Science

"The doctors-facts-science mantras have become familiar over the past year. The experts tell us, expertly, what we need to know, and we do it."

"At least until all this science starts to fog up our mental windshields and we, the people, start to wear out. Our irritability mounts; our attention wanes; the guide-rope in our mouth starts to chafe. It is then that the bawdy obstreperousness and its odd twin, the glory hallelujah, of democracy come into view — a single unit; maddening, infuriating, nevertheless fused. And Greg Abbott or someone else steps up to lead the beast forward, by instinct if not by Hoyle... The love of democratic cit...
Tags: Music, Texas, Science, Law, Americas, America, Atlanta, Mlk, Npr, Republic, Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr, Greg Abbott, Johnny Cash, University of Texas, Barry Goldwater

Archaeologists found the 'Lamborghini' of chariots preserved near Pompeii

A view of a chariot that was found north of Pompeii. Pompei Archeological Park Archaeologists found a preserved ceremonial chariot near the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Experts say it's not like anything found in Italy before and was likely used for ceremonies. Pompeii was covered in volcanic ash in 79AD, meaning it stayed well preserved. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Archaeologists in Italy discovered a remarkably well-preserved ceremonial chariot near the ancient Roman cit...
Tags: Science, Trends, Ap, Bbc, Italy, News UK, Npr, Pompeii, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Dario Franceschini, Mount Vesuvius, Archaeological Park, Massimo Osanna, Eric Poehler, Sinead Baker, UK Weekend

There's a clear, scientific path to safely reopening schools. The real barrier now is politics.

Elementary school students walk to classes in Godley, Texas, on August 5, 2020. LM Otero/AP Imagse Studies suggest that schools can safely resume in-person learning if they rely on masks and social distancing. But a few big political obstacles have made this difficult.  Some school districts don't enforce mask policies, while others lack the funding to ensure a safe environment for teachers and staff. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. By now, research clearly supports...
Tags: New York, Texas, Science, News, Education, Congress, Cdc, US, Trends, Georgia, Joe Biden, Analysis, Chicago, Brooklyn, Iowa, Schools

Don't deny yourself a vaccine because of guilt or shame around a high BMI. If you're eligible, go for it.

Crystal Cox/Business Insider Having obesity, or a BMI over 30, makes you eligible for the coronavirus vaccine in some states.  But BMI's faults as a metric of health, stigma, and lack of awareness are holding some people back.  The system is imperfect, but you didn't make it. Getting the shot if you're able benefits us all.  Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. The other day, Clare Rager texted five of her girlfriends. "I'm going to be eligible for the vaccine purely be...
Tags: Facebook, New York, Science, Obesity, Cdc, New York City, US, America, Trends, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Poland, Npr, Vaccine, North Carolina, Bmi

States are lifting COVID-19 mask mandates, but with the pace of vaccinations and spread of variants, experts say it's too soon

People waiting in a Disneyland parking lot in Anaheim, California, to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images Some states have dramatically lifted COVID-19 restrictions, including mask mandates. But experts say the US is in a race against the clock to vaccinate before the variants spread. While some restrictions can be eased as cases decrease, experts say masks should be the last to go. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. As COVID-19 case numbers conti...
Tags: UK, Science, California, Montana, Masks, US, San Francisco, Trends, Joe Biden, North Dakota, Iowa, Associated Press, Npr, University of Florida, Biden, Disneyland

States are lifting COVID-19 mask mandates, but with the pace of vaccinations and spread of variants, it's too soon

People wait in line in a Disneyland parking lot to receive Covid-19 vaccines on the opening day of the Disneyland Covid-19 vaccination site in Anaheim, California. Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images Some states have dramatically lifted COVID-19 restrictions, including mask mandates. But experts say the US is in a race against the clock to vaccinate before the variants spread. While some restrictions can be eased as case numbers decrease, experts say masks should be the last to go. Visit the Bu...
Tags: UK, Science, California, Montana, Masks, US, Trends, Joe Biden, Ap, North Dakota, Iowa, Npr, University of Florida, Biden, Disneyland, Anthony Fauci

