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ScienceHealthResearchers Successfully Trained People to Echolocate in Just 10 Weeks
Scientists in the UK say the same sort of echolocation practiced by bats may also help people living with blindness better navigate the world. In a new study, they found that blind and sighted participants who took part in a 10-week training program were able to learn how to perform echolocation, and the blind participants … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthEditor-in-Chief of Top Medical Journal Steps Down Over Podcast That Downplayed Racism
Howard Bauchner, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association—one of the foremost publishers in the scientific world—is stepping down at the end of the month, following recent controversy over how the journal and one of its editors dismissed the issue of racism in medicine. In late February 2021, JAMA released a podcast … Continued
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ScienceHealthJohnson & Johnson Forced to Pay $2.1 Billion in Baby Powder Cancer Case After Supreme Court Denial
Johnson & Johnson will not be getting out of its obligation to pay up for losing a civil court case over its baby powder products that allegedly contained asbestos. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court announced it would not hear the company’s appeal of a $2.1 billion verdict from a 2018 trial in Missouri involving women … Continued
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ScienceHealthHealth Officials in China Report First Human Case of H10N3 Bird Flu
On Tuesday, health officials in China reported the first known human case of a particular strain of avian influenza called H10N3. The victim, a 41-year-old man residing in Jiangsu, was hospitalized in late April and diagnosed with the virus on May 28. Officials said that the man has since recovered and would be leaving the … Continued
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ScienceHealthA Major Study on How Sperm Move Has Been Retracted
A study that claimed to overturn our understanding of how sperm moves has now been retracted. The research had suggested that sperm cells propel themselves forward through complex spins that created an optical illusion of them only swishing their tails back and forth under a microscope. The authors now agree that their conclusions can’t be … Continued
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SciencePhysics & ChemistryScientists Have Created Bite-Size, Edible Models to Help Kids With Blindness Learn Chemistry
Researchers say they’ve found a way to help make science lessons more interactive for students, particularly for those living with blindness. In a new study out Friday, they detail creating bite-size and even candy-like models of molecules that kids can safely use their mouths to feel—models that seem to be as easily recognizable using our … Continued
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ScienceBiologyVolunteer Your Cat or Dog for a New ‘If I Fits I Sits’ Study
Researchers are looking for good boys and girls to volunteer their time and paws for the sake of science. This week, scientists at Hunter College’s Thinking Dog Center sent out an open call for everyday cats and dogs, as well as their owners, to participate in a citizen science project. The study is intended to … Continued
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ScienceBiologyThousands of Unknown Viruses and Bacteria Are Living in Our Subways
New research out this week confirms that our subways aren’t just jam-packed with people—they’re also filled to the brim with viruses, bacteria, and other microbes. Using samples from transit stations in 60 countries, scientists have created a microbial atlas of sorts. But though the scientists have discovered lots of previously unknown species living in these … Continued
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ScienceHealthTesting Lab Asks FDA to Recall 78 Sunscreens Over Carcinogen Contamination
A testing lab company called Valisure is sounding the alarm over a carcinogen that it has detected in common sun care products. This week, the lab sent off a petition to the Food and Drug Administration warning that it’s found potentially unsafe levels of a chemical called benzene in dozens of sunscreens and after-sun care … Continued
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ScienceHealthHow Are Covid-19 Cases Among Vaccinated People Being Tracked?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed how it’s tracking breakthrough cases of covid-19—infections in people vaccinated against the viral illness. The changes are said to reflect the astounding success these vaccines have had in preventing serious harm from covid-19, yet some public health experts are worried that the CDC is being too … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthSan Francisco’s Flavored Vape Ban Linked to More Teen Smoking, Study Finds
A 2018 ban on flavored tobacco products in San Francisco may have had some unintended consequences, new research this week suggests. The study found that high school teens were more likely to take up smoking after the ban than those living elsewhere. In 2018, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to enact a wholesale … Continued
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ScienceHealth50% of U.S. Adults Will Be Fully Vaccinated by End of Today
The United States is at a pivotal point in its efforts to combat the covid-19 pandemic. By the end of Tuesday, it’s expected that a majority of American adults will be fully vaccinated, and within days, a majority of all Americans will have gotten at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine. The accomplishment comes … Continued
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ScienceHealthMan Gets Flammable Deodorant Stuck in His Rectum
Doctors in India are warning about a peculiar hazard. In a new case study this week, they detail having to remove a can of aerosol spray deodorant from a patient’s rectum. It’s an injury made even more potentially dangerous due to the risk of fire or explosion should the offending object be removed “using cautery … Continued
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ScienceHealthMan Blinded for 40 Years Has Sight Partially Restored Using Gene Therapy
Researchers say their experimental gene therapy was able to partially restore a man’s eyesight 40 years after he lost most of his vision. The findings are exciting, but the authors of the new study caution that more research will be needed to confirm the effectiveness of this treatment. Gene therapy has emerged as a promising … Continued
By Ed Cara -
ScienceHealthOfficial Covid-19 Death Toll Undercounting by Millions, WHO Says
According to a new estimate released by the World Health Organization, at least 3 million people worldwide likely lost their lives to the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The figures are the latest to suggest that many countries’ official counts have substantially underestimated the toll of the pandemic, which is still raging in much of the … Continued
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ScienceHealthMan Gets Molten Metal in His Ear in Freak Welding Accident
Doctors in Australia say an unusual welding accident left a 60-year-old man with steel lodged in his right ear. In a new case study, they detail how the metal punctured the man’s eardrum, causing him to lose some hearing and develop tinnitus. Luckily, he avoided more serious injury and his hearing was restored after the … Continued
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ScienceHealthCDC Warns Americans to Stop Kissing Birds, You Salmonella Freaks
Looks like it’s once again time for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to play the role of buzzkill. In the midst of a new outbreak of Salmonella bacteria linked to pet birds, the CDC is warning feather lovers: Please don’t smooch or snuggle your backyard chickens, ducks, or other assorted poultry. Birds and … Continued
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ScienceHealthA New Coronavirus May Be Jumping From Dogs to People, Scientists Report
A group of scientists fear they may have discovered another coronavirus capable of infecting humans. The virus has been spotted in patients suffering from pneumonia in Malaysia and likely originated from dogs. At this point, though, it’s not certain whether the virus is truly causing illness or if it could spread between people. Even before … Continued
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ScienceHealthUK Doctor Recounts Terrifying Experience With Covid-19 That Hospitalized Her for 5 Months
A doctor who became one of the earliest victims of the covid-19 pandemic in the UK has now recounted her harrowing experience. In a new case report, she describes her illness and treatment, which included weeks of a last-resort intervention called ECMO that completely took over for her lungs and heart, along with her ongoing … Continued
By Ed Cara
Ed Cara
Ed Cara is a Brooklyn-based writer and pug enthusiast. He spent his early twenties performing theater at various stages across the tri-state area, including off-Broadway. But he eventually caught the reporting bug and transitioned into science journalism, publishing his first feature article at the magazine Pacific Standard (RIP) in 2014. Ed has since written for the Atlantic, Newsweek, Undark Magazine, and Vice, before landing at Gizmodo in 2017. Ed enjoys digging into the latest health advances, the weirdest medical cases, and the occasional animal news. He also still performs regularly in the city as a sketch and improv comedian.
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