algo similar durante la Gran Recesión de los Estados Unidos en el 2008. Las emisiones de carbono bajaron porque la gente consumía menos productos. Sin embargo, cuando la economía comenzó a crecer, las emisiones subieron al máximo. La historia tiende a repetirse. Hoy, podemos anticipar un ciclo similar cuando la economía se reabra y las personas regresen a trabajar. Armados con este conocimiento, podemos tomar decisiones conscientes y sostenibles para nuestro futuro colectivo.
A medida que las personas están atrapadas en la cuarentena por el coronavirus, muchas personas han comenzado a notar un cambio en el comportamiento de sus mascotas. ¿Por qué este cambio? ¡No necesitan preocuparse por pagar recibos! Bueno, quizás tenemos la culpa. La ciencia ha descubierto que los gatos que son ansiosos, agresivos y temerosos reflejan los rasgos de personalidad de los dueños neuróticos. Los perros también se ven afectados por el comportamiento de sus dueños. A medida que aprendemos a vivir con la pandemia, ¡debemos recordar que nuestras mascotas son empáticas con nuestras emociones!
Lavarse las manos con agua y jabón durante 20 segundos se cita como la mejor práctica para protegernos del coronavirus. Por imposible que parezca, algo tan mundano como el jabón realmente es nuestra mejor defensa contra el nuevo coronavirus. De hecho, el jabón tiene una larga historia de mantenernos seguros. Esto ocurre por la composición química única del jabón, que está perfectamente equipada para destruir los virus.
Traducido y grabado por Karen Arcos.Original escrito por Kellen Kartub, Ph.D.Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
Spiderman, Jim Carrey, y el Fantasma de la Ópera, ¿qué tienen en común? Que llevan máscaras! Nuestras queridas mascarillas tienen su origen en los pañuelos que utilizaban para cubrirse el rostro en los 1600s. Estos se convirtieron en las mascarillas quirúrgicas y, eventualmente, en las mascarillas-respirador N-95! ¡Las mascarillas no son sólo para villanos y superhéroes! Durante siglos, los mortales las hemos utilizado para protegernos. Empezando por los pañuelos y acabando por las mascarillas N-95, ¿cómo se ha mejorado la tecnología para crear las mascarillas actuales? ¿Cómo pueden protegernos contra enfermedades?
Traducido y grabado por Claudia López-Cámara.Original escrito por Brenna Biggs.Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.
As society reopens, what will become of our four-legged friends? They spent all those months indoors as our officemates, distractions, and Zoom call buddies. Did anyone order some attachment issues?! Animal experts advise that dogs need time to adjust to their new, new normals... just like us! Give them time, space, and patience.
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
References: 1. Puente, M. Adoptions, fosters empty shelter cages during COVID-19 crisis, but there will always be homeless pets. USA Today (2020). 2. Nagasawa, M., Mogi, K., & Kikusui, T. (2009). Attachment between humans and dogs. Japanese Psychological Research, 51(3), 209-221. 3. Jackson, D. How do you ease your dog out of lockdown?. BBC Scotland (2020).
Long Description
Most of us didn’t see the pandemic coming, but could our puppy pals smell it?! Did you know that illnesses can have a “smell”? Canine noses are up to 100 thousand times more sensitive than ours. We’ve already trained dogs to sniff out certain types of cancer and even malaria! Could our canin counterparts sniff out coronavirus, too?
written and reported by Sumner L. Norman, PhD
References
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UPenn launches COVID 19 canine scent detection study
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Sniffer Dogs in the Melanoma Clinic? The Lancet (1989)
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Dogs detect bladder cancer in urine samples
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Dogs detect lung cancer in breath samples
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Dogs detect ovarian cancer in blood samples
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New study reports dogs successfully diagnosed malaria by sniffing socks worn by African children, EurekAlert (2018)
Extra quaran-screen time has revived a generations-old question: do video games really rot your brain?
Experts say… not exactly! Too much of a good thing is, of course, bad. Playing games nonstop can lead to anxiety, depression, and headaches. But, in moderation, video games help our brains level up! They can help us form memories, learn strategy, and even be nicer to our families. A definite plus while everyone is stuck together!
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
References:
- Granic, I. Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds. American Psychological Association (2013).
- Männikkö, N. Problematic gaming behaviour and health-related outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Health Psychology (2017).
- Timing and correction of stepping movements with a virtual reality avatar. PLOS One (2020).
- Bedinghaus, T. Video Games and Eyestrain. Very Well Health (2020).
- Green, C.S.; Bavelier, D. Learning, Attentional Control, and Action Video Games. Current Biology (2012).
- Granic, I; Lobel, A.; Engels, R. C. M. E. The Benefits of Playing Video Games. American Psychologist (2014).
Dawn. The time for sunrises, coffee, and extremely loud birds. Have they gotten noisier, or has the world quieted down?