Kids represent a small fraction of overall COVID-19 deaths in the US but 75% of them are children of color

A temperature check is taken as students return to St. Joseph Catholic School in La Puente, California on November 16, 2020. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images There have been fewer than 250 children who have died from the coronavirus.  More than three-quarters of the deaths were in children of color.  Overall, kids make up about 13% of the coronavirus cases in the US.  Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. Children make up a small percentage of the overall COVID-19 d...
Tags: Post, Science, Washington Post, Cdc, US, Trends, Alaska, Npr, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, University Of Michigan, Frederic J Brown, La Puente California, Preeti Malani, Coronavirus, Sarah Al Arshani, Kimora Kimmie Lynum

Neanderthals died out after Earth's magnetic poles flipped, causing a climate crisis 42,000 years ago, a study says

An exhibit shows a Neanderthal family at the Neanderthal Museum in Krapina, Croatia, in February 2010. Reuters/Nikola Solic Earth's magnetic poles flipped 42,000 years ago, which may have triggered a global climate crisis, a new study found. The resulting changes in temperatures and radiation levels may have killed off many large mammals. The event may have ultimately contributed to the extinction of Neanderthals. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. Earth saw a lot of ...
Tags: Europe, Science, London, News, Climate Change, Australia, Russia, Southeast Asia, Trends, Spain, History, Earth, The Guardian, North, Npr, University of Florida

The rich are gaming the system to get COVID-19 vaccines using hefty donations and cozy relationships with CEOs

Samantha Lee/Insider The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in America has been a discombobulated mess. The rich have taken advantage of these loopholes, using money and connections to jump the line. Low-income people and communities of color have been left behind, despite higher rates of COVID-19. If you have a story about tactics wealthy Americans are using to get a COVID-19 vaccine, email reporters Allana Akhtar and Julia Naftulin. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. In Florida, nursing h...
Tags: Health, Florida, New York, Science, Kim Kardashian, Washington Post, New York City, US, America, Los Angeles, Trends, Wealth, Analysis, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Cbs

Thinking thresholds: Is science the only source of truth in the world?

With all due respect to Copernicus, writes Adam Frank, humans are at the center of it all. Science is just one of many sources of truth in the world. The lived, subjective experience of humans creates reality, and when science excludes subjective experience, we end up with a less useful kind of science.Can science and philosophy form a union that gets us to a far richer account of the world and a far richer science? So, what is this about? Where are we going with it all? What is its point? Toda...
Tags: Science, Culture, Innovation, Universe, Philosophy, Atheism, Npr, Einstein, Carl Sagan, Marcelo, Adam Frank, Copernicus, Cosmos, Newton Lagrange Boltzmann

India's sudden drop in coronavirus cases has puzzled disease experts. Strict public-health measures and difficulty recording rural cases may have factored in.

A student gets her body temperature taken in Hyderabad, India on February 1, 2021. Partha Sarkar/Xinhua/Getty Images India's daily coronavirus cases have plummeted since September. The nation is now reporting just 9 daily cases per one million people, among the lowest per-capita rates in the world. Experts say the sharp decline in cases is puzzling — but the difficulty of recording rural infections, combined with strict public-health measures, may offer some explanation. Visit Business Ins...
Tags: Science, News, India, US, Trends, United States, World Health Organization, Npr, Mumbai, Wall Street Journal, Tamil Nadu, Medical University of South Carolina, Delhi India, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad India, UK India

13.8: Why we’re here

13.8 is relaunching on Big Think today! Visit 13.8 every week to join physicists Adam Frank and Marcelo Gleiser as they tackle the big, serious, silly, and small questions in science.What will you learn at 13.8? Adam and Marcelo will look critically at straight-up science news, from life in the universe and cognitive science to particle physics and everything that blows their minds.They're also going to spend a lot of ink on where science and culture meet. That means book and movie reviews, piec...
Tags: Politics, Science, Future, Culture, Innovation, Npr, Marcelo, Dartmouth College, Adam, Adam Frank, Cosmos, Marcelo Gleiser, 13.8

