Tag Archives: News

Morning News Podcast: Nursing Homes, Hong Kong Protest & Fake News

Axios TodayElderly people in nursing homes make up 45% of COVID-19 related deaths in the US. Nursing home alternatives have been on the rise for the last decade, but the pandemic has made alternatives more urgent.

  • Plus, the United Kingdom offers to protect the freedoms of Hong Kongers, as China arrested protesters under the new security law.
  • And, a new survey by Pew Research Center shows a portion of Americans believe conspiracy theories and other false information about the coronavirus pandemic.

Guests: Axios’ Kim Hart, Dave Lawler and Mike Allen

Washington Update: New Stimulus Bill, Campaign News & Floods (Podcast)

Axios TodayThe first stimulus package was a lifeline for millions of Americans. The beginning of July means we’ve got just a few more weeks before all those benefits expire. Unlike when the first bill passed in March, Congress is divided on whether people need another stimulus.

  • Plus, shake-ups on the Trump campaign rattle an already chaotic White House.
  • And, new data shows more inland homes are at risk of flooding than expected.

Guests: Axios’ Dion Rabouin, Mike Allen, and Amy Harder.

Top Topics Monday: Covid-19 Accelerates Cashless Society Push (Podcast)

Axios TodayThe coronavirus pandemic has accelerated our cashless society and deepened the divide between those who depend on it and those who now live mostly without it.

Guests: Axios’ Jennifer Kingson, Mike Allen and Kendall Baker.

World News Podcast: The Next Catastrophe, Israel & The Wirecard Scandal

The Economist Editor's PicksA selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, the next catastrophe and how to survive it; (9:40) the risks of annexation for Israel; (21:50) and the Wirecard scandal.

Coronavirus Update: State Of The Pandemic After Six Months (Nature Podcast)

Coronapod ReportWe take a look back over the past six months of the pandemic, and discuss how far the world has come. It’s been a period of turmoil and science has faced an unprecedented challenge. What lessons can be learned from the epidemic so far to continue the fight in the months to come?

Also in this episode:

12:55 Unanswered questions

After months of intensive research, much is known about the new coronavirus – but many important questions remain unanswered. We look at the knowledge gaps researchers are trying to fill.

Nature Medicine: Real-time tracking of self-reported symptoms to predict potential COVID-19

20:36 How has lockdown affected fieldwork?

The inability to travel during lockdown has seriously hampered many researchers’ ability to gather fieldwork data. We hear from three whose work has been affected, and what this means for their projects.

Covid-19: “Superspreading Events” Responsible For Up To 80% Of Infections

From Scientific American (June 23, 2020):

Scientific AmericanIn fact, research on actual cases, as well as models of the pandemic, indicate that between 10 and 20 percent of infected people are responsible for 80 percent of the coronavirus’s spread.

Researchers have identified several factors that make it easier for superspreading to happen. Some of them are environmental.

  • Poorly ventilated indoor areas seem especially conducive to the virus’s spread – A preliminary analysis of 110 COVID-19 cases in Japan found that the odds of transmitting the pathogen in a closed environment was more than 18 times greater than in an open-air space.
  • Places where large numbers of people congregate – As a group’s size increases, so does the risk of transmitting the virus to a wider cluster. A large group size also increases the chance that someone present will be infectious.
  • The longer a group stays in contact, the greater the likelihood that the virus will spread among them – The benchmark used for risk assessment in her contact-tracing work is 10 minutes of contact with an infectious person, though the CDC uses 15 minutes as a guideline.
  • Some activities seem to make it easier to spread respiratory gunk – Speech emits more particles than normal breathing. And emissions also increase as people speak louder. Singing emits even more particles, which may partially explain the superspreader event at the Washington State choir practice. Breathing hard during exercise might also help the spread of COVID-19.

Read more

Top New Science Podcasts: Universities Post-Covid And Drones Fighting Mosquito-Borne Disease

science-magazine-podcastsSenior Correspondent Jeffrey Mervis joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about how universities are dealing with the financial crunch brought on by the coronavirus. Jeff discusses how big research universities are balancing their budgets as federal grants continue to flow, but endowments are down and so is the promise of state funding.

Mosquito-borne infections like Zika, dengue, malaria, and chikungunya cause millions of deaths each year. Nicole Culbert and colleges write this week in Science Robotics about a new way to deal with deadly mosquitoes—using drones. The drones are designed to drop hundreds of thousands of sterile male mosquitoes in areas with high risk of mosquito-borne illness. The idea is that sterile male mosquitoes will mate with females and the females then lay infertile eggs, which causes the population to decline. They found this drone-based approach is cheaper and more efficient than other methods of releasing sterile mosquitoes and does not have the problems associated with pesticide-based eradication efforts such as resistance and off-target effects.

Global: The Power Of Protest, Great Cities Post-Covid & Bartleby Columns

The Economist Editors Picks Podcast logoA selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, the power of protest and the legacy of George Floyd; (11:07) life in great cities after the pandemic; (17:55) and the lessons from one hundred Bartleby columns on work and management.

Top New Science Podcasts: Quantum States In Space Lab, Barcode Bacteria

nature-podcastsThis week, the spaceborne lab that allows investigation of quantum states, and the debate surrounding how mountain height is maintained.

In this episode:

01:18 Space lab

Scientists have built a lab on the international space station, allowing them to remotely investigate quantum phenomena in microgravity. Research Article: Aveline et al.News and Views: Quantum matter orbits Earth

08:37 Research Highlights

Trackable ‘barcode’ bacteria, and physicists simulate near light speed cycling. Research Highlight: ‘Barcode’ microbes could help to trace goods — from lettuce to loafersResearch Highlight: What Einstein’s theory means for a cyclist moving at almost light speed

10:48 Maintaining mountain height

For a long time many researchers have thought that mainly erosion controls the height of mountains, but new research suggests that tectonic forces play a bigger role. Research Article: Dielforder et al.News and Views: Mountain height might be controlled by tectonic force, rather than erosion

16:12 Pick of the Briefing

We pick our highlights from the Nature Briefing, including how sleep deprivation kills, and a monumental Maya structure hidden in plain sight. Quanta Magazine: Why Sleep Deprivation KillsNational…