~podcast-25-lead-and | Bookmarks (85)

The Consumer Brands Association believes companies should be able to stamp “recyclable” on products that are technically “capable” of being recycled, even if they’re likely to end up in a landfill. Experts say the proposal could worsen a crisis that is flooding the planet and our bodies with plastics.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s ambitious proposal to regulate and reuse wastewater discharged from oil and gas drilling for alternative energy projects has been blocked for now, though the debate over public safety continues as the state pursues plans for pilot projects.

In “The Air They Breathe,” Debra Hendrickson, a pediatrician working in Reno, Nevada, the nation’s fastest-warming city, chronicles the disproportionate effects of climate change on children, a growing crisis that is particularly trenchant because the malleability of young people’s bodies and minds.

A seminal paper in Alzheimer’s research raised red flags. Those who called out the problematic data hoped the discovery would correct the scientific record. Instead, the questions raised about the work highlighted cracks that have been slowly eating away at scientific integrity for years.

While oil and gas operations at Portland’s CEI Hub continue to grow, disaster experts and advocates highlight the risk of a massive spill if a major earthquake hits the region. Despite the pushback, the city has agreed to a new oil storage deal.

For women with bipolar disorder, pregnancy can be a fraught endeavor as they balance the health of their growing fetus with their own mental state. Many either stop taking the medications that keep them well — which can lead to a recurrence of symptoms — or avoid pregnancy altogether.

The Cold War spawned some strange military research projects in Greenland that were doomed to failure, from futuristic hovercraft and atomic subways to disposing of nuclear waste by letting it melt through the ice sheet and Camp Century, a massive nuclear-powered city built under the ice.

The World Health Organization has declared mpox a global public health emergency. Countries in Africa face the brunt of the disease yet only have access to a fraction of the vaccine doses needed. Confronting this inequity will require a multifaceted effort to develop and manufacture vaccines on the continent.

A breakthrough in hybrid crop breeding has laid the groundwork for a revolution in potato farming, enabling breeders to create new varieties that can better withstand diseases and climate change, while increasing yields in the Global South. And some varieties could have more interesting tastes and colors.

The invention of so-called ropeless fishing gear is a bid to reduce the number of ropes dangling in the ocean. Typically, ropes stretch from floating buoys to pots and traps far below, presenting a hazard to vulnerable species that might get entangled in the lines. One pilot project is bringing in fishers to test the finicky technology.

As H5N1 circulates, it appears that lessons from Covid-19 remain unlearned. Missteps abound regarding testing, surveillance, transparency, and clear communication — the very things that hurt the U.S. government’s early response to the coronavirus.

In 2023, Oregon and Vermont lifted residency requirements for terminally ill patients interested in medical assistance in dying. Dozens have since traveled to the states to seek out that care, but still face barriers including waiting periods and finding a physical location to end their lives.

The controversy over masking is not one of science and evidence, writes physician David Scales. As mpox becomes an international public health emergency and H5N1 flu spreads, policymakers should focus on communicating how science informs their values and priorities in weighing policy trade-offs.

Nudge theory, which holds that subtle social cues can effectively guide people toward better decisions, is making inroads in health care. But despite a growing experimental data trail, experts are still struggling to tease out patterns that can help them understand why some nudges succeed, and others fail.

In Questa, New Mexico, an electric cooperative is fundraising to build a green hydrogen plant at a Chevron-owned Superfund site. The plant would store renewable energy as the utility works toward completely eliminating fossil fuels from its energy grid. Will the community buy in?

Around a third of women could be low on iron, causing fatigue, dizziness, and weakness. But doctors don’t regularly screen for the condition. And guidelines don’t recommend routine screenings, as they say there’s not enough evidence that they make a difference. Some clinicians disagree.

Theodore H. Schwartz’s “Gray Matters” explores the evolution of brain surgery, and offers a firsthand account of its many risks and rewards. Along the way, he covers virtually everything that can harm the human brain, from tumors and gunshot wounds to sports injuries, shaken baby syndrome, and car accidents.

In 2027, a Canadian law allowing terminally ill people to receive assistance in dying is slated to expand to cover those with mental illness. The debate over the law’s expansion demonstrates the need to radically rethink the prevailing model that treats mental and physical illnesses as the same.

Scientists have been experimenting for years with various species of plastic-eating bacteria. But DARPA is taking a slightly different approach in seeking a compact and mobile solution for field use that uses plastic to create something else entirely: food for humans.

A plan to return the tenacious wolverine to its native range in the Southern Rockies may seem like a win for this elusive creature. But it’s also a gamble. In the face of an uncertain climatic future, does wildlife benefit from being reintroduced into areas where they haven’t lived in more than a century?

Scientists have long suspected a connection between the dust and poor respiratory health near the Salton Sea in California. But after years of research, recent findings have offered surprising new insights: The prime suspect is a naturally occurring toxin, embedded in the dust.

What is the best way to protect the long-term interests of people who receive brain implants as part of a clinical trial? How can researchers guard against violations of mental privacy? Bioethicist Saskia Hendriks explores some of the field’s thorny ethical questions as new technologies advance.

Faculty members are expected to apply for and bring in grant funding to their universities. One former academic scientist argues that the scramble for funding is contributing to society’s inability to handle major issues such as global climate change. Higher education must rethink its priorities, she writes.

Over the past decades, researchers have uncovered numerous genetic variants that seem to play a role in people’s responses to painkillers, cancer drugs, and other medicines. But studies suggest only a fraction of people who would benefit from genetic tests for those variants actually get them.