Articles by Rhodi Lee
NASA's New Camera HiDyRS-X Captures Slow-Motion Video Of Space Rocket Test
NASA's new HiDyRS-X camera is capable of capturing slow motion videos of rocket booster tests. How is it different from traditional high-speed video cameras?
Swarm Of Bees Escapes Hives, Attacks Shoppers In Walmart Parking Lot
A swarm of thousands of bees escaped and stung people in a Walmart parking lot. Three people were hospitalized as a result of the bee attack.
US Government Accidentally Sells Lunar Sample Bag Used In Apollo 11 Moon Mission
The U.S. government mistakenly sold the Apollo 11 sample bag NASA astronauts used to collect the first sample of lunar materials for $995. How did this happen?
South Carolina Girl Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection She Contracted While Swimming In River
A girl in South Carolina died after contracting brain-eating amoeba naegleria fowleri while swimming in Edisto River. Health experts said that infection rarely occurs and requires specific circumstances.
NASA Astronomers Witness Death Of Kreutz Comet As It Zoomed Toward The Sun At Incredible Speed
Astronomers at NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory observed a Kreutz sungrazer comet as it plunged to its death. The object zoomed toward the sun at incredible speed.
FDA Approves Releasing Oxitec's Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In Florida To Fight Zika Virus
Federal health regulators gave their approval to a proposed field trial that would release genetically engineered mosquitoes in Florida. This is how Oxitec's mutant mosquitoes will help fight Zika.
Melting Greenland Ice Sheet May Release Toxic Waste From Cold War-Era Military Base
U.S. and Denmark thought the abandoned Camp Century military base will be buried deep by continual snowfall. Global warming and the melting Greenland ice sheet though may reintroduce the radioactive waste to the environment by end of the century.
Half Of US Women Are Overweight Before Getting Pregnant
CDC researchers reported that more than half of women are overweight or obese prior to becoming pregnant. Unhealthy weight poses threats of health complications to pregnant women.
Study Reveals How And Why Sunflowers Follow The Sun
The sunflower seems to follow the sun as it moves across the sky during the day. Researchers of a new study identified the mechanisms behind this movement.
Yellow River Sediments Provide Evidence Legendary Great Flood That Gave Rise To China’s First Dynasty Was Real
The legend of how Xia Dynasty's Emperor Yu saved China from a Great Flood of the Yellow River appears to have factual basis. Evidence from sedimentary deposits, ancient texts and skeletons revealed that a catastrophic flood occurred around 1920 B.C.
Russian Films Rare Ball Lightning Phenomenon [Video]
Roman Tregubov captured a rare phenomenon known as ball lightning on video. Watch the seldom-seen bright white ball gliding over a field near his house outside of Novosibirsk in Russia.
Sickle Cell Trait May Not Increase Risk For Early Death: Study
Carriers of a single copy of the sickle cell gene variant do not have increased risk for early death. Sickle cell trait, however, is linked with exertional rhabdomyolysis, or muscle breakdown caused by intense exercise.
Risk Factors For Diabetes And Heart Disease In Women Rise Before Menopause
The risk factors that boost the likelihood of women to suffer from type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke increase in severity before menopause and not after. Women should pay attention to their lifestyle and make changes if needed before menopause, researchers suggest.
FAA Grants Virgin Galactic License For SpaceShipTwo Craft That Will Carry Tourists To Space
The FAA granted Richard Branson's space tourism company Virgin Galactic operating license for its SpaceShipTwo craft. The license may eventually pave way for commercial flights that will bring tourists to low Earth orbit.
MIT Scientists Develop Portable Device To Manufacture Biopharmaceuticals On Demand
MIT scientists developed a compact device that can produce a single dose of biopharmaceutical treatment on demand. The system is based on a strain of yeast called Pichia pastoris.
Study Finds No Link Between Erectile Dysfunction Drugs And Prostate Cancer Risk
Can erectile dysfunction drugs lower cancer risk? Prostate cancer diagnosis is nearly the same for men who were prescribed PDE-5is and those who did not take these medicines.
High Doses Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids From Fish Oil Supplements May Help Heart Attack Survivors Heal Better
Heart attack patients who took high doses of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil supplements experienced less decline in heart function and greatest reduction in tissue scarring compared with those who took placebo.
NASA To Send OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft To Study Bennu Asteroid That Could Destroy Earth
The unmanned OSIRIS-REx will gather soil from the surface of the asteroid Bennu. Bennu is a NEO that may potentially hit and destroy Earth more than 100 years from now.
Deadly Flash Flood: Maryland Flooding Leaves 2 Dead
The equivalent of one month's normal rainfall hammered Maryland on Saturday evening, causing massive flooding and damage. The heavy rain left at least two people dead.
Artificial Leaf: New Solar Cell Uses Carbon Dioxide And Sunlight To Produce Hydrocarbon Fuel
A new solar cell converts carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon fuel using sunlight. The artificial leaf may help solve problems related to energy use.
Oldest Cancer Found In 1.7-Million-Year-Old Human Ancestor Bone Excavated In South Africa
A fossilized bone of a hominin child has evidence of the oldest malignant tumor. The mass, which was found in the metatarsal, is believed to be a form of an aggressive bone cancer called osteosarcoma.
Planet Jupiter's Great Red Spot Heats Up Upper Atmosphere Of Gas Giant
The Great Red Spot on planet Jupiter is likely behind the high temperature in the gas giant's upper atmosphere. How does the hurricane produce the hot spot?
Patients With Bipolar Disorder Wait Six Years Before Seeking Treatment
Patients with bipolar disorder already show disruptive and distressing symptoms years before they get proper treatment for their psychiatric condition. What causes the delay in diagnosis?
Sports Helps Protect Teen Athletes From Heroin And Opioid Addiction
Sports is a protective factor that can steer young athletes away from getting addicted to prescription drugs. How do sports help against heroin and opioid addiction?
4-Billion-Year-Old Organism Named Luca May Be The Last Common Ancestor Of All Living Things
The single-celled organism known as LUCA is the common ancestor of bacteria and archaea. Genetic analysis revealed it thrived in hot and non-oxygenated environment and consumed hydrogen gas.
Flu Vaccine Lowers Heart Failure And Stroke-Related Hospitalization Rates In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes patients who were vaccinated with flu vaccine are less likely to be admitted to the hospital because of stroke and heart failure. They also have lower risk of death during the flu season.
Legalized Marijuana Sending More Colorado Children To The Hospital
Colorado saw a sharp rise in the number of young children who were hospitalized after ingesting pot-laced goodies. Cannabis-related hospitalizations increased after the state legalized recreational marijuana.
Smokers Who Try To Quit Smoking Also Likely To Drink Less Alcohol: Study
Smokers who want to reduce their alcohol intake should consider quitting smoking first. Those who attempted to quit smoking cigarettes are likely to reduce their alcohol consumption.
Bacteria In Our Gut Have Existed Even Before We Became Humans
Some of the bacteria in our intestines are already with us at least 15 million years ago, when humans were still pre-human apes. The research suggests gut bacteria is partly determined by evolution.
Chicken Odor May Be Used In Insect Repellents To Prevent Mosquito-Borne Malaria, Zika
Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are repelled by the odor of chickens. The discovery could pave way for new insect repellents that can help in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases.
