Articles by Rhodi Lee
Japan Postpones Hayabusa 2 Launch due to Inclement Weather
Japan's Hayabusa 2, which is bound to get samples from asteroid 1999 JU3, is scheduled for launch on Nov. 30. JAXA scientists, however, decided to postpone the launch because of the likelihood of lightning striking the launch vehicle.
Peanut Allergy Kills Sophomore Student at Oakland University: Parents in Shock
Chandler Swink, an Oakland University student, died of severe allergic reaction to peanut butter. He was diagnosed with a severe form of nut allergy when he was two years old. He suffered from anaphylactic shock after he was exposed to peanut butter at a friend's house.
Measles Vaccine May Come in Powdered Form in Future
The inhalable dry powder measles vaccine eliminates the need for painful injection and other concerns that characterize vaccination administered via injection. The experimental vaccine did not also cause significant side effects in its Phase 1 clinical trial.
Parents Hear Dead Son's Heart Beat in Vietnam Vet's Chest
Matt Heisler continues to help people after his death. As an organ donor, he has helped 60 people including Tom Meeks, a Vietnam veteran who needed a heart transplant because of a disease known as amyloidosis.
Human Poop-Powered Rocket May Fly Man to the Moon in the Future
An anaerobic digester process created by researchers from the University of Florida can convert waste from space missions into methane that can be used to fuel rockets. The process could produce 290 liters of methane per crew per day for a period of one week.
Harvard Scientists Find New Way to Predict Risk of Blood Cancer Long Before It Strikes
Somatic mutations in the blood indicate a person's increased likelihood of developing a form of blood cancer within five years. In one study, people who have the mutation were 13 times more likely to develop myelodysplastic syndrome, leukemia or lymphoma compared with those who do not have mutated blood cells.
Centipede Genome Sequenced: Here's What Scientists Found
Genetic data from the centipede shows how it evolved from its original habitat in the sea to its current underground home. The study also found that the arthropod lacks genes that help detect light.
Your Dog Can Understand You More Than You Think
Dogs do not just process familiar verbal commands. They also try to understand the meaning of human speech based on the speaker's emotional tone and intonation.
Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher or Muscicapa Sodhii: What Took Scientists So Long to Name it?
It took researchers more than 15 years to name the Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher, which was first spotted in Indonesia in 1997, because it was initially thought to be gray-streaked flycatcher.
Cuddly Gray Seals Turn Ocean Killers: Porpoise Murder Mystery Solved
Gray seals primarily feed on fish but the marine animals appear to have learned eating other mammals. The bite and claw marks as well as DNA found on hundreds of beached harbor porpoises in the Netherlands indicate that seals were responsible for the attack.
Thanksgiving 2014: Turkey? Recipe? Learn How to Safely Prepare Holiday Meal
Knowing how to safely prepare and cook turkey for Thanksgiving can avoid the inconveniences of food poisoning. Experts shared some tips on how to best prepare the holiday staple.
Invisible Shield Blankets Earth and Protects it from 'Killer Electrons'
Potentially damaging electrons from Van Allen radiation belts do not make it further than 11,000 kilometers from the Earth's surface because of an invisible shield. Researchers attribute this to a phenomenon called plasmaspheric hiss.
Revolutionary Material Cools Building by Dumping Heat into Outer Space
Stanford engineers have developed a new material that can cool buildings without requiring electricity. The photonic radiative cooling process reflects much of the sunlight, which strikes the material, then sucks internal heat from the building.
New FDA Calorie-Labeling Rules will Apply in Restaurant Menus and Vending Machines: Farewell, Obesity?
Restaurants, movie theaters and vending machines will soon post calorie counts on their menus in compliance with the labeling rule on food and beverage products under the Affordable Care Act. Health experts hope the move will help combat the country's obesity problem.
Proportion of American Adult Smokers Has Hit New Low: CDC
The number of cigarette smokers in the U.S. has significantly fallen from 2005 to 2013 but the prevalence of smoking is still high in certain groups particularly among those living below poverty levels. Smoking rate is also high among persons with disability as well as lesbian, gay or bisexual adults.
