deadlier

If 2022 was the year mpox infections exploded globally, 2023 was the year much of the world stopped paying attention.Yet Canadian researchers, in collaboration with scientists working on the ground in hot spots such as Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), are still shining a spotlight on the virus that sparked last year's unprecedented global outbreak — and one that still seems capable of new surprises. One joint Canadian-DRC research team, co-led by Jason Kindrachuk from the University of Manitoba, has…

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is surfing into cinematic history on a wave of right-wing tears — and a boatload of cash. The blockbuster film, which grossed a record-breaking $155 million domestically (and $377 million internationally) in its first weekend has also shattered the psyches of conservative commentators who have reflexively branded the colorful, witty, bubbly-yet-deeply-introspective film a magnum opus of man-hating, communist-adjacent, woke feminism.  In a video titled “Audiences Tricked Into Watching The…

Air pollution is responsible for 8 million deaths a year globally, which is as many as tobacco. And air pollution isn't just causing lung cancer, it may cause other cancers too—including neck cancer and mesothelioma—and diseases such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, and neurodegenerative disease. We urgently need public health measures to lower pollution levels.In the lab, we've been studying how air pollution causes lung cancer. Recently, we’ve shown a close association between rising…

Consider this nightmare scenario. For four days now, temperatures have soared past 110 degrees. Those able to stay home are cranking their air-conditioning while officials scramble to move the unhoused into cooling centers. Even at night, the sweltering is relentless, thanks to the urban heat island effect: The concrete and brick of this metropolis absorbs the sun’s energy during the day and releases it throughout the evening.There is no relief, and then suddenly there’s disaster: The grid fails, snatching away the AC…

On June 25, 2022, Esteban Chavez, Jr., started his day like any other, working his route in Pasadena, Calif., as a driver for UPS. But the city was in the middle of an intense heat wave, and by midafternoon the temperature was higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. After completing his last delivery of the day, Chavez collapsed off his seat in the cab of the truck. He went unnoticed for 20 minutes before the homeowner at his delivery location saw him and sought medical assistance. Chavez's family said he died from heatstroke…

Just when I think there are no new ways to make a tactics game, something like Miasma Chronicles completely blows that notion apart. Developed by The Bearded Ladies, the upcoming tactical RPG is something of a continuation of the studio’s previous project, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. It’s another post-apocalyptic adventure that has players freely exploring large worlds and stopping to battle monsters in traditional turn-based tactical battles. Don’t expect the exact same experience, though; the old dog has…

Air pollution refers to the presence of harmful substances, such as gases, particulates, and biological molecules, in the Earth’s atmosphere. Air pollution can have serious negative impacts on human health, as well as the environment. It has been linked to a wide range of health problems, including respiratory and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other illnesses.According to the study, fine particulate matter is responsible for an additional 1.5 million premature deaths each year.According to the World Health…

A toddler crushed by falling trees. A 5-year-old swept away by floodwaters before his mother’s eyes and still missing. Three bodies recovered from inside or near submerged vehicles on a rural stretch of freeway.As a series of storms continues to pummel California, officials say the havoc is a testament to the unexpected ferocity of extreme weather. By Tuesday evening, at least 17 people have been killed in circumstances directly related to a train of atmospheric rivers that has inundated the state since New Year’s Eve,…

+ What does GPT-3 “know” about me? Large language models are trained on troves of personal data hoovered from the internet. But how much does it actually know about us? Read the full story.+ Google’s new AI can hear a snippet of a song—and then keep on playing. The technique, called AudioLM, generates naturalistic sounds without the need for human annotation. Read the full story. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 A more…

On the morning news, you see the weather forecast is for high heat, and there is an "excessive heat watch" for later in the week.You were hoping the weather would cool down, but yet another heat wave is threatening human health and increasing the chance of wildfires. On top of these warm days and nights, air quality data has been showing unhealthy levels of pollution.Sound familiar? This scenario is increasingly the new normal in many parts of the world.High heat and air pollution are each problematic for human health,…