Health and wellness news gotscience.org

Science with Sophie: Scab Science

August 30, 2018March 25, 2019 Science Connectedbiology, health, science experiments, Science with Sophie, student science experiments

Scab Science It’s happened to all of us. You’re running or riding your bike, you slip, you fall, and you skin your knee. After a few days, you notice that the cut where you skinned your knee has formed a scab. What happens to our bodies when we get hurt? Why do we get cuts, and why do we get scabs afterward? Learn how white blood cells, proteins, and skin cells work together to help you get better after you get hurt in this episode of Science with Sophie! Do…

Biology Chemistry Education Health Videos

Science with Sophie: Tears and Snot

August 2, 2018March 25, 2019 Science Connectedgeneral science, science comedy, science experiments, science video, Science with Sophie, snot, tears

To do the science experiment with Sophie, you’ll need: Borax (find it in the laundry aisle of a grocery store) Water Equal parts clear school glue and water (for example, 1 cup glue and 1 cup water) Food coloring 2 bowls 1 Spoon Your hands About Science With Sophie Science With Sophie is an interactive science comedy series for all ages. This fast-paced show invites viewers to explore science all around them and remember that they are brave, curious, funny, smart scientists every day. Hosted by science educator/actor/comedian Sophie…

Health

Depression May Speed up Brain Ageing

June 14, 2018June 14, 2018 Science Connectedaging, brain age, depression

By Kate Stone Psychologists at the University of Sussex have found a strong correlation between depression and the speed at which the brain ages. Although scientists have previously found that people with depression or anxiety have an increased risk of dementia later in life, this is the first study that provides comprehensive evidence for the effect of depression on the decline in overall cognitive function (also referred to as cognitive state). The researchers behind this new study are hoping that their work will lead to greater public awareness of the…

Biology Health

New Ebola Vaccine in Development

May 8, 2018May 8, 2018 Science Connectedebola, fruit bats, health crisis, health safety, outbreak, vaccines

By Michelle Dookwah @mtdookwah Only a few summers ago, “Ebola” became a household word as the worst outbreak of the virus in history ravaged its way across western African nations and threatened health safety worldwide. It became easier to not think about the Ebola virus once the urgency of the crisis passed, and now news media is filled with other medical emergencies such as Zika or measles outbreaks—although there is a vaccine for the latter (cough, cough). However, several research groups haven’t forgotten about the devastation caused by the hemorrhagic…

Biology Environment Health

Plastic Pollution: An Emerging Threat Beneath Our Feet

April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 Science Connectedmicroplastics, oceans, plastic, pollution

By Emily Rhode @riseandsci Tiny plastic particles that can barely be seen by the human eye have made their way from our soil into everyday items we know—from earthworms to honey to the beer that we drink—bringing toxic chemicals with them wherever they go. The saying goes that what we can’t see can’t hurt us. Yet, what if these unseen particles are not only hurting us but also changing the entire course of biological evolution? Researchers in Germany have issued a new warning that these human-generated “microplastics” could potentially be…

Health

Fabulous Fat: Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Combat Malnutrition

November 14, 2017November 14, 2017 Science Connectedbiology, health, malnutrition, medicine, nutrition

By Shayna Keyles @shaynakeyles Malnutrition affects hundreds of millions of children around the world. As of 2017, about 23 percent of children under five suffer from stunted growth because of malnutrition and about 8 percent experience extreme wasting, which is characterized by a low weight-to-height ratio. Although over the years many treatments have been developed that reduce chances of mortality, increase weight gain, and improve lean tissue creation—all signs of healthy development—more work is necessary to create an inexpensive, accessible, and long-term solution. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; also known as…

Animals Biology Health

New Ways to Reduce Antibiotics in Food Animals by 2030

October 31, 2017October 31, 2017 Science Connectedanimals, antibiotic resistance, antibiotics, antimicrobial, food, meat

By Neha Jain @lifesciexplore In a new study, researchers in the United States and Europe propose three measures—capping antibiotic use in farm animals, imposing a fee for veterinary use of antibiotics, and limiting meat intake—that, together, can reduce the use of antibiotics in food animals by up to 80 percent by 2030. Antibiotic resistance results from antibiotics overuse Overuse of antibiotics, particularly in animals for food, is the main cause of the spread of resistance whereby antibiotics lose their effectiveness, and infections become untreatable, leading to what many scientists call…

Biology Health

Vampires, or People with Blood Disorder?

October 10, 2017October 9, 2017 Science Connectedblood disorder, porphyria, vampires

By Michelle Dookwah @mtdookwah Vampires, or People with This Blood Disorder? Autumn is here, and with it comes cooler temperatures, shorter days, and a favorite fall holiday: Halloween. These last two features of the season have more in common than you may have realized. The shorter days of fall mean less daylight in the evening hours, and this might have a significant impact on the day-to-day lives of certain individuals with a particular blood disorder called erythropoietic protoporphyria. Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare genetic disorder that results in hypersensitivity…

Biology Health

Ongoing Human Evolution Revealed in Data

September 19, 2017September 18, 2017 Science Connectedevolution, health, humans

By Kate Stone @GotScienceOrg When I was about nine years old, a young schoolmate demanded to know, “If evolution is real, then why isn’t it happening now?” Being nine and not a biologist, I wasn’t prepared to answer this question. And yet, it was a question that I’ve heard echoes of in the years to follow. Now, a research team at Columbia University has conducted a large-scale study of genetic data and revealed how humans are evolving. In a study analyzing the genomes of 210,000 people in the United States…

Urban Gardening Benefits Outweigh Lead Exposure Risk

Environment Health

Urban Gardening’s Benefits Outweigh Lead Exposure Risk

July 18, 2017July 17, 2017 Science Connectedfood insecurity, lead, soil, urban gardening

By Emily Rhode @riseandsci Three years after the Flint water crisis began, lead in drinking water continues to make headlines across the United States. But should city dwellers also be worried about lead exposure from something as innocent as their neighborhood garden? New research suggests that unless you are eating the dirt itself, you should be just fine. America’s urban neighborhoods are often food deserts where fresh vegetables and fruit are sometimes impossible to come by. Some 49–93 million people in the United States are food insecure—they have limited or…