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Natural or Not? Identifying Genetically Engineered Organisms
Ever since gene editing became feasible, researchers and health officials have sought tools that can quickly and reliably distinguish genetically modified organisms from those that are naturally occurring. Following the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the world at large became aware of this need. Now, such tools are being built. The development of new tools to detect modified bacteria, viruses, and cells has bolstered national security against biological threats.
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Fame-seeking Mass Shooters More Likely to Plan “Surprise” Attacks; Novelty of Their Locations, Targets Brings Added Fame
Mass shooters pursuing fame often plan their attacks as “surprises,” carefully crafting them in ways that set them apart from previous incidents, which makes them uniquely challenging to prevent. Fame-seekers — unlike those mostly motivated by personal grievance or revenge — planned their crimes around the novelty of the location and targets.
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The Nuclear Arms Race’s Legacy at Home: Toxic Contamination, Staggering Cleanup Costs and a Culture of Government Secrecy
The Manhattan Project spawned a trinity of interconnected legacies. Among other things, it led to widespread public health and environmental damage from nuclear weapons production and testing. And it generated a culture of governmental secrecy with troubling political consequences.
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Using Artificial Mussels to Monitor Radioactivity in the Ocean
Amid the global concern over the pollution of radioactive wastes in the ocean, researchers have conducted a study which has found that “artificial mussels” (AMs) can effectively measure low concentrations of radionuclides in the sea. It is believed that this technology can be applied as a reliable and effective solution for monitoring radioactive contamination around the world.
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Nuclear War Would Be More Devastating for Earth’s Climate Than Cold War Predictions – Even with Fewer Weapons
A limited nuclear war between India and Pakistan could kill 130 million people and deprive a further 2.5 billion of food for at least two years. A global nuclear war including the US, Europe, and China could result in 360 million people dead and condemn nearly 5.3 billion people to starvation in the two years following the exchange.
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Two Bills Aim to Bolster Bio and Health Security
Two proposed bills aim to bolster the health security of Americans. The first bill aims to reduce the risks posed by gene synthesis while at the same time ensuring that responsible companies are not disadvantaged by doing the right thing. The second addresses to potential threats to public health posed by AI.
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Protecting Health Security from Potential Threats Arising from Advances in Biotechnology
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said it was applauding congressional leaders in health security for their introduction of two pieces of legislation to strengthen security around emerging threats from advances in biotechnology.
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Scent Dogs Can Detect COVID-19 More Rapidly, Accurately Than Current Tests
Scent dogs may represent a cheaper, faster and more effective way to detect COVID-19, and could be a key tool in future pandemics, a new review of recent research suggests. The review found that scent dogs are as effective, or even more effective, than conventional COVID-19 tests such as RT-PCR.
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Natural Hazard Vulnerability Shows Disproportionate Risk
Researchers used advanced data analysis and machine learning of more than 100 factors that influence vulnerability to natural hazards for about 11 million United States Census Bureau blocks, finding significant differences can exist between neighboring blocks.
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Under-Investment in Public Health Leaves U.S. Less Prepared for Current and Future Health Risks
Decades of underfunding have left the nation’s public health system ill-equipped to protect the health of Americans, according to a new report. COVID-19 emergency funding helped cControl the pandemic, but did not address structural weaknesses in the U.S. public health system.
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What Are the Odds of a Truly Catastrophic, Even Extinction-Causing, Disaster?
The Forecastong Research Institute (FRI) brought together forecasters from two groups with distinctive claims to knowledge about humanity’s future — experts in various domains relevant to existential risk, and “superforecasters” with a track record of predictive accuracy over short time horizons. FRI asked tournament participants to predict the likelihood of global risks related to nuclear weapon use, biorisks, and AI, along with dozens of other related, shorter-run forecasts.
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U.S. Animal Industries Pose Serious Risk of Future Zoonotic Pandemics
Animal industries in the United States pose serious risk of future pandemics and the U.S. government lacks a comprehensive strategy to address these threats, a new study concludes. The study is the first to comprehensively map networks of animal commerce that fuel zoonotic disease risk in the U.S.
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COVID: How Incorrect Assumptions and Poor Foresight Hampered the U.K. Pandemic Preparedness
In 2016, the UK government engaged in a series of exercises including Cygnus to assess their preparedness and response to a pandemic outbreak of a pandemic. No planning exercise can cover all eventualities. But a key requirement for policymakers should be to learn as fast and effectively as possible while events unfold. The business concept of “dynamic capability” – that is, an organization’s ability to configure and reconfigure its assets, processes and capabilities so as to respond effectively to rapidly changing external circumstances – is useful here. Building and strengthening this capability should be a prerequisite for policymakers and planners in government.
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Will Invasive Fungal Infections Be the Last of Us?
In the post-apocalyptic drama television series “The Last of Us,” a mass fungal infection causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapses society. Is this an entirely fictional scenario? Scientists say that the TV series describes a situation which is closer to reality than we would like to believe, or hope.
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Extreme Heat Will Cost the U.S. $1 Billion in Health Care Costs — This Summer Alone
Extreme heat — summertime temperatures and humidity that exceed the historical average — is being made more frequent and intense by climate change. High temperatures could lead to 235,000 ER visits and 56,000 hospital admissions for heat-related conditions annually.
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More headlines
The long view
Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages
A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a company that processes 15 billion health care transactions annually and deals with 1 in 3 patient records in the United States, is continuing to cause massive disruptions nearly three weeks later. The incident, which started on February 21, has been called the “most significant cyberattack on the U.S. health care system” by the American Hospital Association. It is just the latest example of an increasing trend.