YInMn Blue, the First Shade of Blue Discovered in 200 Years, Is Now Available for Artists

Photo via Oregon State University “Color is part of a spectrum, so you can’t discover a color,” says Professor Mas Subramanian, a solid-state chemist at Oregon State University. “You can only discover a material that is a particular color”—or, more precisely, a material that reflects light in such a way that we perceive it as a color. Scientific modesty aside, Subramanian actually has been credited with discovering a color—the first inorganic shade of blue in 200 years. Named “YInMn blue” —and ...
Tags: Google, Art, Science, College, US, Chemistry, Smithsonian, Charles Darwin, Npr, Oregon State, Osu, U S Environmental Protection Agency, Facebook Twitter, Oregon State University, Josh Jones, Golden

YInMn Blue, the First Shade of Blue Discovered in 200 Years, Now Available for Artists

Photo via Oregon State University “Color is part of a spectrum, so you can’t discover a color,” says Professor Mas Subramanian, a solid-state chemist at Oregon State University. “You can only discover a material that is a particular color”—or, more precisely, a material that reflects light in such a way that we perceive it as a color. Scientific modesty aside, Subramanian actually has been credited with discovering a color—the first inorganic shade of blue in 200 years. Named “YInMn blue” —and ...
Tags: Google, Art, Science, College, US, Chemistry, Smithsonian, Charles Darwin, Npr, Oregon State, Osu, U S Environmental Protection Agency, Facebook Twitter, Oregon State University, Josh Jones, Golden

Coronavirus vaccines are safe for people of color, despite online myths and mistrust of the healthcare system

Sandra Lindsay receives the COVID-19 vaccine in New Hyde Park, New York. Mark Lennihan/Pool via REUTERS People of color, and Black Americans in particular, may be hesitant to get vaccinated in the US due to a history of racist medical experiments or overall mistrust of the healthcare system. In Latinx communities, language barriers can also force people to receive health information through social media, where myths abound. But clinical trials overwhelmingly show that coronavirus vaccines...
Tags: UK, Science, News, New York City, US, Trends, New York Times, Native Americans, Philadelphia, Npr, Pfizer, Pew Research Center, People Of Color, Cnbc, Black, Princeton University

Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has been criminally charged with willful neglect in connection with the Flint water crisis, report says

The top of a water tower is seen at the Flint Water Plant in Flint, Michigan January 13, 2016, where residents coping with the city's crisis over lead-contaminated drinking water. Rebecca Cook/Reuters Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has been criminally charged with willful neglect of duty in connection with the Flint water crisis, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.  Former Michigan health director Nick Lyons is another official also expected to face charges.  The Flint water cri...
Tags: Politics, Science, Trends, Ap, New York Times, Michigan, Associated Press, Npr, Lyon, Reuters, Flint Michigan, Flint, Rick Snyder, Flint Water Crisis, Flint River, Snyder

Americans have been escaping to Mexico to avoid COVID-19 restrictions back home. Now, Mexico is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases.

A beach in Cancun, Mexico, on December 29, 2020. Alberto Valdez / Eyepix Group/Barcroft Media via Getty Images (edited) Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have been flocking to Mexico either on vacation or to settle, according to multiple reports. In November, more than half a million Americans traveled to Mexico, The New York Times reported. The influx of Americans has been partly due to the relaxed restrictions at the Mexican border: while many countries require proof of a negat...
Tags: Travel, Post, Science, Washington Post, Mexico, US, Trends, Getty Images, New York Times, Mexico City, News UK, Npr, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Cancun

Tens of thousands of people living in the Caribbean are on high alert as volcanoes come back to life after remaining dormant for decades

La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines pictured on December 31, 2020. University of West Indies Seismic Research Centre/National Emergency Management Organization of St Vincent and the Grenadines via Reuters Residents of St. Vincent and the Grenadines have been told to be ready to evacuate after a volcano started spewing lava, ash, and gas. La Soufrière is the highest point in St. Vincent and is located near the northern tip of the country but has remained dormant for decad...
Tags: Science, Americas, International, Trends, Ap, Hawaii, News UK, Volcanoes, Ohio, Npr, St Vincent, Kilauea, Caribbean, Martinique, Barbados, Montserrat

