Science

Video compilation of people who think snow is fake

Yesterday, Jason posted a video from someone in Texas who couldn't melt a snowball in 10 seconds with a hairdryer and seems to think something funny is going on. Like dogs barking at the rain, many us are mystified and annoyed by the whims of nature. — Read the rest
Tags: Post, Texas, Science, News, Conspiracy Theories, Jason, Common Sense, Science Fiction Movies

People in France, Germany, and the UK are turning down the AstraZeneca vaccine because they want the Pfizer one instead, reports say

A box containing vials of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on the start of a vaccination campaign for health workers in France on February 6. ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images During vaccine rollouts in France, Germany, and the UK, some are insisting on a particular shot.  In Europe, officials are struggling to give out AstraZeneca's jab, and cite concerns about performance.  In the UK, reports are mixed. The Washington Post suggested that some prefer the AstraZeneca vaccine, calling it t...
Tags: Europe, Post, UK, Science, London, Sweden, Washington Post, France, Germany, Berlin, Israel, Trends, Bbc, Austria, Britain, Italy

Texans believe snow a government plot

Some Texans have decided that the recent snow was manufactured by the government. I weep for the education system in the state of Texas. pic.twitter.com/lq45woWGrx— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) February 21, 2021 Independent: A number of other videos have cropped up on the same platforms with titles like "Need some explaining…" and "Anyone played with the government generated snow yet?" — Read the rest
Tags: Post, Texas, Science, News, Common Sense, Science Is Fun

Traffic noise can kill you

Over the last decade, researchers have linked the noise of airports and road traffic to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Apparently the noise triggers a stress response in the brain that triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol, increases blood pressure, and inflames the endothelium, the lining of blood, heart, and lymphatic vessels. — Read the rest
Tags: Post, Science, News, Noise, Hearing

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

Cuomo's office released more than 9,000 COVID-19 patients back to nursing homes early in the pandemic, AP finds

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is seen attending a press conference on September 29, 2020. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Over 9,000 COVID-19 patients were released to nursing homes in New York state early in the pandemic. Gov. Cuomo's office underreported the deaths in nursing homes, the Associated Press reported. A top aide to Cuomo admitted to hiding nursing home data, The New York Post reported. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. More than 9,000 patients...
Tags: Post, New York Post, Politics, New York, Science, Trends, Joe Biden, Ap, Associated Press, Department Of Justice, Republican, Freedom Of Information, Andrew Cuomo, Donald Trump, New York State, Cuomo

Hair salons, dentist offices, and assisted living facilities are passing the costs of PPE and cleaning supplies on to customers, report says

There have been 510 complaints across 29 states over coronavirus-related charges at dentist offices, senior living facilities, hair salons, and restaurants, the Post reported. skaman306/Getty. Images Businesses like hair salons, dentist offices, and care homes are charging customers "Covid-19" fees.  The fees — which range from $5 to over $1,000 — are meant to cover the cost of cleaning and PPE. Covid-19 is not an excuse to "impose unauthorized costs" on customers, Michigan AG Dana Nessel ...
Tags: Post, Science, Washington Post, Trends, New York Times, The Times, Retail, Michigan, Times, American Medical Association, Michigan AG, American Dental Association, Dana Nessel, Nessel, Coronavirus, Sarah Al Arshani

New scientific paper explains how to retrieve energy from a black hole, using magnets

A new paper from Luca Comisso and Felipe A. Asenjo in the Physical Review titled "Magnetic reconnection as a mechanism for energy extraction from rotating black holes" explains, well, how to use magnets to retrieve something from the gravitational collapse of a black hole. — Read the rest
Tags: Post, Science, News, Gravity, Black Holes, Astrophysics, A Life In And For Science Fiction, Cosmos, Magnets How Do They Work, The Cosmos, Gravitational Anomalies, Luca Comisso, Felipe A Asenjo

As Michigan hospitals reach capacity, restaurants rebel against coronavirus orders and remain open

FILE PHOTO: Restaurants reopen in Michigan Reuters At least 60 Michigan restaurants are defying state orders and remaining open for indoor dining.  Owners said they don't believe public health warnings about the dangers of coronavirus, The Washington Post reported. Many say they can't afford to operate without indoor dining.  Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Some restaurants in Michigan are refusing to abide by state-mandated measures to quell the spread of the coronavir...
Tags: Post, Politics, Science, Washington Post, Restaurants, Trends, Michigan, Lansing, Detroit News, Sparrow, Sparrow Hospital, Gretchen Whitmer, Whitmer, Vierling, Koloski, Coronavirus

Seattle health workers raced to inject 1,600 coronavirus vaccine doses in the middle of the night to whomever they could find after a freezer failed

Dado Ruvic/Reuters A freezer mishap resulted in a frantic effort to administer more than 1,600 vaccines overnight in Seattle, The Washington Post reported. Hundreds of people stood in the street in their robes and pajamas after Seattle's Swedish Health Services tweeted at 11 p.m. that it had vaccines that were about to expire within hours. Workers administered all the shots on time, and no doses went to waste. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Staff and volunteers at a S...
Tags: Post, Science, Nbc, Washington Post, Oregon, Kaiser Permanente, Trends, Vaccines, Seattle, King, Brooks, Kevin Brooks, KING TV, Brackett, UW Medicine, Coronavirus

