Why don’t kids tend to get as sick from Covid-19?
By Sara Reardon Some children have been hospitalized and some have died, but at a tiny fraction of the adult rate. As children head back to school, scientists are hoping that research will provide answers. Read more.
To understand airborne transmission of disease, follow the flow
By Anil Ananthaswamy Viruses and bacteria travel in fluids, such as the air we breathe. Studying exhalations, toilet flushes and rain drops, with math and modeling, can sharpen the big-picture view of how to prevent infections. Read more.
From the archives
Seeking surprises in comets and asteroids
Carolyn S. Shoemaker, co-discoverer of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, died on August 13. While she may be best remembered for the Jupiter-slamming comet that bears her name, her contributions were extensive, writes David H. Levy in Nature (Levy co-discovered the namesake comet, along with Shoemaker’s husband, Gene). Read Shoemaker’s 1999 paper, “Ups and Downs in Planetary Science,” in the Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences and see our story to learn more about the latest research into comets and asteroids.
10 years after the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi, I’m still worried
Treated but still radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan will be discharged about a half-mile out to sea via a buried, soon-to-be-constructed tunnel, Mari Yamaguchi reports for the Associated Press. (Scientists also recently reported outfitting native snakes with radiation sensors to see if they can help monitor local contamination levels.) For more on concerns about the release of Fukushima’s radioactive water and a call for greater transparency, see marine chemist Ken Buesseler’s opinion piece.
Upcoming event
Bilingualism, the Brain and Society
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | 9am PT | 12pm ET | 6pm CET
Does speaking two languages enrich the brain? How do class and race influence the labeling of bilingualism as good or bad? Join us for a free, live conversation with linguist Uju Anya (Carnegie Mellon University) and neuroscientist Judith Kroll (UC Irvine) and learn more about the neuroscience and social context of bilingualism. Moderated by Knowable’s Rachel Ehrenberg.
What we're reading
Pushing quantum limits
Quantum physics dictates how the atomic realm behaves. But does quantum behavior have a size limit, beyond which its effects disappear? Physicists aiming to answer that question are conducting experiments with ever bigger objects, writes Philip Ball at Quanta Magazine. Large molecules have already succumbed to quantum strangeness, and now researchers are on the cusp of ushering specks of silica into this exclusive club. Some folks even have viruses and tardigrades in their sights. “In the coming years,” Ball writes, “we might discover whether or not the world is quantum all the way up.”
At what price?
When people compare health-care plans, they look at deductibles and copays. Yet those calculations may do little good if the price of a medical service varies between plans and is kept secret. It turns out that hospitals often charge insurers wildly different prices for the same procedure or test: An MRI scan, for example, that costs $1,000 for one insurer might cost nearly four times that for another, a team reports for the New York Times. The investigation, which uncovers the mostly secret price negotiations between hospitals and insurers, reveals a system mired in confusion and obfuscation.
Self-care in space
Long-term space travel will take a psychological toll on astronauts; perhaps tending a garden could help. For the Counter, Jessica McKenzie writes of a remote Antarctic research station a good facsimile of working in space where crew members grow fresh produce in a greenhouse as part of a study to see how it helps their mental health. Anecdotally, the isolated crew loves being around the cucumbers, basil, mint and tomatoes. “Everything else is just snow and steel."
Art & science
CREDIT: PHOTO BY STEPHEN AUSMUS / USDA
Lanternfly lamentations This beauty is a beast. Spotted lanternflies are small, attractive insects — even the young nymphs, shown here, make an impression. But natural resources officials, entomologists and agriculturalists are raising the alarm: If you come across a lanternfly, “kill it!” says basically every official interviewed about the pests. That’s because spotted lanternflies — a type of leafhopper — are invasive destroyers of many crops, including apple, plum and grapes. (They’ve also been known to divebomb joggers and outdoor yogis, one scientist told the New York Times.) Native to Asia, the lanternflies have been spotted, so to speak, in several states on the Eastern Seaboard, New England and even west into Ohio. See more lanternflies, including their camouflaged egg cases that can hitch rides on lumber, dumpsters and more, in this USDA photo album.