Many theories can explain why our feathered friends sing. And although their “dawn chorus” seems like it got cranked to an eleven, ornithologists say that’s not the case. As our world quiets down to a whisper, birds have less competition. They’ve actually toned it down; we’ve just gotten better at listening.
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
References:
- Pickett, P. Why Do Birds Sing So Early in the Morning?. Wild Birds Unlimited (2020).
- Greene, D. Do Those Birds Sound Louder To You? An Ornithologist Says You're Just Hearing Things. NPR (2020).
- Mayntz, M. The Dawn Chorus - What Birds Sing and Why?. The Spruce (2020).
- Kacelnik, A. Studies of Foraging Behaviour and Time Budgeting in Great Tits (Parus major). (1979).
Not all viruses are as bad as coronavirus - some could be our friends! Bacteria cause illness as well, and sometimes gain resistance to our antibiotics! Fortunately, some scientists are working on a treatment using bacteriophage, a virus that specifically targets bacteria!
For more information, read up on bacteriophage here. Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi.
Reference:
Lin, D. M., Koskella, B., Lin, H. C. “Phage therapy: An alternative to antibiotics in the age of multi-drug resistance.” World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther 8.3 (2017): 162-173.
Summertime sadness is taking on a new form due to quarantine. But there are steps we can take to lower our risk of exposure to coronavirus while still enjoying the outdoors! Take care to continue social distance and mask wearing, limit your time near others, and continue to wash those hands!
To learn more, Vox has an excellent article on social distancing in the summer which can be found here, as well as a general article on coronavirus transmission here. If you prefer your coronavirus news through social media, Samantha Yammine has curated a thorough list of coronavirus resources and suggestions on her Instagram and Twitter. Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi.
Vaccines take a lot of work and time. A turn around time of several years is considered fast! That is too slow to help with a pandemic that is here right now. But next generation vaccines promise something much quicker. How? With guns. Lots of guns. And by stealing the virus’s own tool to use against it!
Every year, many Muslims fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Meaning they don’t eat or drink anything from roughly before sunrise until after sunset. Ramadan of 2020 falls during the coronavirus outbreak and people are curious about the health implications. Research has shown that Ramadan fasting lowers levels of cholesterol and chemicals causing inflammation. Inflammation is normally a good thing, it’s part of our body’s natural immune response to an infection. However, too much inflammation is dangerous, so fasting may lower the potential for excessive inflammation. Another study suggests that Ramadan fasting reduces the risk of tuberculosis infection. There’s no guarantee that fasting will make you COVID free, but it’s good to know the potential impact it has on our immune system. Facts behind fasting are fascinating, try saying that five times FAST! Pun fully intended.
Written and reported by Bahareh Sorouri. Production consultant, Anny Celsi.
References:
- Akrami Mohajeri F, et al. Dose Ramadan Fasting Affects Inflammatory Responses: Evidences for Modulatory Roles of This Unique Nutritional Status via Chemokine Network. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013;16(12):1217‐1222.
- Chronic Inflammation. National Institute of Health: National Cancer Institute (April 29, 2015).
- Evans, M. Catholics told to abstain from eating meat on Fridays. The Telegraph (May 14, 2011).
- Fasting in Buddhism. The Spiritual Life (May 3, 2019).
- Fasting in Hinduism. Alimentarium (January 6, 2017).
- Jaffa-Hoffman, M. Faith and fasting. The Jerusalem Post (September 18, 2018).
- Lahdimawan, A, et al. (2014). Effect of Ramadan Fasting on the Ability of Serum, PBMC and Macrophages from Healthy Subjects to Kill M. Tuberculosis. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences. 9. 24-29. 10.9790/3008-09132429.
- Muslim Population by Country 2020. World Population Review (April 6, 2020).
- Ramadan 2020: Fasting hours around the world. Al Jazeera (May 11, 2020).
Viruses are everywhere, but most of them are rather harmless. An excellent example is the herpesvirus! As virologist Kennen Hutchison explains, almost all of us have a form of herpes. Chickenpox, cold sores, and shingles are all a type of herpes. Even the chickenpox vaccine means you have herpes! And once you have it, they stick around forever! But don’t freak out, because most cases of herpes don’t hurt us.
For more from Kennen Hutchison, you can follow him on Instagram and Twitter as well as his 'Science with Kennen' channel on Facebook and YouTube. For more on herpes viruses, you can check out this overview here. For more on viruses in general, you can read this short article here. Written and reported by Kennen Hutchison and Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi.
Reference:
- Richards A. L., Sollars P. J., Pitts J. D., Stults A. M., Heldwein E. E., Pickard G. E., et al. “The pUL37 tegument protein guides alpha-herpesvirus retrograde axonal transport to promote neuroinvasion.” PLoS Pathog 13.12 (2017): e1006741.
- Smith G. Herpesvirus transport to the nervous system and back again. Annu Rev Microbiol 66 (2012):10.1146/annurev-micro-092611-150051.