First Ever 'Made in Space' 3D Printed Object: 3D Printer Spare Part
The 3D printer at the International Space Station has produced its first object in space, a spare part of itself. The extruder plate will be sent back to Earth to verify if three-dimensional printing works the same way in microgravity as it does on Earth.
Wormhole Travel in 'Interstellar': Improbable but not Impossible
Theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, who is also executive producer of Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" movie, said that while wormhole is possible, based on Einstein's general relativity theory, space travel through traversable wormholes will not likely go beyond science fiction.
Archaeologists Find Mysterious Carvings and 10 Tombs in Silk Road Cemetery
A 1,700-year-old cemetery, consisting of 10 tombs and carvings of mythical creatures, was excavated in the City of Kucha in China. The site is located along a branch of the ancient Silk Road.
Find Out Your Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke with this Online Calculator from Harvard
Healthy Heart Score, a cardiovascular health calculator developed by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, allows people to identify their risks for heart disease in the next 20 years.
2 in 3 Americans with HIV Have Virus Out of Control: CDC
Suppressing HIV through antiretroviral therapy could help patients live longer and healthier as well as reduce their risk of infecting others. Unfortunately, 70 percent of the 1.2 million HIV patients in the U.S. in 2011 were unable to achieve viral suppression.
Jackie Chan's 'Police Story 3: Supercop' Blu-Ray Disc Finds Novel Use in Solar Panel
By using Blu-ray discs of a Jackie Chan movie, researchers from the Northwestern University have found that Blu-ray discs can serve as a cheaper way of boosting the power conversion efficiency of solar panels by almost 12 percent.
Signs of End Times? Half of Americans and Majority of White Evangelical Protestants Think Climate Change is Apocalypse
The Religion, Values, and Climate Change Survey revealed that nearly half of Americans associate natural disasters with the Biblical apocalypse and 77 percent of white evangelical Protestants believe the end times has something to do with extreme weather events.
500 Sea Lion Corpses Wash Up in Peru Beach: Mysterious Death Being Investigated
Hundreds of sea lions were found dead on the shores of Anconcillo beach in Peru's Santa province. Authorities are investigating claims that the animals may have been poisoned by marine farmers and fishermen harvesting shellfish that the carnivorous marine creatures eat.
Antarctic Sea Ice Thicker than Previously Thought, Measured by Underwater Robot
A survey conducted by an underwater robot called SeaBED revealed that the Antarctic sea ice is thicker than previously believed. The autonomous underwater vehicle used an upward-looking sonar to measure and map ice floes.
Dogs are Sloppier Drinkers than Cats: Here's Why
Cats and dogs lap liquid with their tongue, but seemingly small differences on the way canines drink water cause them to drink more sloppily than felines. Research also found why bigger dogs tend to produce more water mess compared with their smaller counterparts.
Yogurt May Help Lower Diabetes Risk: Here's Why
Individuals who consume an average of 18 ounces of yogurt per day were associated with reduced risks for Type 2 diabetes. Researchers said the benefit may be attributed to the probiotics present in the dairy product.
Russia Dispatches 3-Member Soyuz Spacecraft to ISS: Samantha Cristoforetti is Italy's Pride
Russia's Soyuz TMA-15M has arrived at the ISS bringing along with it three new Expedition 42 crew members including Samantha Cristoforetti, Italy's first astronaut.
Is Extreme Weather the New Normal? World Bank Thinks So
A World Bank-commissioned study has found that even if governments take fast action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the planet is already on its way to facing extreme weather events due to global warming.
Too Lazy to Exercise? Nestlé 'Exercise in a Bottle' May be Right for You
Food and nutritional products may soon contain an ingredient that could provide the body with some of the benefits of physical exercise. Researchers, however, cautioned that no single product could augment all of the positive effects of being physically active.
Talk Therapy Might Help Reduce Repeat Suicide Attempts: Study
Talk therapy sessions were found effective in preventing high-risk individuals from committing suicide. In the study involving Danish participants, the positive effects of psychosocial counseling are still evident 10 years later.
