Where Rising Seas Threaten Drinking Water, Scientists Look for Affordable Solutions

Rising oceans bring more than high tides and nuisance flooding to coastal zones. They also carry salt water into inland aquifers where dissolved salts can spoil drinking water. A new research effort at the University of Pennsylvania aims to identify vulnerable water systems along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts where rising seas pose water quality … Read more

Just One Extra Drink a Day Is Linked to Brain Shrinking, Study of 36,000 People Shows

Despite the joys that may come from a boozy Friday night, alcohol is bad for us. And not just in large quantities. Recent studies have been warning that even a moderate amount of drinking is linked to cardiovascular issues and brain damage. A new study looking at over 36,000 adults has now put the boot in as well, finding … Read more

Detecting water pollution: DNA computer could tell you if your drinking water is contaminated

A simple test for water pollution involving engineered strands of DNA can report levels of contamination, and this biological system can carry out logical operations like those done by computers Technology 17 February 2022 By Matthew Sparkes The DNA computer – although not set up for a formal analysis Julius Lucks/Northwestern University A biological computer … Read more

Does Drinking Red Wine Really Protect Against COVID? Let’s Look at The Data

A study published last month in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition made headlines around the world. Among a number of findings concerning alcoholic drinks and COVID, it reported drinking red wine was associated with a reduction in the risk of contracting COVID.   Before you start inviting people over to celebrate, it’s important to be … Read more

Data From Over 350,000 People Have Really Bad News About ‘Moderate’ Drinking

We all know that drinking too much is bad for us. But what about just a few glasses a week? Red wine has antioxidants, we’ve been told, so a few glasses are apparently ‘good for you‘. Other studies have suggested that low-to-moderate drinkers are less likely to have a heart attack than those who avoid drinking altogether. Wine … Read more

These Ornate 3-Foot-Long Tubes May Be The Oldest Known Straws

Slender gold and silver tubes crafted during the Bronze Age are the world’s oldest drinking straws, a new study finds.  Archaeologists found the 3-foot-long (1 meter) metal tubes in 1897 while excavating a burial mound known as a kurgan from the ancient Maikop (also spelled Maykop) culture in the northwestern Caucasus, which primarily includes modern-day … Read more