Poisoning

For years, the main way of cleaning up space junk and retired satellites has been to let them burn up as they reenter Earth’s atmosphere. For the most part, scientists have always assumed it was relatively safe. Now, though, new research suggests burning satellites up on re-entry is leaving metal particles in the atmosphere.There are a number of reasons why metal particles being left in the atmosphere isn’t a great thing, including the fact that Business Insider reports it could lead to the development of polar…

The life-saving properties of the Apple Watch have been a part of Apple’s marketing of the smartwatch line for years now, yet one Delaware student was just saved in a very unusual way. Originally reported by CBS, Natalie Nasatka managed to narrowly avoid death from carbon monoxide poisoning by hitting her Apple Watch as she started to lose consciousness. "I was feeling extremely exhausted…My vision was getting blurry”, she told CBS. As she was passing out, she hit the SOS button on her Apple Watch, which then made its…

A food poisoning outbreak that killed two people and sickened 51, stemming from a Montana restaurant, has highlighted just how little is known about morel mushrooms and the risks in preparing the popular and expensive delicacy.The FDA conducted an investigation into morel mushrooms after the severe illness outbreak linked to Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman in late March and April. The investigation found that undercooked or raw morels were the likely culprit, and it led the agency to issue its first guidelines on preparing…

A new study has found even more reason to be alarmed by exposure to wildfire smoke, as well as the ash and dust left it leaves behind. According to the new findings, intense wildfires appear to be raising the levels of a toxic metal known as chromium 6 in the air.Chromium 6, or hexavalent chromium, was first brought to the fore by environmental activist Erin Brockovich, who helped discover and spread awareness about the contamination of the drinking water in Hinkley, California. Now, researchers from Stanford…

Mac Logan is getting tired of seeing mature trees being intentionally poisoned in Kelowna, B.C., and is now asking for witnesses to come forward after a third such incident in the city in 12 months.Logan, infrastructure manager for the City of Kelowna, says an RCMP investigation has been opened after a mature cottonwood in a small city park was deliberately vandalized. The 18-metre-tall tree, located at 1055 Sunset Dr., had more than two dozen drill holes in it that Logan said were filled with herbicide."We don't believe…

Scientists have identified a potential antidote to one of the most poisonous mushrooms, the death cap. Using CRISPR, a team found that a chemical already approved by the FDA can neutralize the toxin and save lives in mouse tests – but there are a few catches.In human settings, substances that can be poisonous need to be clearly labeled and carefully stored so people don’t accidentally ingest them – but nature doesn’t have such safeguards. Amanita phalloides, or the death cap, grows alongside and looks like some edible…

In 2016, Microsoft experienced a significant incident with their chatbot, Tay, highlighting the potential dangers of data poisoning. Tay was designed as an advanced chatbot created by some of the best minds at Microsoft Research to interact with users on Twitter and promote awareness about artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, just 16 hours after its debut, Tay exhibited highly inappropriate and offensive behavior, forcing Microsoft to shut it down.So what exactly happened here?The incident transpired because users took…

If you’ve ever eaten something questionable and then paid for it from both ends for a few days, chances are you’ve had a norovirus. But this common pathogen is surprisingly tricky to treat or prevent. Now, scientists have made progress on a vaccine by piggybacking on a different foodborne virus.Noroviruses are the leading cause of gastroenteritis or food poisoning, and they’re incredibly contagious. For most people that just means a few days out of commission, but this stomach bug can potentially lead to complications…

A study conducted by researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that opioids were responsible for more than half of all fatal poisonings in children under the age of 5, a number that has more than doubled since 2005. The study also highlights that over-the-counter drugs still contribute to fatal poisonings in this age group despite increased regulation. The researchers emphasize the need for improved intervention to prevent further fatal poisonings.Researchers find rate of fatal opioid poisonings…

AI is catapulting every sector into innovation and efficiency as machine learning provides invaluable insights humans never previously conceived. However, because AI adoption is widespread, threat actors see opportunities to manipulate data sets to their advantage. Data poisoning is a novel risk that jeopardizes any organization’s AI advancement. So is it worth getting on the bandwagon to gain benefits now, or should companies wait until the danger is more controlled? What Is Data Poisoning? Humans curate AI data…