Over the past few years, plant-based alternatives to meat have increasingly entered the mainstream. There are many reasons for this. Increased public awareness of the effects of the meat industry on the global climate is one of them, along with animal rights and health risks associated with red meat consumption.
BY VIVIAN LIVESAY ’21
A team of scientists in Spain have conducted a study that suggests that the human brain can continue to produce new neurons into the ninth decade of life, far longer than previously believed. This finding has the potential to influence the field of neuroscience, though it is important not to overstate the implications of these findings as it is debated how this information can be put to practical use.
BY VIVIAN LIVESAY ’21
As of Feb. 7, there have been 101 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms of measles include a fever, sore throat, runny nose and Koplik’s spots, which are small white spots on the inside of the cheek.
BY VIVIAN LIVESAY ’21
According to the Ohio Department of Health, Montgomery County, Ohio, had the highest rate of accidental opioid overdoses in the state, with 521 fatalities per 10,000 people in 2017. Within the Montgomery County, the city of Dayton was hit particularly hard by the opioid epidemic. However, according to an article published last week in the New York Times, despite the overall increase in drug-related deaths, the county has managed to cut down its overdose rate by more than half in the past year, hopefully setting an example for the rest of the country to follow.
BY VIVIAN LIVESAY ’21
Two weeks ago, the United Nations released a landmark report on the near future effects of climate change. According to an article published in the New York Times, the study predicts that, with its current trajectory, the planet will experience an overall temperature increase of 2.7 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2040, and possibly sooner. While many climate scientists previously assumed that the most devastating effects of climate change would not occur until the planet’s temperature reached 3.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels, this study suggests that these effects will occur with a 2.7 degree increase.
