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What is in the This Week in Science Podcast?
Interview w/ Vanessa Hill of BrainCraft, Quick COVID Update, Better Brain Implants, Heart Off The Shelf, Mouse Looks, Charismatic Invasives, Healthy Horseshoe Crabs, Toilet Scans, Interstellar Dropoff?, Panda Mating, And Much More…
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Disclaimer, Disclaimer, Disclaimer!!!
The World Health Organization is too China-centric…
According to one world leader.
And it’s true, the World Health Organization has been focused on China lately,
Which does make sense since southeast Asia has half the world’s population.
And, China has been at the epicenter of several emerging pandemics,
Including the current outbreak,
Which is still underway,
And if you want to know what to do next,
it can be helpful to learn what has already taken place.
So, it is a bit like saying doctors are currently being too patient-centric,
Or scientists are too vaccine research-centric,
What would be nice is to have a leader more leadership-centric.
And yet, this same world leader suggests that the United States
will look into cutting our funding to the World Health Organization in response…
To the World Health Organization, doing it’s job to protect world health…
In the midst of a global pandemic.
If there were a joke here, this is where I would be delivering the punch line.
But I can’t come up with one.
This isn’t funny.
I can’t even do a proper facepalm because…
We’re not supposed to touch our faces anymore.
So instead, it’s time for another episode of
This Week in Science,
Coming Up Next…
Let’s start with an interview!
Our guest, Vanessa Hill, is an award-winning science educator, host, and an IF/THEN Ambassador and STEM advocate. She hosts and produces the PBS digital Studios show BrainCraft, and holds a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) from the University of New South Wales and a Masters of Science Communication from Australian National University.
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Now for our COVID-19 Update!
According to Johns Hopkins University:
“The WHO COVID-19 Situation Report for April 7 reported 1,279,722 confirmed COVID-19 cases (68,766 new) and 72,614 deaths (5,020 new). The US CDC reported 374,329 cases (43,438 new) and 12,064 deaths (3,154 new) on April 7. These are both a substantial increase over the previous day; however, it is potentially the result of delays in reporting over the weekend. As of yesterday, 14 states have reported more than 5,000 cases (1 new), and 30 states have reported widespread community transmission (1 new). The Johns Hopkins CSSE dashboard is reporting 401,166 US cases and 12,936 deaths as of 10:30am on April 8. There is growing concern that the number of reported COVID-19 deaths is underestimating the scale and severity of the pandemic, in particular due to limited testing and a focus on the most severe cases. Reports are emerging from around the world that many potential COVID-19 patients may be dying without a proper diagnosis. In Chicago, African American residents have approximately a 6 times higher mortality rate than Caucasian residents. Additionally, 68% of COVID-19 deaths have been reported in African Americans, despite only representing 30% of the population. The distribution of cases and death from COVID-19 highlights differential access to resources and poignant inequities between communities. Wuhan, China, the city where the novel coronavirus outbreak was first documented, lifted travel restrictions today, removing some of the most restrictive measures implemented during the city’s widely publicized “lockdown” that started more than 2 months ago.”
Don’t smoke em if you got em!
Why covid-19 effects smokers worse.
Doctors with bad data
… Can’t make good choices
LET US KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS YOU HAVE, OR INFORM US ON ANY REGIONAL UPDATES, BY EMAILING KIRSTEN@THISWEEKINSCIENCE.COM.
What science news does the second half of the show hold???
Better Brain Implants
Encased in silicon dioxide, a new flexible brain implant sporting more than 1000 electrodes could last up to 6 years in the human body.
Heart Off The Shelf
Or, at least a patch that can repair broken hearts might be on the way.
Is it time for Blair’s Animal Corner???
Is that mouse looking at me weird?
New research could allow us to answer this age-old question with ease!
Charismatic Invasives have it easier
I don’t care how cute that squirrel is Karen, YOU CAN’T TAKE HIM HOME WITH US HE WILL DESTROY THE ECOSYSTEM!
How to Keep Horseshoe Crabs Healthy
New aquaculture technique could make our use of these sea spider/crab thingies with blue blood more sustainable.
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Let’s finish strong with some quick stories!
Toilet Scans
A new toilet design identifies users by their unique anal print in order to assess health markers in the urine and feces.
Interstellar Dropoff?
A comet-like interstellar traveler has apparently lost a bit of itself.
Panda Mating
It happened.
I'm the host of this little science show. 
