In 1918 Flu Pandemic, Timing Was a Killer

Since 1918, four new global flu pandemics have struck. None have come anywhere close to 1918’s toll, leaving scientists to puzzle about why 1918 was so deadly. Adding to the mystery was that people in their late 20s were at greatest risk of dying in 1918. Typically, children and old people are more likely to die in flu outbreaks. The reason why people in their late 20's suffered from the pandemic more severely is because the outbreak of the flu in affected younger people ( in their early 20's or teen years) before hand and an outbreak in the early or mid 1800's affected the older generation, therefore, the middle (late 20's) generation did not experience the flu yet and did not have a great chance at surviving. Their immune systems weren't as strong. In other words, the people in their late 20s were the victims of timing. When they grew up, they didn’t have strong defenses against the 1918 flu. Other factors made the pandemic even worse for those young adults. Vulnerable soldiers were packed in battlefield trenches or aboard troop transport ships. The virus could spread easily from one host to another. And in 1918, doctors could do little to treat the flu. They had no vaccines, no antiviral drugs and no antibiotics to stop the bacterial pneumonia that often came with bad cases of the flu.

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/30/science/in-1918-flu-pandemic-timing-was-a-killer.html?ref=science

Climate Efforts Falling Short, U.N. Panel Says

A United Nations panel warned that governments are not doing enough to avert profound risks in coming decades. But the experts found a silver lining: Not only is there still time to head off the worst, but the political will to do so seems to be rising around the world. Though it remains technically possible to keep planetary warming to a tolerable level, only an intensive push over the next 15 years to bring those emissions under control can achieve the goal, the committee found. “We cannot afford to lose another decade,” said Ottmar Edenhofer, a German economist and co-chairman of the committee that wrote the report. “If we lose another decade, it becomes extremely costly to achieve climate stabilization.” The report was quickly welcomed in Washington, where President Obama is trying to adopt aggressive climate policies despite congressional opposition. His science adviser, John P. Holdren, said the report showed that “the longer society waits to implement strong measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the more costly and difficult it will become to limit climate change to less than catastrophic levels.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/14/science/earth/un-climate-panel-warns-speedier-action-is-needed-to-avert-disaster.html?ref=earth

Anaerobic treatment of wastewater: A step towards sustainable energy

 Most of the world’s energy supplies have come from coal, oil and gas. Scarcity of natural resources, surging energy prices and global warming had focused attention on renewable energy, and consequently, alternative approaches to producing bio-energy. Over the last five years, one particular technology for the production of biocoal - Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC) - has undergone significant development and has become a subject of major scientific interest. Hydrothermal carbonization entails a conversion process of biomass. In natural conditions production of coal from biomass is slow and can take up to millions of years, whereas biocoal can be produced in just a few hours. During the process, heat is released and water molecules are split off from carbohydrate and what remains is a carbon-rich material -- the biocoal. However, the ongoing discussion on biomass utilization largely neglects one remarkable aspect of the process, namely, the huge CO₂ and methane emissions produced by biomass residue. No wonder, that researchers continue their quest for novel solutions for the utilization and recycling of by-products of hydrothermal carbonization. In industrial settings, and especially by rising composting costs, the economic business case for the valorization (or recycling) of by-products of hydrothermal carbonization seems a valuable contribution to resource conservation and sustainable energy.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140326114512.htm

Small Area Open Near Fukushima

Japan reopened a small part of the 12-mile evacuation zone around the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Tuesday, allowing residents to return to live in their homes for the first time since the accident three years ago. It is unclear how many of Tamura’s residents will now go back. Earlier surveys of evacuees found that fewer than half wanted to return because of fears of radiation and the mishap-plagued cleanup at the nearby nuclear plant. Some experts say the most highly radioactive areas to the northwest of the plant may be unlivable for generations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/world/asia/small-area-open-near-fukushima.html?ref=science&_r=0

Simple test for cancer and heart disease

Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the United States and many other developed countries. Unfortunately, both diseases can be difficult to diagnose. Because these conditions reflect changes deep inside the body, they just aren’t that easy to detect from the outside. But that could change, thanks to a new type of test.With only two steps, it promises to be fast, cheap and easy. First, a doctor gives a patient an injection. Later, the patient urinates on a special strip of paper. The paper will change color if a disease is present. One common type of diagnostic test looks for any telltale molecules that a sick person’s body naturally releases into the blood. Not this new test. It instead relies on synthetic molecules. It also takes advantage of existing knowledge about the behavior of cancer and a disorder called thrombosis. Thrombosis causes blood clots and often gets worse with heart disease.

https://student.societyforscience.org/article/simple-test-cancer-and-heart-disease

Teens More Likely to Drive Drunk After Riding with Intoxicated Drivers

In a recent study, one out of three high school students admitted to being in a car with an intoxicated driver. When teens ride with people who have been drinking, this normalizes and socializes the behavior, Simons-Morton said. We need to understand why it seems acceptable among some adolescent groups to drive while intoxicated, or ride with an intoxicated driver, he added. Teens are both inexperienced in driving and consuming alcohol and teens aren't aware of the potential fatal consequences of this combination. It is important that the message is put out there and how risky it is to get into a car with a person under the influence.