US officials increased COVID-19 risk when they were ill-prepared to meet first batch of US evacuees from Wuhan, watchdog says

Personnel in biological hazard suits await passengers evacuated from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the heart of a growing outbreak of the deadly 2019 Novel Coronavirus shortly after the plane landed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California on January 29, 2020. Getty Images US health officials did not take appropriate infectious disease management steps when they met the first batch of evacuees from Wuhan last year, The Washington Post reported.  The findings arose from investigation...
Tags: Post, Politics, Science, Washington Post, US, Trends, Joe Biden, Wuhan, Sen Dianne Feinstein, HHS, Department of Health and Human Services, Riverside California, The Post, Riverside County California, Office of Special Counsel, Henry Kerner

There are no extra COVID-19 vaccines doses left to send to states, despite Trump's health officials promising to release more 3 days ago

Boxes containing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are prepared to be shipped at the Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo manufacturing plant in Portage, Michigan on Sunday, December 13, 2020. AP/Morry Gash/Pool Federal officials promised earlier this week to stop stockpiling second doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, and instead use them to get more people their first shots. That statement prompted many states to open up vaccine distribution to a wider swath of the public thi...
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Study demonstrates that anti-radiation phone stickers do nothing

Can stickers—as in adhesive- or magnetic-backed paper—block phone radiation? Not these ones, says the University of Surrey in England. The stickers are sold by a U.K. company, Energydots, to exploit the country's pitch into 5G conspiracy theories and mystic paranoia. The stickers are about $35 each, shipped; Energydots has also falsely claimed to be in partnership with Britain's National Health Service. — Read the rest
Tags: Post, England, Science, News, Woo, Britain, National Health Service, University of Surrey, Energydots

Scotland's leader says Trump isn't welcome to visit his Turnberry resort because golfing isn't essential travel

The president golfing at Trump Turnberry in Getty Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday put an end to rumors that President Donald Trump would visit his Turnberry golf resort during President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.  Sturgeon said the country's national lockdown, which includes a prohibition on non-essential travel, applies to Trump.  A Scottish newspaper reported on Sunday that a US military plane sometimes used by Trump is scheduled to arrive at an airport near Tru...
Tags: Post, Politics, UK, England, Science, News, Scotland, White House, Nbc News, US, Trends, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Nicola Sturgeon, Boris Johnson, Biden

Is the human gaze a physical force?

Is the human gaze a physical force? It sure feels like it sometimes. Princeton University researchers scanned subjects' brains to gain insight into why we subconsciously interpret "other people's visual attention as an invisible, force-carrying beam projecting from the eyes." This isn't about the paranormal investigations into whether you can "feel" when someone is staring at you from behind, but rather how experiencing gaze as a physical thing is a cognitive shortcut that helps us quickly inter...
Tags: Post, Science, News, Princeton University, Look Here

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

Moths have evolved stealth acoustic cloaking to evade bat sonar

Researchers closely studied the wings of two moth species from China and Africa, and found that their tiny scales form a "metamaterial" that absorbs bat sonar — thus becoming an acoustic cloaking device. Pretty darn cool. The paper is paywalled here, but Nature has a good lay-persons' writeup … The researchers measured the acoustic reflections from wing sections of two moth species (native to Africa and China) in the ultrasonic range of 20–160 kHz typically used by bats for locating prey....
Tags: Post, Science, News, China, Africa, Moths, Stealth Technology

A man who had a medical emergency and died on a United flight last week was confirmed to have had COVID-19

Boeing 737 from United Airlines at the Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), in Dominican Republic on December 5, 2020. Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images A coroner confirmed that a man who died on a United flight after a medical emergency last week had COVID-19, The Washington Post reported.  The report said 69-year-old Isaias Hernandez died of COVID-19 and acute respiratory failure.  United previously told Business Insider they were only made aware that the man had experienced c...
Tags: Transportation, Post, Science, Washington Post, Cdc, Los Angeles, Trends, New Orleans, Boeing, United, United Airlines, Orlando, Dominican Republic, Business Insider, Daniel, Hernandez

Pfizer close to federal deal that could provide 'at least tens of millions' more COVID vaccine doses in 2021

The administration of outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump is close to a deal with Pfizer that could provide tens of millions more doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Americans in 2021, the NYT reports. Pfizer and Moderna are the two pharmaceutical companies whose COVID vaccines have been approved for accelerated use by the U.S. — Read the rest
Tags: Post, Science, News, Medicine, Public Health, Pfizer, Vaccine, Vaccines, Donald Trump, Moderna, Coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID, Coronavirus Vaccine, Covid Vaccine

Vatican says it is "morally acceptable" for Catholics to get COVID-19 vaccines developed from abortion fetal tissue

Funny how times change! The Vatican has declared that it is "morally acceptable" for Roman Catholics to receive coronavirus vaccines developed from research that used fetal tissue from abortions. The Catholic Church still says that abortion is a grave sin. From the Associated Press: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's watchdog office for doctrinal orthodoxy, said it had received several requests for "guidance" during recent months. — Read the rest
Tags: Post, Science, News, Medicine, Religion, Vatican, Catholic Church, Coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID, Coronavirus Vaccine, Covid Vaccine

