We’re approaching the peak of hurricane season, which is usually around mid-September. It’s that time of year when it feels like there’s a new storm every week, and we blow through the alphabet trying to name them. This week, Hurricane Idalia made landfall around Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 3 storm, which caused a few fatalities, left hundreds of thousands of people without power, and some without homes. So what do we know about Idalia, and what can we expect from the rest of the hurricane season?
Ira talks with Rachel Feltman, editor at large at Popular Science, about hurricane season and other science news of the week. They chat about what we’re learning from India’s lunar rover, a three-inch roundworm pulled out of someone’s brain, a new study about public health and air pollution, heavy metals in marijuana products, what an ancient Egyptian mummy smells like, and a turtle named Tally, who is far from home.
The Surgeon General Warns About An Epidemic Of Loneliness
The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic were lonely for many, upending their social lives. But loneliness pre-dates COVID, especially among young people. In a recent advisory, the United States surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy warned that the negative health effects of loneliness and isolation are comparable to smoking daily. Despite being more technologically connected than ever before, the Surgeon General’s Office is also raising concerns about the harms of social media on youth mental health.
Ira sits down for a conversation with the United States surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, about the intersection of youth mental health, social media, and loneliness. Dr. Murthy outlines both public policy and community interventions that can help strengthen America’s emotional well being and social connections.
Keeping Tabs On Tick Bites
If you live in the Midwest or Northeast, you’re probably aware of an issue that’s gotten worse over the years: ticks, and the illnesses they can spread, including Lyme Disease and Alpha-gal syndrome.
Scientists are still trying to learn more about how and where ticks are spreading. That’s where The Tick App comes in. It’s a community science effort where you can log your tick encounter and help scientists learn more about tick-borne disease. Science Friday digital producer Emma Gometz sat down with Ira to talk about her recent article profiling the app, and the scientists behind forms of tick monitoring research.
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Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.
630: ‘Clean Hydrogen Hub’ Awardees & Formula One Car Paint
628: What Is Your Cat Doing When You're Not Watching?
629: The Stories Of The First Six Women Astronauts
627: A Mathematician Asks ‘Is Math Real?’
628: The mRNA Vaccine Revolution
626: Ancient Human Footprints & 'Ring Of Fire' Eclipse
623: Saltwater Wedge In The Mississippi & Kenya's Geothermal Boom
625: How Artists And Scientists Collaborated To Make Art About HIV
622: Full-Body MRIs Promise To Detect Disease Early. Do They Work?
623: Meet The Doctor Who Solves Medical Mysteries
624: mRNA Research Wins Nobel Prize & Lightning On Venus
621: Placebo Effect, Technoableism, Florida Citrus, Neuroscience Music. Sept 29, 2023, Part 2
620: Vision and the Brain, Jellypalooza. Sept 29, 2023, Part 1
619: Ocean Climate Solutions, Florida Corals, Climate Video Games. Sept 22, 2023, Part 2
618: Our Fragile Moment, Climate Comedy. Sept 22, 2023, Part 1
617: New Covid Vaccine, Moroccan Earthquake, Native Bees. Sept 15, 2023, Part 2
616: Radioactive Wildlife, Bus Stop Heat, Football Jersey Numbers. Sept 15, 2023, Part 1
615: Tree Soil, Rodent Biologist, Soundscape Artist. Sept 8, 2023, Part 2
614: Embryo Model, Sweat, Whale Vocal Fry. September 8, 2023, Part 1
613: An AI for Smell, Heat and Agricultural Workers, Golden Lion Tamarin, Y Chromosome. Sept 1, 2023, Part 2
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