- Garcia de Jesus, E. I “Hundreds of thousands of marine viruses discovered in world's oceans.” Nature (2019).
You’re wearing a mask on a walk, minding your own business, and then AHHHHHH, somebody pops up behind you, on a bicycle without a mask! No!
This is Emily Sarah Sumner with the Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition.
When you think of a mask, what do you think of? Before COVID, masks were not very commonly worn in the US. In western countries, many associated masks with robbers, masquerade balls, and surgeons.
In Eastern countries are different. For example, in South Korea and China, masks have already a part of everyday life for quite some time. Masks are thought of as polite. It is rude NOT to wear a mask when you are sick.
Masks are more than just a fashion statement. Research has shown that masks can be useful in preventing the spread of the coronavirus! If you have coronavirus, the droplets that come out of your mouth can get others sick. When you cover your mouth with a simple piece of fabric, those droplets can’t travel as far. Scarves, old t-shirts, anything will do!
Countries that are having LESS outbreaks of the coronavirus have worn masks long far before the COVID-19 even existed. Thailand, China, and South Korea all successfully flattened (for now) their curves. On the other hand, the countries hardest hit - like the US, Italy, and Brazil - did not have universal mask-acceptance prior to the virus.
Research suggests that communal mask-wearing can help stop the spread of the virus. Some places in the US have set rules for everybody to wear facial coverings when in public, like Massachusetts and New York City. However, this is not the case for the whole country. In the US, one study showed that less than HALF of people have started wearing masks since the start of this pandemic.
So I only need to wear a mask if I’m feeling sick, right? No! Research has shown that many people with the coronavirus may show no symptoms for a while.
Let’s say Justin is an asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus and you are healthy. If Justin is NOT wearing a mask, the chance of him infecting you is high, even if you choose to wear a mask. If Justin IS wearing a mask, the chance of him infecting you is low. It’s even lower if you decide to wear a mask too. Universal mask-wearing is one of the strongest weapons we have against the coronavirus.
My mask protects you, and your mask protects me! Pretty cool, right?
My mask is your mask! Your mask is my mask! These masks were made for you and me! (And keep smiling.)
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/health/coronavirus-second-wave-infections.html
- https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-the-basic-dance-steps-everybody-can-follow-b3d216daa343
- https://masks4all.co/
- https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202004.0203/v1
The world waits for a coronavirus vaccine. But this isn’t the first time it’s taken a little longer than ideal.
For nearly forty years, scientists have searched for a vaccine for HIV, the virus behind the AIDS epidemic. Although they’re still searching, drugs, treatment and technology have made an HIV diagnosis a little better. The good news is that coronavirus shares more in common with other viruses than a devious trickster like HIV... and it all comes down to copying skills.
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
References:
- Picheta, R. What happens if a coronavirus vaccine is never developed? It has happened before. CNN Health (2020).
- Bazell, R. Finding the way again after failed AIDS vaccine. NBC News (2007).
- Ries, J. COVID-19 Will Mutate — What That Means for a Vaccine. Healthline (2020).
Global pandemic have skyrocketed downloads of video conferencing apps. Soon after, many found themselves zoomed out. It turns out that some of the most important communication is in nonverbal. How do we recapture the details lost to pixelated video?
References
- The video apps we're downloading amid the coronavirus pandemic, World Economic Forum
- Dimberg, Ulf, Monika Thunberg, and Kurt Elmehed. "Unconscious facial reactions to emotional facial expressions." Psychological science 11.1 (2000): 86-89.
- Sonnby-Borgström, Marianne, Peter Jönsson, and Owe Svensson. "Emotional empathy as related to mimicry reactions at different levels of information processing." Journal of Nonverbal behavior 27.1 (2003): 3-23
- Wi-Fi Calling Up 78%, Voice Calls 29%, MediaPost
Pandemic: quite a BUZZ word these days. We stay home, wear masks, and wash hands like crazy. But what would bees do? Hint: dance party!
For over a century, bees have faced their own pandemic, V. destructor mites. Western honey bees are not as well-equipped to deal with them as their Eastern counterparts. Eastern honey bees throw mite-cleaning shindigs and even turn to more desperate measures, but Western honey bees might need a little help from their human friends.
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
References:
- McAfee, A. Honey Bees Are Struggling with Their Own Pandemic. Scientific American (2020).
- Werner, R. Co-adaptation of Apis cerana Fabr. and Varroa jacobsoni Oud. Apidologie, Springer Verlag 30 (2-3), pp.97-110 (1999).
- Page, P., Lin, Z., Buawangpong, N. et al. Social apoptosis in honey bee superorganisms. Sci Rep 6, 27210 (2016).
Trying to destroy coronavirus? The World Health Organization says get to scrubbing! Twenty seconds at the sink should do it. But what if you don’t have soap… or clean water?
