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Putting low-cost diagnostics to the test
Rapid diagnostic tests for malaria have an important role in areas with limited access to health care.Credit: Sadak Souici/Le Pictorium/Alamy Nobody enjoys twirling a swab up their nose to test for COVID-19, but many people had cause to be grateful for at-home diagnostic tests during the height of the pandemic. Users could learn in 15…
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What’s behind China’s mysterious wave of childhood pneumonia?
Credit: Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty China is grappling with a surge in respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia, in children. The World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that common winter infections — rather than any new pathogens — are behind the spike in hospitalizations. A surge of infections was expected in the country this winter, China’s first…
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Sexism in academia is bad for science and a waste of public funding
Higher education and research institutions are critical to the well-being and success of societies, meaning their financial support is strongly in the public interest. At the same time, value-for-money principles demand that such investment delivers. Unfortunately, these principles are currently violated by one of the biggest sources of public funding inefficiency: sexism. Before she helped…
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A dance for the ages: balancing art and science
Reading Time: 3 minutes [email protected] In this series, the lads ask if farming is more science or art. For many years I rowed competitively. In rowing, naturally talented people use long limbs and height to be effective. Anyone on the shorter side, like me, must employ different tactics. We graft to get results. The “10,000…
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L’Oréal, Great Barrier Reef Foundation Launch Global Coral Restoration
Great Barrier Reef Foundation The L’Oréal Fund for Nature Regeneration has committed to a decade-long investment aimed at pioneering a world-first method of calculating the value of coral reef biodiversity and support the deployment of heat-tolerant corals. This innovative methodology is expected to stimulate a market for nature rehabilitation, thereby securing crucial funding to safeguard…
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Nature’s Surprise: Plants Might Be Able To Absorb More CO2 Than Expected
Recent research indicates that plants could absorb more atmospheric CO2 than previously believed, providing a hopeful perspective on climate change mitigation. However, scientists emphasize the continued importance of reducing emissions, noting that this discovery doesn’t offer a complete solution. A new study reveals that plants might absorb more CO2 than expected, offering hope in combating…
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Who speaks for nature? Can justice and citizenship guide us?
Photo of Neil Hamilton speaking at the Iowa Nature Summit on November 17 provided by the author and published with permission. Neil Hamilton is the former director of the Drake Agricultural Law Center and professor emeritus at Drake University law school. He delivered these remarks at the Iowa Nature Summit at Drake University on November…
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What you might have missed: self aware babies, autonomous excavators, blood physics and female science
Babies (wearing EEG caps) are self-aware at 4 months A baby wearing an EEG cap for the study. Pictured with parent. Credit: University of Birmingham. Babies just 4 months old can understand how their body interacts with the world around them, according to a study in Scientific Reports. “Even in the first few months of…
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Back to Skola
At The Skola — Whitefish’s newest independent, nature-based school — every day starts with movement. Morning movement can look a lot of ways — running, jumping or traversing the outdoor obstacle course on the school’s farm campus north of town. According to director and founder Brooke Ober, the independent school puts exercise at the top…
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A time to explore
The Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum will present “Discovery Day” Saturday, Dec. 2, from noon to 4 p.m. “Discovery Days are one of the many events the museum offers to bring science, education and fun to the community,” said Vanessa Blot, a herpetologist and reptile/amphibian conservationist who serves as outreach coordinator for the museum,…