Science
This Earth Day 2024, President Joe Biden announced a $7b investment in solar energy through the “Solar for All” initiative, funded by the $369 billion Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2023. This program aims to enhance access to clean energy for over 900,000 households in disadvantaged communities. The investment is part of a broader week […]
Colon cancer diagnoses and deaths are alarmingly increasing among Americans under 50, with recent data from the American Cancer Society indicating this trend is expected to continue. The disease, now the nation’s second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths, is notably preventable through routine screenings, yet approximately 60 million Americans are not up-to-date with their screenings. The […]
The countdown is on when Rochester residents get the rare opportunity during a total solar eclipse to safely look directly at the sun. Normally, it’s advised never to stare at the sun, but during the brief period of totality, when the moon completely obscures the sun, viewers in Rochester will be able to see the […]
American’s are planning a variety of unique ways to view and celebrate the solar eclipse sweeping across North America today. Here are some highlights: 1. Andrea Warkentin, a librarian in Texas, recommends using disco balls as a novel way to project the eclipse. This method was successfully used during an annular solar eclipse in October […]
The U.S. is currently experiencing an outbreak of bird flu, specifically the H5N1 strain, which has notably spread to dairy cattle, causing concern among scientists due to its unusual behavior. This outbreak, first identified in North America in late 2021 among wild migratory birds, has since affected not only poultry but also dairy cows and […]
A team from Rochester Institute of Technology, in partnership with New York Sea Grant, is addressing plastic pollution in Rochester, N.Y., by studying how litter enters the sewer system and ultimately impacts the environment and water sources. The project involves the use of “Littatraps,” devices installed in sewer drains designed to catch debris larger than […]
A study reveals that flame retardants, specifically polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), used in numerous consumer products across the United States, may significantly increase the risk of cancer-related deaths. The research found that those with the highest levels of PBDEs had a roughly 300% higher risk of dying from cancer compared to individuals with the lowest […]
The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 will offer unprecedented opportunities for scientific study. The eclipse’s path, covering a densely populated corridor from Mexico through the U.S. to Canada, enables both professional scientists and “citizen scientists” to participate in a wide range of experiments. Activities planned include photographing the sun’s corona, observing animal behavior […]
Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have achieved a medical milestone by transplanting a kidney from a genetically engineered pig into a 62-year-old man, marking the first procedure of its kind. This groundbreaking operation offers hope to the hundreds of thousands of Americans suffering from kidney failure, as the transplanted kidney, which began producing […]
The Alabama Supreme Court’s recent ruling categorizes frozen embryos as “extrauterine children.” Stemming from a wrongful death lawsuit after a fertility clinic accident, the ruling aligns with the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. The decision has led to a temporary halt in IVF treatments by some Alabama providers, with legislative clarifications pending. IVF […]