Only 2.8 million Americans have received COVID-19 vaccines, far short of the Trump administration's goal to reach 20 million by year's end

President Donald Trump speaks during an "Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Summit" on the White House complex, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, in Washington. Evan Vucci/Associated Press The US is nowhere close to meeting the Trump administration's goal of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020. In the absence of clear federal guidance, the vaccine rollout has devolved into a patchwork response that varies by state, experts say. Many health departments are struggling to vaccinate people as coro...
Tags: Florida, Science, News, Mississippi, Congress, Cdc, White House, US, Trends, Bloomberg, Joe Biden, Cnn, Healthcare, Michigan, Npr, Pfizer

NPR Poll Finds That a Minority of Americans Fully Disbelieve QAnon Conspiracies

This sounds about right: As of Dec. 30, 2020, well over a third of Americans believe wild conspiracy theories designed to sow fear and societal collapse. A poll from NPR and the market research company Ipsos found that a solid 40% of Americans believe that covid-19 was created in a lab in China, 37% are “unsure” of…Read more...
Tags: Science, China, Npr, Ipsos, QAnon, Today In 2020

The Trump administration will fall far short of its goal to start vaccinating 20 million Americans by year's end, as logistical challenges stack up for states

Technicians sort doses of the Pfizer vaccine at the Virginia Hospital Center on December 16, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. Win McNamee/Getty Images The US is nowhere close to meeting the Trump administration's goal of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020. In the absence of clear federal guidance, the vaccine rollout has devolved into a patchwork response that varies by state, experts say. Many health departments are struggling to vaccinate people as coronavirus cases soar in mos...
Tags: Florida, Science, News, Mississippi, Cdc, White House, US, Trends, Bloomberg, Cnn, Healthcare, Michigan, Npr, Pfizer, Usa Today, Donald Trump

Monoclonal antibody treatments could cut COVID-19 hospitalizations significantly - but doctors aren't using their full supply

Stephen Craib, 42, makes his 15th plasma donation to the NHS Blood and Transplant Convalescent Plasma Program in London. Kirsty O'Connor/PA Images/Getty Images The FDA has authorized two monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19. Scientists think the drugs could help reduce hospitalizations. But Moncef Slaoui, the chief advisor of Operation Warp Speed, told CNBC that states are only using 5% to 20% of their available supply. That's likely because doctors have a window of just 10 days...
Tags: UK, Chris Christie, Science, London, News, US, Trends, Washington Dc, Food And Drug Administration, Fda, Npr, Donald Trump, Cnbc, Ben Carson, Antibody, Brooklyn New York

The Thanksgiving surge in coronavirus deaths is here. It's 'horrifically awful,' a hospital chaplain said.

Dr. Joseph Varon hugs and comforts a patient in the COVID-19 ICU during Thanksgiving at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Go Nakamura/Getty Images More than 47,000 people in the US have died from COVID-19 since Thanksgiving. The virus has become the country's leading cause of death. It's just the beginning of the effects of Thanksgiving travel and gatherings, one epidemiologist said. The rate of death probably won't slow anytime soon. At some hospitals, staff can't keep...
Tags: Florida, Texas, Science, News, Minnesota, California, Cdc, US, Trends, Chicago, Hospitals, Wisconsin, Deaths, Patients, Npr, Tsa

These are 20 of the 18,000 people who died of COVID-19 in the US this week

Funeral director Michael Neel looks at the casket of George Trefren, a 90-year-old Korean War veteran who died of COVID-19 in April. The US recorded roughly 18,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week alone. Wednesday marked the deadliest day in the pandemic so far, with nearly 3,500 deaths reported. Below are the names and brief stories of 20 people recently killed by the virus — including the newly elected Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, a pioneering surgeon, and the f...
Tags: Science, News, Supreme Court, Cdc, Washington, Israel, US, Trends, Features, Rome, North Dakota, Alaska, Washington Dc, House, New York Times, Dolly Parton

