Car parts, ski boots and boxes: How broken or used plastic is being given new life

Since the early 1950s, humans have produced more than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic—the weight of around a billion elephants. About 60% of that plastic has ended up in a landfill or in the natural environment, according to the UN Environment Programme, but that pattern may start to change as repair and recycling technology gathers pace.

Most Americans support Medicare negotiation despite claims it would hurt innovation

A new West Health/Gallup survey finds nearly all Democrats (97%) and the majority of Republicans (61%) support empowering the federal government to negotiate lower prices of brand-name prescription drugs covered by Medicare. Overall, 8 in 10 Americans prefer major government action to control prices over concerns about it hurting innovation and competition from the pharmaceutical industry. The results come from a nationally representative poll of more than 3,700 American adults.

Deep bedrock mineral veins are microbial graveyards

Research in recent years has revealed that microorganisms inhabit fractured rocks of the continental and oceanic crust to depths of several kilometers, and that they have done so for millions of years. In a new study published in Communications Earth & Environment, an international team of researchers have collected mineral veins from more than 30 deep mines in the Swedish Precambrian basement to search for ancient life, and the signs are indeed plentiful and intriguing.

Extensive study identifies over a dozen existing drugs as potential COVID-19 therapies

Mining the world's most comprehensive drug repurposing collection for COVID-19 therapies, scientists have identified 90 existing drugs or drug candidates with antiviral activity against the coronavirus that's driving the ongoing global pandemic.

A programmable fiber contains memory, temperature sensors, and a trained neural network program

MIT researchers have created the first fiber with digital capabilities, able to sense, store, analyze, and infer activity after being sewn into a shirt.

Microsoft to unveil next generation of Windows on June 24

Microsoft will reveal later this month what PC users can expect from the future of its Windows operating system.

Poop to power? New research puts wastewater to work, as a source of both water and electricity

Washington University researchers have developed a filter that treats wastewater and also generates electricity—an advance that could reshape energy use at treatment plants.

Apple touts App Store economy as its clout challenged

Apple said Wednesday its App Store "ecosystem" surged in 2020, fueled by pandemic-hit consumers seeking to stay connected for work, school and play.

Allergic to seafood? Don't eat swarming cicadas, US warns

Multiple recipes featuring cicadas have surfaced in the United States as billions of the bugs emerge from 17 years underground, prompting authorities to warn the hungry and curious to think twice before taking a bite.

Children risk 'generational catastrophe' from COVID: watchdog

The coronavirus pandemic has severely affected children's rights worldwide, with young people risking a "generational catastrophe" if governments do not act, a rights group said in an annual survey Thursday.

Aussie researchers to test koala 'facial recognition'

Australian researchers are launching a koala "facial recognition" study that aims to better monitor the marsupials' behaviour and ultimately aid in their conservation.

Sri Lankan officials brace for oil spill from sinking ship

Sri Lankan authorities said Thursday they are preparing for the worst-case scenario of a possible oil slick from the burnt-out cargo ship sinking off Colombo's main harbour.

Do I need to get tested for COVID-19 if I'm vaccinated?

Do I need to get tested for COVID-19 if I'm vaccinated?

Slow to start, China mobilizes to vaccinate at headlong pace

In the span of just five days last month, China gave out 100 million shots of its COVID-19 vaccines.

Science chief wants next pandemic vaccine ready in 100 days

The new White House science adviser wants to have a vaccine ready to fight the next pandemic in just about 100 days after recognizing a potential viral outbreak.

Drought ravages California's reservoirs ahead of hot summer

Each year Lake Oroville helps water a quarter of the nation's crops, sustain endangered salmon beneath its massive earthen dam and anchor the tourism economy of a Northern California county that must rebuild seemingly every year after unrelenting wildfires.

NASA picks Venus as hot spot for two new robotic missions

NASA is returning to sizzling Venus, our closest yet perhaps most overlooked neighbor, after decades of exploring other worlds.

Scientists make powerful underwater glue inspired by barnacles and mussels

If you have ever tried to chip a mussel off a seawall or a barnacle off the bottom of a boat, you will understand that we could learn a great deal from nature about how to make powerful adhesives. Engineers at Tufts University have taken note, and today report a new type of glue inspired by those stubbornly adherent crustaceans in the journal Advanced Science.

Experts propose 'five Cs' to tackle vaccine hesitancy

The reluctance or refusal to accept COVID-19 vaccinations can be tackled by a five-pronged strategy to addressing the behavioral and socio-demographic factors behind vaccine hesitancy. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, a group of population health, demographic, epidemiology and behavioral scientists propose an approach focused on confidence, complacency, convenience, communication and context.

People of color twice as likely to die after traumatic brain injury, new study finds

People of color are more than twice as likely to die after a traumatic brain injury as white people, according to a new retrospective review from Oregon Health & Science University.

COVID-19 pandemic led to increased screen time, more sleep problems

A new study in the journal Sleep finds that increased evening screen time during the COVID-19 lockdown negatively affects sleep quality.

Study of UK dental professionals shows extent of occupational risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection

A University of Birmingham-led study of over a thousand dental professionals has shown their increased occupational risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave of the pandemic in the UK.

Combination of early reading programs helps with kindergarten readiness

A study published in the journal Pediatrics shows the combination of two early reading programs had positive effects on preschool students entering kindergarten in Cincinnati Public Schools over a three-year period.