As cities have developed, water sources and waste streams develop with them. Even Paris began as a cesspool of typhoid and other diseases. For areas still developing, this poses a real challenge in times of extra handwashing. What can we learn from history, and how can that help our future?
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
References:
- Kepnes, M. Unusual Place of the Month: Paris Sewers. Nomadic Matt (2018).
- Hugo, V. Les Misérables. A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven & Cie (1862).
- Lesté-Lasserre, C. Coronavirus found in Paris sewage points to early warning system. Science (2020).
- Singhal, S. Every drop counts in these times of COVID-19. Down to Earth (2020).
- Gharib, M., Huang, P. 6 Solutions To Beat COVID-19 In Countries Where The Usual Advice Just Won't Work. NPR (2020).
- 1 in 3 people globally do not have access to safe drinking water – UNICEF, WHO. WHO (2019).
Stuck in a house packed with snacks and limited ways to exercise? Tempted to turn to Ben and Jerry for sweet, sweet solace? Experts say this is normal...but not healthy! During times of stress or grief, even insects turn to sugary sweets to feel more calm. To curb our cravings, experts suggest improving our mental health. Exercise, paint, or express yourself! The great painter Pablo Picasso turned to art during tough times… should we do the same?
Written and recorded by Brenna Biggs.
References:
- Robinson, B. What Is "Quarantine 15"?. Psychology Today (2020).
- Berinato, S. That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief. Harvard Business Review (2020).
- Julia. Creativity in a Time of Uncertainty. Decoding Creativity (2016).
With so many options, it can be difficult to know which cleaning products are best - even when there isn’t a pandemic going on. Fortunately, there are many options that are effective against killing viruses. The main difference is in how you use them to clean a surface. And no, you cannot use them inside the body.
For more information, you can access an article by C&EN here, or this helpful graphic and description by Compound Chem here. Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi.
As weird as their name sounds, antibodies are actually quite friendly! They help our bodies fight off infection. And their presence indicates if we have had a disease and if we are immune. That’s why researchers in the Weiss and Penner labs are hard at work developing a test to count the amount of antibodies in our blood!
For more information on the Weiss and Penner labs, you can read about their detector here and their research here! Based off an interview with Kristin Gabriel, written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi. Photo by Apurva Bhasin and the Penner Lab. Many thanks to Emily Sanders and Apurva Bhasin as well as other members of the Weiss and Penner labs for their time and work!
Quarantine is taking no-shave November to a whole new level. But can beards be hotspots for the coronavirus? Before you grab your clippers, let’s grow through history!
Written and reported by Emily Sarah Sumner, PhD
References
- https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/3/30/21195447/beard-pandemic-coronavirus-masks-1918-spanish-flu-tuberculosis
- Barbeito, Manuel S., Charles T. Mathews, and Larry A. Taylor. "Microbiological laboratory hazard of bearded men." Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 15, no. 4 (1967): 899-906.
- Wakeam, E., R. A. Hernandez, D. Rivera Morales, S. R. G. Finlayson, M. Klompas, and M. J. Zinner. "Bacterial ecology of hospital workers' facial hair: a cross-sectional study." Journal of Hospital Infection 87, no. 1 (2014): 63-67.
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https://historycooperative.org/a-short-history-of-beard-styles/
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https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/FacialHairWmask11282017-508.pdf
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Knopf, Sigard Adolphus. Tuberculosis as a Disease of the Masses and how to Combat it. The Survey, 1901.
- https://www.vox.com/videos/2017/3/17/14939608/beard-popularity-economics
The traffic in Los Angeles is doomed to live in infamy. Is there any benefit? With the outbreak of coronavirus, it’s become clear (again) that some cities have bigger outbreaks. Generally, bigger cities equal bigger outbreaks. The twist? Cities with the most efficient public transportation systems are the worst off! The good news is we may be able to use this information to target hitchhiking viruses.
Written and reported by Sumner L. Norman, Ph.D.
References
- Dalziel, Benjamin D., Babak Pourbohloul, and Stephen P. Ellner. "Human mobility patterns predict divergent epidemic dynamics among cities." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 280.1766 (2013): 20130763.
- Tian, Huaiyu, et al. "An investigation of transmission control measures during the first 50 days of the COVID-19 epidemic in China." Science (2020).
Mistranslation? Awkward. Surprisingly, it was a classic mistranslation after the Franco-Prussion War that prompted the acceptance of biosafety. Now, we keep dangerous pathogens locked up tight! And their identities might surprise you…
Depending on the biosafety level, lab techs might wear special ventilation suits or even decontaminate their clothes. But these extreme measures are only used against the world’s most dangerous viruses and bacteria. Shockingly, protocols for the infamous new coronavirus aren’t as strict as they are for dangerous space rocks!
Written and recorded by Brenna Biggs.
References:
- Ahern, H. Biosafety Practices and Procedures for the Microbiology Laboratory. Milne Library (Retrieved 2020).