California activates 'mass fatality' program to coordinate aid across agencies as COVID-19 cases and deaths soar

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. Daniel Kim/The Sacramento Bee via AP, Pool, File California has activated its "mass fatality" program as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to soar, NPR reported. The program is meant to help ease the burden on local agencies as deaths rise. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an average of more than 160 deaths a day over the past week. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. California has activated its "mass fatality" program as novel coronavirus c...
Tags: Politics, Science, California, Trends, Deaths, Npr, Times, Los Angeles Times, Gavin Newsom, Southern California, Sacramento Bee, KCRA, OES, KRON TV, California Office of Emergency Services, Daniel Kim

California activates 'mass fatality' program to coordinate aid across multiple agencies as COVID-19 cases and deaths soar

In this Sept. 23, 2020, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference at Cal Expo in Sacramento, Calif. Several California politicians have been called out in the last month for their dining choices that violate the state's rules aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus Daniel Kim/The Sacramento Bee via AP, Pool, File California activated its "mass fatality" program as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to soar, NPR reported.  The program is meant to help ea...
Tags: Politics, Science, California, Trends, Cal Expo, Deaths, Npr, Times, Los Angeles Times, Gavin Newsom, Southern California, Sacramento Bee, KCRA, OES, KRON TV, California Office of Emergency Services

A Houston doctor said more than half the nurses in his unit won't get the COVID-19 vaccine for political reasons

Getty/David Greedy A Houston doctor spoke to NPR about the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers. His hospital will receive the vaccination next week, but more than half of the nurses in his unit won't take it for reasons that are "politically motivated," he said.  Dr. Anthony Fauci previously said that he's worried that healthcare workers will decline to get vaccinated and discourage others from doing so. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A Houston critical ca...
Tags: Texas, Science, News, US, Trends, Healthcare, Npr, Vaccine, Houston, Anthony Fauci, El Paso, Fauci, Johns Hopkins University, United Memorial Medical Center, Varon, Coronavirus

In the Trump administration's efforts to secure coronavirus vaccines, two key bets turned out to be mistakes

Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Service,s listens as President Donald Trump talks to reporters at the White House on March 6. AP Photo/Evan Vucci The Trump administration purchased 300 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca in May, but declined to purchase additional doses on top of the 100 million it had arranged with Pfizer, the New York Times reported. The Pfizer contract was contingent on the shot being authorized by the FDA, so it was relatively low-risk. But the shot is more...
Tags: Europe, UK, Science, News, White House, China, US, America, Trends, European Union, Ap, New York Times, Food And Drug Administration, Brazil, Wisconsin, Astrazeneca

Thefts of food items and baby supplies are rising, highlighting America's desperation as lawmakers fight over the details of a new pandemic relief bill

Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd/Getty Images There has been a rise in theft of basic essentials as more people face income insecurity during the pandemic, The Washington Post reported.  Several food aid programs are set to expire at the end of the year, even as demand at food banks rises.  All of this is happening as negotiations around a new COVID-19 relief bill makes little headway in Congress. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. As the pandemic continues and millions of Am...
Tags: Post, Science, News, Congress, Washington Post, Theft, America, Trends, House, Npr, Nancy Pelosi, Food Insecurity, Trump, Moody s Analytics, US Department of Labor, The Post

Indiana healthcare workers crashed the site for requesting COVID-19 vaccines even before the state's shipment of supplies arrived

A nurse prepares a shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Guy's Hospital in London, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, as the U.K. health authorities rolled out a national mass vaccination program. AP Photo/Frank Augstein Indiana healthcare workers who wanted to get the COVID-19 vaccine crashed the state's registration site, even before supplies arrived on Monday, WTHR-TV reported.  Six healthcare workers in Fort Wayne were the first in the state to get vaccinated on Monday, the Indianapo...
Tags: Science, London, US, Trends, Indiana, Indianapolis, Healthcare, Npr, Pfizer, Vaccine, Indianapolis Star, US Food and Drug Administration, Fort Wayne, Central Indiana, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention As, WTHR