http://www.livescience.com/44132-teens-drinking-driving-intoxicated-drivers.html

Still-fresh remnants of Exxon Valdez oil 25 years after oil spill, found protected by boulders

Twenty-five years after the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, beaches on the Alaska Peninsula hundreds of kilometers from the incident still harbor small hidden pockets of surprisingly unchanged oil, according to new research. "One lesson is that if you are responsible for cleaning up a spill, you want to be proactive about cleanup behind the boulders," said Reddy. Another is that response efforts should try to prevent oil from stranding in these areas where oil may persist for years or decades.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140226155647.htm

A Solar-Powered Drone Designed To Fly For Five Years Nonstop

A geostationary satellite was created that will be able to track hurricanes, pick out smugglers and pirates, act as a auxiliary GPS, and even follow animal migrations. This drone would never have to land and it would exclude the expense of going to space. It will be able to fly 65,000 feet in the air, above most aircraft and above weather that could potentially disturb it. The cool thing about this is that it is soalr powered. It has solar panels along the sides and the fact that it can fly above weather conditions, the source of its energy (the sun), should have no problem providing what it needs. The company "Titan Aerospace" should be trying this drone out later this year.

http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/solar-powered-drone-designed-fly-five-years-nonstop?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=10&con=a-solarpowered-drone-designed-to-fly-for-five-years-nonstop

Stepping off the Grid

Pavegen tiles are tiels that produce energy when stepped on. Each step on the tile creates a small amount of energy such as 4-8 watts but, if these tiles are put in a very populated area where there are thousands of people walking everyday, a great amount of energy can be produced. Pavegen tiles were tested in London at a subway station during the 2012 Olympic Games and the results proved that it can produce a substantial amount of energy. The energy that is produced can be connected to traffic lights or even charge mobile phones. Overall, it is a interesting step in the right direction concerning alternative energy ideas.

http://conservationmagazine.org/2013/03/stepping-off-the-grid/

Plastic shopping bags make a fine diesel fuel

Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags each year and majority of them end up in landfills or escape by the wind and take over the ocean. We always hear about how plastic bags are doing horrible things to wildlife, especially in the ocean, and now there finally is good news about something to reduce this issue. Plastic bags can be converted into diesel, natural gas, and other petroleum products. Also, it is great because it creates much more energy than it takes to convert it. This is excellent news for the future and it is hopeful for the animals that are in danger daily due to the effects of plastic bags.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140212132853.htm

Huge Fresh Groundwater Reserves Found beneath Ocean Floor

According to many researchers from Australia’s National Center for Groundwater Research and Training and Flinders University, a lot of freshwater has been found under the seabed on continental shelves around the world. This is good news considering the massive demand for water everywhere recently. Studies show that the amount of water that was found could sustain countries for decades. There are two ways to get to this water under the seabed and that is building a platform out at sea and drilling into the seabed or you can drill from the islands/main lands close to the aquifers. Although both are very costly, it could be very worth retrieving the abundance of freshwater that is needed everywhere.

http://www.sci-news.com/geology/science-fresh-groundwater-reserves-ocean-01606.html

Increase in Rhino poaching in South Africa

Although there are laws against poaching and hunting of endangered animals, it still doesn't stop people from doing it. In South Africa, 1,000 Rhinos were killed last year for their horns. Horns are very valuable to countries such as China and Vietnam because it contains the key ingredient for traditional medicine. Elephants are being killed excessively as well for their tusks. Even though it is inevitable that people will illegally hunt and kill these animals, it is very sad that the numbers are not only high but they have increased dramatically. The demand for these animal's bodies are so high and it puts their future in great harm.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/more-than-1000-rhinos-poached-in-south-africa/

Colorado River Drought Forces a Painful Reckoning for States

The once very blue and abundant river, Lake Mead, is now trickling down to a murky brown water. Reservoir capacities are dwindling down to half and in order to use the rest of the water to its fullest, the water agencies are promoting less demanding appliances that require more water and recycling sewage effluent. Studies show that the next century shows a lot drier conditions and a possible end to the lakes and rivers around Nevada. Many things will be affected by this due to the fact that mostly everything runs with water and without water in these areas, slowly things will come to an end. In order to help prevent the absolute worst, throughout the 21st century, everyone will have to use less water.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/06/us/colorado-river-drought-forces-a-painful-reckoning-for-states.html?_r=0

Fishing technique known as trawling can sometimes be productive.

Trawling is a certain fishing method which is basically just an intense raking of the seabed. Usually, it is known to cause much damage to sea life but recently, scientists have studied and found that there are many potential benefits to it. Studies have shown that trawling can create better conditions for the fish. The trawling process usually catches the bigger fish but the smaller fish grow resistant to it and find their way around it which increases population for the smaller fish. Due to the larger population of smaller fish, the larger fish population also increases. Although this is a positive relation to trawling, this really occurs best when the trawling process isn't as intense.

http://www.insidescience.org/content/stirring-ocean-floor-can-boost-fish-populations/1385