- Biosafety Labs: What Are Biosafety Labs? National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2011).
- Biosafety worldwide: Historical Background. Belgian Safety Server (2020).
- Ullmann, A. Pasteur-Koch: Distinctive Ways of Thinking about Infectious Diseases. Microbe Magazine (2007).
- What Is considered a Level Four Disease? Aftermath (2017).
Cat got your quarantine? As people are stuck in the coronavirus induced self-quarantine, many pet owners have started noticing a shift in their pet’s behavior. Why are they being weird? They don’t need to worry about paying the bills! Well, we may be the culprits of their peculiarities. Research has found that anxious, aggressive, and fearful cats reflect the personality traits of neurotic owners. Dogs are also more responsive to their owners that are stressed than those that are calm. As we learn to navigate the stressful pandemic, we must remember that our pets are empathetic to our emotions. Next time we notice our pets acting strange, maybe we need to self-reflect!
Written and reported by Bahareh Sorouri.
References:
- Carballo, F., Dzik, V., Freidin, E. et al. Do dogs rescue their owners from a stressful situation? A behavioral and physiological assessment. Anim Cogn 23, 389–403 (2020).
- Finka LR, Ward J, Farnworth MJ, Mills DS (2019) Owner personality and the wellbeing of their cats share parallels with the parent-child relationship. PLoS ONE 14(2): e0211862.
- Waters, Michael. Why your pet is acting like a weirdo during quarantine, explained by animal behaviorists. Vox. April 24, 2020.
Humans have made remarkable progress in eliminating diseases. Diseases that were once very common are no longer common today. For example, fecal-oral route diseases once plagued nearly every society in history. These diseases only go away when people practice good hygiene. But the necessary technologies need to be available, and practices need to be taught. A shift in how society thinks is necessary. In this episode we talk about historian Dr. Alex Bay who studies the history of public health in Japan.
Modern childhood in America is different. Children spend most of their time in structured activities: School, sports, and mountains of homework. No time for biking around the neighborhood. Until now. School is out. What will children do with all of that time? Bounce a ball? Take a walk around the block? Are there any benefits for children that spend time in these unstructured activities?
Written and reported by Emily Sarah Sumner, PhD
REFERENCES
Barker, Jane E., Andrei D. Semenov, Laura Michaelson, Lindsay S. Provan, Hannah R. Snyder, and Yuko Munakata. "Less-structured time in children's daily lives predicts self-directed executive functioning." Frontiers in psychology 5 (2014): 593.
Gray, Peter. Free to learn: Why unleashing the instinct to play will make our children happier, more self-reliant, and better students for life. Basic Books, 2013.
Twenge, Jean M., A. Bell Cooper, Thomas E. Joiner, Mary E. Duffy, and Sarah G. Binau. "Age, period, and cohort trends in mood disorder indicators and suicide-related outcomes in a nationally representative dataset, 2005–2017." Journal of Abnormal Psychology (2019).
Thomas, Ashley, P. Stanford, and Barbara Sarnecka. "No child left alone: Moral judgments about parents affect estimates of risk to children." Collabra: Psychology 2, no. 1 (2016).
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/health/children-mental-health-quarantine-coronavirus-wellness/index.html
http://letgrow.org/
https://bigthink.com
Recovered from the new coronavirus? Congratulations! It’s safe for you to go out again! Or is it?
This is Stella Moon with the Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition.
In mid-April, South Korea reported some surprising results. Within a month of recovery, around two percent of those infected tested positive for the virus for the second time! These disappointed survivors had to return to quarantine. And their families were monitored for fourteen days.
Then. . . another SURPRISE! None of the families got sick again!
Wait…? So can we go out or not?
It depends… on whether it’s a “Reactivation”... or “Reinfection.”
In a “reactivation,” hidden and inactive, remnants of the virus mount a second offensive! But no worries! Our body has special forces, called Antibodies!
Antibodies are proteins, which are building blocks of our body, produced in our blood. Their superpower to “neutralize” makes the attacking virus inactive. How? By looking at the antigen, the shape of the virus, antibodies bind with the virus. Our antibodies already know these antigens. Chance of winning: good. Infecting others? No.
In the case of a “reinfection” though, things are different. The virus army attacking us are new forces from outside. Reinfection is impossible if we still had the antibodies. But, the body stopped producing the antibodies, because it thought the battle was over. We’re no longer immune! Chance of winning? Unknown. Infecting others? Probably!
What about their families? Despite being very close to each other, none of them caught Covid for the second time! YAY! But WHY?
It could be a virus reactivation, rather than a reinfection. Still confused? Let’s look at a well-known example of virus reactivation: chickenpox.
We’ve all heard of YOCO, “You only get chickenpox once”. But the virus causing chickenpox can reactivate, and cause shingles. Shingles and chickenpox have different symptoms, and importantly shingles are not contagious. Why? Reactivation is possible, but reinfection? Impossible!
