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50 years ago, the first CT scan let doctors see inside a living skull

Photo of the first ever CT scan to find a tumor in a patient
The first clinical CT scan, with brain tumor visible as darker blob. ‘Medical Imaging Systems: An Introductory Guide,’ Maier A, Steidl S, Christlein V, et al., editors.,CC BY

50 years ago, the first CT scan let doctors see inside a living skull – thanks to an eccentric engineer at the Beatles’ record company

Edmund S. Higgins, Medical University of South Carolina

The possibility of precious objects hidden in secret chambers can really ignite the imagination. In the mid-1960s, British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield pondered whether one could detect hidden areas in Egyptian pyramids by capturing cosmic rays that passed through unseen voids.

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A healthy diet and exercise are not a substitute for vaccination

Photo of anti-vax protestors in a crowded street
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 18: Several thousand protestors opposed to the COVID-19 vaccine and any mandates from the government to take it march through the streets on September 18, 2021 in midtown Manhattan, New York City. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Can healthy people who eat right and exercise skip the COVID-19 vaccine? A research scientist and fitness enthusiast explains why the answer is no

Richard Bloomer, University of Memphis

I’m a fitness enthusiast. I also adhere to a nutrient-dense, “clean” eating program, which means I minimize my sugar intake and eat a lot of whole foods for the purpose of optimizing my health.

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Should teens taking ADHD, anxiety and depression drugs consume energy drinks and coffee?

Photo of teenager drinking an energy drink
The American Academy of Pediatrics says teens should never consume energy drinks. monkeybusinessimages/istock via Getty Images

Lina Begdache, Binghamton University, State University of New York

About 6.1 million children in the U.S., more than 9% of all kids and teens, have been diagnosed at some point in their lives with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Known as ADHD, it causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Many kids and teens diagnosed with ADHD take prescription stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin. These drugs increase brain activity to counteract a lack of focus and poor concentration.

In addition, 6 in 10 children diagnosed with ADHD have at least one other mental, emotional or behavioral disorder, such as anxiety or depression. As a result, many of them take other kinds of prescription drugs too.

Meanwhile, Monster, Red Bull and other energy drinks are commonly marketed to teens as a way to boost stamina, physical performance and alertness. This is troubling because of the high levels of caffeine those drinks contain.

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Even mild cases of COVID-19 cause changes in the brain

Artist Drawing of virus
The new findings, although preliminary, are raising concerns about the potential long-term effects of COVID-19. Yuichiro Chino via Getty Images

Preliminary research finds that even mild cases of COVID-19 leave a mark on the brain – but it’s not yet clear how long it lasts

Jessica Bernard, Texas A&M University

With more than 18 months of the pandemic in the rearview mirror, researchers have been steadily gathering new and important insights into the effects of COVID-19 on the body and brain. These findings are raising concerns about the long-term impacts that the coronavirus might have on biological processes such as aging.

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Kids and Socializing Online

Graphic art depicting multiple Social Medis services logos
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

U.S. Federal Trade Commission

Social networking sites, chat rooms, virtual worlds, and blogs are how teens and tweens socialize online; it’s important to help your child learn how to navigate these spaces safely. Among the pitfalls that come with online socializing are sharing too much information or posting comments, photos, or videos that can damage a reputation or hurt someone’s feelings.

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NASA Study Finds Tropical Forests’ Ability to Absorb Carbon Dioxide Is Weakening

Arial photograph of a river winding through the Amazon rainforest
The Amazon rainforest is often called “the lungs of the world.” It produces oxygen and stores billions of tons of carbon every year. The Amazon rainforest covers more than 60% of the landmass of Peru. Credit: USDA Forest Service photo by Diego Perez

JPL.NASA.gov

The finding comes out of an effort to map where vegetation is emitting and soaking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Earth’s trees and plants pull vast amounts of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere during photosynthesis, incorporating some of that carbon into structures like wood. Areas that absorb more carbon than they emit are called carbon sinks. But plants can also emit the greenhouse gas during processes like respiration, when dead plants decay, or during combustion in the case of fires. Researchers are particularly interested in whether – and how – plants at the scale of an ecosystem like a forest act as sources or sinks in an increasingly warming world.

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A pediatrician explains a spike in ear infections after Covid restrictions were lifted

Photograph of a doctor examining a childs ear.
With a beam of light, an otoscope allows a clinician to examine the ear canal and eardrum. SolStock/E+ via Getty Images

Abigail Kumral, University of Virginia

As a pediatrician, I see children in my clinic daily for ear infections. Because these are associated with viral upper respiratory infections, we typically see most ear infections in the fall and winter, when influenza and cold viruses are prevalent. However, with near-universal mask-wearing due to COVID-19 last winter and many children out of school, the number of viral upper respiratory infections dropped drastically. As a result, we saw very few ear infections in our clinic.

This summer, with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, we have seen a return of many respiratory viruses, and with them, middle ear infections.

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Environmental DNA: ecologists powerful new tool

Photograph of a stream running through a forest
Environmental DNA is a promising tool for tracking species in freshwater ecosystems like Oregon’s Elkhorn Creek. Greg Shine, BLM/Flickr, CC BY

Scientists at work: We use environmental DNA to monitor how human activities affect life in rivers and streams

Marie Simonin, Inrae and Emily S. Bernhardt, Duke University

Rivers, lakes and wetlands cover just 1% of the Earth’s surface but are home to nearly 10% of all species, including fish, mammals, birds, insects and crustaceans. But these rich, diverse ecosystems are in free fall. Worldwide, species are declining faster now than at any other time in human history, and fresh waters are losing more species than land or ocean ecosystems.

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Hormone links exercise with cognitive benefits

Photo of running shoes and weights
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

Brian Doctrow, Ph.D. – U.S. National Institutes of Health

At a Glance
  • Researchers found that irisin, an exercise-induced hormone, improves cognitive performance in mice.
  • The hormone, which is identical in people, could potentially be used to treat cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
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Exposure to toxic dust causing chronic health conditions for 9/11 survivors

Photo of dust-covered firefighter on 09/11
Toxic dust hung in the air around ground zero for more than three months following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Anthony Correia/Getty Images

9/11 survivors’ exposure to toxic dust and the chronic health conditions that followed offer lessons that are still too often unheeded

Roberto Lucchini, Florida International University

The 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York resulted in the loss of 2,753 people in the Twin Towers and surrounding area. After the attack, more than 100,000 responders and recovery workers from every U.S. state – along with some 400,000 residents and other workers around ground zero – were exposed to a toxic cloud of dust that fell as a ghostly, thick layer of ash and then hung in the air for more than three months.

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