Everything in the fire station parking lot was bathed in a red glow. Although this is Hawaii, the air felt especially steamy and warm. Nearby, lava fountains up to 150 feet (60 meters) tall were blasting from fissures. The scene was vaguely apocalyptic, beautiful but terrifying. Kīlauea had started to erupt from the lower East Rift Zone for the first time in over 50 years, right in the middle of the Leilani Estates subdivision, pouring lava into people’s backyards. For U.S. Geological Survey ...read more
In the late 1950s, dentist and US Navy Capt. Kirk C. Hoerman, then a young man in his 30s, attempted to answer a bold question: Might the saliva of prostate cancer patients have different characteristics from that of healthy people? Could it contain traces of a disease that’s so far away from the mouth?Without wasting more of their own saliva on elaborate discussion, Hoerman and his colleagues from the department of dental research at the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois, got d ...read more
The average person in the U.S. uses an enormous amount of plastic — much more so than in other countries. And this number has surged in recent decades.Back in 1980, annual plastic use in the U.S. was around 60 pounds per person. By 2018, this figure had risen to 218 pounds. A paper from 2020 estimated that 46 million tons of plastic waste was created in the U.S. in 2016.“We estimated that in the U.S., our population produces more plastic waste than in any other country on the planet. That's ...read more
In late 2019 and early 2020, bushfires in Australia destroyed the habitat for millions of animals as well as homes for thousands of people. UNICEF estimated that the fires somehow impacted 40 percent of Australian children. Many children felt traumatized by the fires, and because teddy bears have the power to calm and comfort, UNICEF organized therapy sessions with handmade teddy bears that children could keep and cuddle.Researchers are learning more about the emotions people attach to teddy ...read more
As heavy snows have closed parts of Yosemite National Park in California, it's a good reminder that when visiting one of the 63 national parks in the U.S., always have a backup plan. The national parks are a wonder to behold. They help preserve pristine natural areas and the organisms that live there. However, they are also subject to extreme and unpredictable weather and are home to wildlife you won't often encounter anywhere else, which can hinder your visit. The best way to have a fun and sa ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