Let’s be careful though. There are many unanswered questions about Covid.
You want to go back to work, but don’t have the antibody army? Well, how about BTS ARMY instead?
Written and reported by Stella Moon
References
Can You Be Re-Infected After Recovering From Coronavirus? Here's What We Know About COVID-19 Immunity.
Chickenpox versus Shingles -- What’s the Difference?
Tests in recovered patients found false positives, not reinfections, experts say
Alcohol just refers to a type of molecule. And though it means an array of different cocktails for us, in large enough amounts it spells death to viruses like the coronavirus. Learn some of the chemistry behind why alcohol kills viruses and remember to check that hand sanitizers are at least 60% alcohol!
For more details, please reference the CDC. The following links here and here offer a deeper insight into the chemistry of hand sanitizers. And finally, Parade is keeping a running list of local disteries who are producing hand sanitizers.
Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D.
Mosquitoes… they do more than ruin a nice day by the river. These winged brutes cause dozens of diseases from West Nile virus to malaria. During WWII, President Roosevelt had enough. He formed a special task force to rid the nation of this infectious threat… the CDC.
Armed with insecticide sprayers, they sprayed hundreds of military bases—and later, millions of households!—throughout the southeastern United States. The CDC has expanded (and of course, iterated through many name changes) to study and prevent the world’s most deadly diseases. Now, we don’t just rely on them to swat mosquitoes, we depend on them to lead us through global pandemics.
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
References:
- Our History. CDC (2019).
- Parascandola, J. From MCWA to CDC—origins of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public Health Reports (1996).
- Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 5th Edition. CDC (2009).
“Immunity Passports” are being touted as one way to reopen the economy. These passports would be administered to people who test positive for having had the coronavirus. Scientists worldwide have developed dozens of these tests, hoping to distribute them throughout the world. However, even highly accurate tests will run into a problem.
References
- SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) by the numbers.
- Large-Scale Antibody Test Suggests As Many As 80,000 Santa Clara County Residents Have Already Had COVID-19
- Antibody Test, Seen as Key to Reopening Country, Does Not Yet Deliver
When not in a pandemic, Professor Rachel Martin studies the interesting enzymes in carnivorous plants. When she realized that coronavirus relies on the same type of enzyme, she got to thinking about how she could use her expertise to help the world. Fast forward a few weeks, and this project has expanded to a campus-wide collaboration including professors Carter Butts, Doug Tobias, Andy Borovik, Vy Dong, Liz Jarvo, James Nowick, and Jenn Prescher. The team hopes to design a drug that will stop key coronavirus enzymes from functioning, preventing the virus from reproducing.
You can follow Rachel Martin @rachelmartin the Martin lab @martinlabuci.For more research, you can follow @UCIChemistry or @UCIPhysSci.
Smallpox… the word sounds harmless enough, but this “speckled monster” was the scourge of Western Europe throughout the 1700s. Why did it disappear? The credit belongs to a fiery 18th-century feminist.
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu rebelled against everything—her father, societal norms, and smallpox. After catching—and recovering from—the disease, she vowed to protect her children from living the same horror. But she had to face intercontinental travel, a pus-based economy, and a stubborn kingdom to do it. If she succeeded, Western Europe could be rid of smallpox forever.
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
References:
- Hager, T. How One Daring Woman Introduced the Idea of Smallpox Inoculation to England. Time (2019).
- Montagu, L. M. W. Letters of the Right Honourable Lady M--y W---y M---e: Written During Her Travels in Europe, Asia and Africa, to Persons of Distinction, Men of Letters, &c. in Different Parts of Europe. Which Contain, Among Other Curious Relations, Accounts of the Policy and Manners of The Turks.... Complete in One Volume. M. Cooper (1779).
- Smallpox: A Great and Terrible Scourge. National Institutes of Health: U.S. Library of Medicine (2013).
- Riedel, S. Edward Jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings (2005).
Scientists in the media often have uncertainties around talking about experimental uncertainties. Why? Because they worry about trust! Error and uncertainty has a specific meaning in science. It gives us hard numbers on how much we can trust a measurement. But, the unfamiliar may believe it means mistakes and incompetence. In order to avoid any loss in public trust in science itself, scientists may not always talk about it. Are these fears grounded in reality? An important new study on uncertainty and trust certainly sheds light on the topic.
References
Anne Marthe van der Bles, Sander van der Linden, Alexandra L. J. Freeman, David J. Spiegelhalter. The effects of communicating uncertainty on public trust in facts and numbers. PNAS April 7, 2020 117 (14) 7672-7683; first published March 23, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1913678117
Have you been having weird dreams lately? If so, you’re not alone. Stressful, memorable, and intense dreams are on the rise! The stress of the pandemic might be to blame. This isn’t the first time a stressful event has changed the way that we dream.
Written and reported by Emily Sarah Sumner, Ph.D.