A 63-year-old COVID-19 patient in Hong Kong who escaped the hospital was caught by police after a 2-day manhunt

A security guard stands inside the intensive care unit of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong on November 8, 2019. Philip FONG / AFP A COVID-19 patient who escaped a Hong Kong hospital on Friday has been caught after a 54-hour, city-wide manhunt. Li Wan-keung, 63, was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital last Monday, the South China Morning Post reported. But on Friday, Li fled down a stairwell, hiding by wearing a jacket over his medical gown, police said. Police captured Li in the Mong...
Tags: Facebook, Hong Kong, Post, UK, England, Science, News, Trends, News UK, Mong Kok, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Li, Hong Kong Police, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong Free Press, Hong Kong Hospital Authority

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

FedEx and UPS trucks carry first U.S. coronavirus vaccine shipment from Pfizer facility in Michigan [VIDEO]

Never have I cheered more cheerfully for trucks. CNN aviation and transportation correspondent Pete Muntean tweeted this video of UPS and FedEx trucks carrying the first U.S. shipment of coronavirus vaccine, hauling out in their COVID convoy from Pfizer's facility near Kalamazoo, Michigan. — Read the rest
Tags: Transportation, Post, Science, News, Medicine, US news, Cnn, UPS, Public Health, Michigan, Pfizer, Vaccine, Vaccines, Trucks, Trucking, PETE MUNTEAN

Flight Watch: FedEx Flight FDX884 carries first COVID-19 vaccines for distribution

This is so cool. Track the flight of FedEx Flight FDX884, which is carrying the first COVID-19 vaccines for distribution. Via @ShadyPlanes. FedEx Flight FDX884 carrying first COVID-19 vaccines for distribution https://t.co/DjPvGY46Wx pic.twitter.com/X5849VChbu— Shay (@ShadyPlanes) December 13, 2020
Tags: Health, Post, Science, News, US news, Public Health, Aviation, Coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID, Covid19, Coronavirus Vaccine, Covid Vaccine

An Arizona ER doctor says he was told not to come back to work after his viral tweet warning about a coronavirus surge

Dr. Cleavon Gilman in a video shared by the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition to thank him for his work during the pandemic. Twitter/Biden-Harris Presidential Transition In Arizona, an ER doctor said the company he works for told him that his hospital didn't want him to return to work after he posted a viral tweet about a coronavirus surge. Cleavon Gilman tweeted, "Just got to work and was notified there are no more ICU beds in the state of Arizona." He told the Post that he was forced ...
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Trump administration threatened to oust the head of the FDA if the Pfizer vaccine isn't cleared by the end of Friday, a new report says

Stephen Hahn, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner, with President Donald Trump. Pete Marovich/Getty Images The White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, reportedly pressured Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn to announce the emergency authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the day on Friday. The Washington Post reported that Meadows gave Hahn an ultimatum: Move up the announcement, or submit your resignation. President Donald Trump went after...
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The Trump administration threatened to oust the head of the FDA if the Pfizer vaccine isn't cleared by the end of Friday, new report says

President Donald Trump and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn Pete Marovich/Getty Images White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows reportedly pressured FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to announce the emergency authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the day on Friday. Meadows gave Hahn an ultimatum: Either move up the announcement or submit his resignation, according to The Washington Post. This comes after President Donald Trump went after the agency on Twitter earlier in the morn...
Tags: Post, Politics, Science, White House, US, Trends, Healthcare, Fda, Pfizer, Breaking News, Donald Trump, Bahrain, The Washington Post, Trump, Donald J Trump, US Food and Drug Administration

FDA to approve emergency use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

During an appearance on ABC News this morning, Health and Human Services Director Alex Azar said the FDA intends to grant Emergency Use Authorization to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. The EUA could be issued as early as Saturday. This means distribution of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine and vaccinations could begin in the United States as soon as Monday or Tuesday of next week. — Read the rest
Tags: Health, Post, Business, Science, Technology, News, US news, Public Health, United States, Fda, Pfizer, Vaccine, Abc News, Health And Human Services, EUA, Alex Azar

World carbon dioxide emissions drop 7% in COVID-hit 2020

Pandemic lockdowns and a steep drop in air travel and driving led to a 7% global reduction in carbon dioxide emissions this year, the biggest drop ever, new preliminary figures from the Global Carbon Project show. But there's still 1,185 tons of the heat-trapping gas going into the air every second. — Read the rest
Tags: Post, Science, News, Climate, Carbon Dioxide

The State Department ignored COVID-19 safety guidelines to host a 200-person holiday party

Peter Summers - WPA Pool/Getty Images The State Department hosted a holiday party for around 200 people on Tuesday night, despite COVID-19 concerns, The Washington Post reported.  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's office has also reportedly sent out invitations for numerous parties this month, including one where at least 900 people have received invitations.  Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Around 200 people attended a holiday party hosted by the State Department on Tu...
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