Children poisoned by birthday cake decorations loaded with lead, copper
Some cake "luster dusts" are safe to eat—others are definitely not. Enlarge (credit: Getty ) A recent baking trend of using "luster dusts" to give cake frostings and decorations a shimmery look has poisoned young children wi.....»»
Nontoxic ceramic could replace lead-based electronic components
The ceramic produced in Prof. Igor Lubomirsky's lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science seemed too good to be true. It belongs to a class of materials that are the backbone of many essential technologies but that unfortunately also create an environ.....»»
Calls for a new "digital vaccination" for children to tackle fake news and disinformation
A new report published August 23, 2024 has called for a "digital vaccination" for all children, to tackle the tsunami of fake news and disinformation, and close the digital divide......»»
Socioeconomics found to shape children"s connection to nature more than where they live
The income and education levels of a child's environment determine their relationship to nature, not whether they live in a city or the countryside. This is the finding of a new study published in People and Nature and conducted by researchers at Lun.....»»
How is the Anthropocene helping to rethink the contemporary issue of environmental degradation?
The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch whereby humans are deemed to be the primary drivers of ecological and environmental change, through activities that lead to environmental degradation. This theory that human activity poses more of a thr.....»»
Scientists discover novel receptor recognition mechanism for alphavirus
Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV), an alphavirus, can cause central nervous system infections that can lead to severe encephalitis with a mortality rate of over 30%......»»
Astrobiologist explores likelihood of life originating on Earth
Florida Tech astrobiologist Manasvi Lingam has asked life's biggest questions from a young age. Though he can't recall his exact queries, he says his interests were perfectly consistent with those of other children: dinosaurs and aliens......»»
"Time poverty" can keep college students from graduating—especially if they have jobs or children to care for
Many college students don't have enough time for their studies. This "time poverty," as we call it, is often due to inadequate child care access or the need to work to pay for college and living expenses......»»
Chemists succeed in upscaling a common reagent for industrial level applications
The metallic element samarium, when bound with other elements, is an incredibly useful chemical reagent for synthesizing molecules that can lead to new pharmaceuticals. Discovered in a Russian mine in 1879, the element was named after the mineral it.....»»
AEB ‘phantom braking’ causes crashes, recalls
Automakers have faced recalls, documented injuries and lawsuits related to these false activations, which can lead to rear-end crashes and spooked drivers......»»
Automatic emergency braking saves lives. It also causes crashes and recalls.
Automakers have faced recalls, documented injuries and lawsuits related to these false activations, which can lead to rear-end crashes and spooked drivers......»»
Hydrogels can learn to play Pong
Work could lead to new "smart" materials that can learn and adapt to their environment. This electroactive polymer hydrogel "learned" to play Pong. Credit: Cell Reports Physical Science/Strong et al......»»
Dumb idea? $1,700 “smart” bassinet loses features if you buy it used
Non-new Snoos now lose some use. Enlarge / The Snoo, a "smart" bassinet. Owners of the $1,695 Snoo "smart" bassinet like to gather in forums like Reddit's r/snoolife to swap tracking graphs of their children's sleep pat.....»»
Researcher: Young Black people are disproportionately strip-searched—ways the justice system treats them as a threat
A new report from the Children's Commissioner for England has found that 457 strip searches of children by police took place between July 2022 and June 2023. The report shows that Black children were four times more likely, when compared to national.....»»
Nitrogen deposition also reduces biodiversity on a larger scale, research shows
It has long been known that nitrogen deposition, where nitrogen is released from the atmosphere into soil or water, can lead to biodiversity loss on a small scale. New research shows that this effect can also be seen in larger areas of several kilome.....»»
Repurposing pencil lead as an optical material using plasma
Optical materials are essential in many modern applications, but controlling the way a material reflects light on its surface is costly and difficult. Now, in a recent study, researchers from Japan found a simple and low-cost way of tuning the reflec.....»»
The Green Economy Is Hungry for Copper—and People Are Stealing, Fighting, and Dying to Feed It
With the possible exception of gold, no other metal has caused as much destruction as copper. In the coming years, we’ll need more of it than ever......»»
AI exhibits racial bias in mortgage underwriting decisions, researchers find
Putting AI to use in mortgage lending decisions could lead to discrimination against Black applicants, according to new research. But researchers say there may be a surprisingly simple solution to mitigate this potential bias......»»
Self-repairing mitochondria use novel recycling system, study finds
Mitochondria depend on a newly discovered recycling mechanism identified by scientists at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)......»»
Tissue fluidization during skin repair is crucial for wound healing, study reveals
The ability to repair tissue following injuries is essential for the survival of all animals. Following wounding, the skin is repaired by activating, migrating, and dividing skin stem cells. Defects of wound healing in humans lead to chronic wounds t.....»»
We know parents shape children"s reading—but so can aunts, uncles and grandparents, by sharing beloved books
More than 80% of Australians with children encourage them to read. Children whose parents enjoy reading are 20% more likely to enjoy it too......»»