References:
Weinstein, Netta, Rachel Campbell, and Maarten Vansteenkiste. "Linking psychological need experiences to daily and recurring dreams." Motivation and emotion 42, no. 1 (2018): 50-63.
Hartmann, Ernest, and Tyler Brezler. "A systematic change in dreams after 9/11/01." Sleep 31, no. 2 (2008): 213-218.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dreaming-in-the-digital-age/202004/common-themes-in-dreams-about-the-pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many people to work remotely. For human beings this time has been rather stressful, but what’s it like from Mother Earth’s perspective? With reduced human activity, skies have cleared up and pollution has gone down. Things seem to be going smoothly for the planet! But will this last? Well, we have seen something similar during the 2007 Great Recession of the United States. Carbon emissions plummeted because people weren’t consuming as much goods. However, when the economy started growing, there was a peak in carbon emissions. History has a tendency to repeat itself. Today, we can expect to see a similar trend when the economy reopens and people return to their jobs. Armed with this knowledge, we can make conscientious, sustainable decisions for our collective futures. Written and reported by Bahareh Sorouri.
References:
- Crist, Megan. What the coronavirus means for climate change. New York Times. March 27, 2020.2. Siegal, Ethan. The simplest explanation of global warming ever. Forbes. January 2, 2019.3. Feng, K., Davis, S., Sun, L. et al. Drivers of the US CO2 emissions 1997–2013. Nat Commun 6, 7714 (2015). 4. Starry skies emerge amid life under coronavirus lockdown. CBS News. April 11, 2020.
What’s in a name? For humans, our identity. Same for viruses. Throughout history, viruses have cycled through names that have tried to identify them. Although labelling them by their location or origin seems like a good idea, hindsight has revealed negative side effects of this decision. Recently, the World Health Organization has recommended not including places, animals, and people when choosing a new virus name. This has led to clunkers like “SARS-Cov-2,” but will hopefully safeguard against racism and xenophobia down the line.
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.References:
- Kaur, H. Yes, we long have referred to disease outbreaks by geographic places. Here's why we shouldn't anymore. CNN (2020).
- Doering, C. USDA may help ailing pork industry hit by H1N1. Reuters (2009).
- 2009 H1N1 Pandemic (H1N1pdm09 virus). Center for Disease Control (2019).
The coronavirus pandemic was caused by a virus that originated in other animals. If this virus can jump species, what’s to stop it from attacking our pets? Science from previous coronavirus outbreaks like SARS suggest that cats are susceptible! Now, a full grown tiger at the Bronx zoo has gotten sick with the new coronavirus. Luckily, science is on the case. Coronavirus can infect cats but doesn’t seem to affect dogs. Luckily, cats don’t show symptoms and there’s no evidence for widespread infections or cat-to-human transmission. We can all sleep soundly tonight - if Max would just move over, already!
Written and reported by Sumner L. Norman, Ph.D.
- SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) by the numbers.
- Cyranoski, D. Mystery deepens over animal source of coronavirus. Nature 579, 18–19 (2020).
- Chen, H. Susceptibility of ferrets, cats, dogs, and different domestic animals to SARS-coronavirus-2. bioRxiv (2020).
- Goldstein, Joseph. Bronx Zoo Tiger Is Sick With the Coronavirus. New York Times (2020).
Copper’s self-disinfecting properties are well known and well studied. Bacteria, viruses, doesn’t matter - they won’t survive long on a copper surface. In fact, research suggests that coating commonly touched surfaces with copper is an excellent method to prevent the spread of disease!
Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D.
References:
https://jcm.asm.org/content/50/7/2217
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xgqkyw/copper-destroys-viruses-and-bacteria-why-isnt-it-everywhere
During times of uncertainty, reasonable decision-making flies right out the window. Consumers worldwide hoard items -- enough to last years! Even our ancestors had similar survival tactics. Survivors of England’s bubonic plague in the 1600s may not have built 2-ply fortresses. But, they did stockpile what they could find (hello, beer!). But WHY?
Psychologists believe it has something to do with our evolution. We’ve survived millenia by cooperating as a group. Our social skills have gotten us this far. If we see our “tribe” hoarding, we want to hoard too! Although we could fend off large predators with this impressive collaboration, our stores also run out of T-P!Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
- Defoe, D. A Journal of the Plague Year. E. Nutt (1722).
- Norberg, M.; Rucker, D. Psychology can explain why coronavirus drives us to panic buy. It also provides tips on how to stop. The Conversation (2020).
- Taylor, C. Here’s why people are panic buying and stockpiling toilet paper to cope with coronavirus fears. CNBC (2020).
- Croston, G. The Thing We Fear More Than Death. Psychology Today (2012).
- Woods, G. Did Carson Cause the Toilet Paper Shortage of 1973? KGAB (2020).
Viruses are insidious agents that invade human tissue, injecting their genetic instructions into our cells. Their goal? To make more viruses! Luckily, our body launches a full scale counter-attack. The foot-soldiers in this micro-war are antibodies. Our immune system creates new antibodies designed to bind to the shell of the virus, neutralizing it. When the battle comes to an end, we keep the antibodies around, and are thus immune to the virus. Science provides a pacifist's solution in the form of a vaccine. Vaccines can teach our bodies to defend themselves, but without all the fever and coughing. New viruses like SARS-CoV-2 have the element of surprise; we, the antibody-less herd, can do little to defend ourselves. However, as more of us become immune, the virus has a harder and harder time finding the vulnerable amongst the herd. How will we reach herd immunity - recovery, or vaccine? That depends on how long we keep our herd at home!Written and reported by Sumner L. Norman, Ph.D.
Masks: Spiderman, Jim Carrey, and the Phantom of the Opera all donned one. Our beloved face masks began as humble handkerchiefs as early as the 1600s. These evolved into surgical masks and -- eventually -- the heavily sought-after N-95 respirator!Masks are not just for villains and superheroes. We have long depended on them for protection. How did improving technoloy create the masks we know today? How can they protect against disease?Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.References:
- Kannadan, A. History of the Miasma Theory of Disease. ESSAI: Vol. 16 , Article 18 (2018).
- Wilson, M. The untold origin story of the N95 mask. Fast Company (2020).
- Gabrielle, V. What you need to know about surgical masks, N95 respirators and coronavirus. Knox News (2020).
- Leung, N.; et al. Respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath and efficacy of face masks. Nature Medicine (2020).
Gamers unite! You can join forces with some of the best minds in research as they try to find a cure to the new coronavirus. Folding@home lets researchers borrow the processing power of your computer, allowing them to run simulations to figure out the structure of proteins within coronavirus. Their goal? A “cryptic binding site” that will hopefully be the key to shutthing this virus down.For more information, click here.
Folding@home can be downloaded here.
And follow the team on Twitter: @foldingathome and @drGregBowmanWritten and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. based on an interview with Professor Greg Bowman.
It's 2020 and students worldwide have been dismissed from their dormitories and classrooms. Zoom classes aside, many are wondering if there is any hope in salvaging this critical time in their lives. Many may be surprised to find, they're not the first students sent home on account of a pandemic! In 1665, the bubonic plague was ravaging much of England. As a result, one “Isaac Newton” was forced off the Cambridge University campus and returned home to shelter in place. In his newfound solitude, he came to develop the underpinnings of the theories of gravity & calculus… but Newton didn’t have Netflix! In these dire times, how can we mere mortals stay safe and sane?!Written and performed by Sumner L. Norman, Ph.D.
Plague, influenza, coronavirus... pandemics throughout history reveal successful viruses built for destruction. Mystery often surrounds the origins of these baddies. How did they come to be? Are dangerous viruses usually created in a lab, or is nature the real mad scientist? Learn how scientists can tell whether newsworthy nasties (like viruses and bacteria) are natural, or D-I-Y'd by humans! Hint: tracking the genetic family tree of the most infamous examples reveals the answer.Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.
Washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds is cited as the best practice to protect ourselves from coronavirus. As impossible as it seems, something as mundane as soap really is out best defense again the new coronavirus. In fact, soap has a long history of keeping us safe. The answer lies in soap's unique chemical makeup, which is perfectly equipped for destroying viruses!Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D.
"The Roaring 20s" (aka: the 1920's) was a time of unprecedented American innovation and prosperity. An explosion of Model T's on the road; cool new inventions from television to sunglasses and, yes, sliced bread. But in fact, America had just emerged from not just World War 1 but its own pandemic, the Spanish Flu. Wars, terrible as they are, galvanize societies to jumpstart technologies. WW2 bought us radar, GPS tracking, even microwaved popcorn. A pandemic such as coronavirus is like a war, with health workers on the front lines - what unexpected discoveries may come?!
The Loh Down on Science is your daily humorous yet informative daily radio "minute" on current scientific research (available on Southern California Public Radio--KPCC 89.3 FM Los Angeles, NPR and PRX). It's hosted by Caltech physics grad Sandra Tsing Loh, whose commentaries and stories have been heard on NPR's Morning Edition, This American Life, and Marketplace. This new (launching April, 2020) Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition includes three-minute family-friendly modules focused on the science and history of pandemics. Its reporters are members of the Loh Down on Science "Hive," housed by the University of California, Irvine Graduate Division. Topics include herd immunity, the science of soap, what Isaac Newton did over HIS quarantine break (Bubonic Plague, 1600's), how you can link your home computer with others to hunt for COVID-19's "Achilles Heel," and more. Appropriate for middle school and up.
Written and voiced by Sandra Tsing Loh, Anny Celsi, production consultant, with thanks to UC Irvine Graduate Division, LDOS Media Lab, and the Fuhs Family Foundation