livescience--2020-08-17--The best STEM toys 2020

The best STEM toys 2020

Many toys are labeled as `` STEM toys , '' with claims that they teach kids science , technology , engineering and math .
But very few toys that hold these claims are actually studied .
Some may be fun but not particularly educational ; others focus on STEM topics but may not hold kids ’ attention for long .
The research on educational toys suggests that some of the best STEM toys are the classics .
Anything that allows children to build , play , experiment and build again — in an endless array of variations — will teach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these activities can be done with free or cheap materials just as well as with pricier options .
According to Kathy Hirsh-Pasek , a psychologist at Temple University who studies learning in early childhood , the best STEM toys are active , engaging , meaningful , social and fun .
This list highlights some examples that researchers have studied directly or that check those boxes .
Wooden and other types of blocks are a `` magical '' toy for young children , said Jeffrey Trawick-Smith , a professor emeritus at the Center for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They allow for endless creativity , meaning kids can return to the same set again and again ( unlike some toys that kids play with for a day and then forget forever ) .
They also encourage social play and mathematical thinking .
A study in the by Trawick-Smith and colleagues found that when preschoolers played with blocks with a high level of social interaction , they built more complex structures .
Building complex structures was associated with gains in math learning .
For a decade , the Center for Early Childhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the TIMPANI Toy Study , which evaluates how different toys elicit creativity , problem-solving , cooperation and use of language , all skills that feed into STEM learning .
The is a great starting point for finding STEM toys .
One standout was 2011 ’ s winner , Tinkertoys , Trawick-Smith told Live Science , another classic of childhood .
Preschoolers not only constructed a wide variety of structures , they also incorporated movement and imagination into their play .
For example , many made helicopter structures and then began “ flying ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocks allow kids to learn about engineering concepts and organically teach children about the nature of shapes ( not enough square tiles ?
Click together two triangles ) .
In the 2013 TIMPANI toy study , magnetic tiles impressed researchers by prompting kids to problem-solve .
The magnetism spurred the kids ' creativity and interest in experimenting , they found .
These toys have lasting power and are engaging for kids in elementary school , as well .
Puzzles stretch the brain ’ s spatial abilities , and kids can complete surprisingly complex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study in the journal found that kids who regularly played with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 years of age showed better performance on a task that required them to mentally rotate and move shapes at age 4 .
Best STEM toys for School-age ( 5 and up ) A step up from Mega Bloks and Duplo , LEGO is the classic building toy that encourages spatial reasoning and creativity .
Card games encourage a grasp of counting and basic math , and they encourage the social connections that help kids enjoy STEM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Crazy 8s , Go Fish , Memory and other childhood games .
A can be used to play most of these games , plus other kid-friendly games like War .
Elementary schoolers can benefit from puzzles , just as preschoolers , but they 'll need bigger challenges .
Depending on age , kids can try , , or work with the whole family on .
Any board game that requires counting or the use of dice or a numerical spinner will teach kids math without them even realizing it , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including or , a game that requires kids to count strategically to reach particular spots on the board .
: `` Tell me one elementary school kid or middle-school kid who doesn ’ t like a good wooden or electric train set , '' Hirsh-Pasek said .
The found that a simple encouraged lots of imaginative play in children , and that train sets were particularly good at promoting cooperation .

Many toys are labeled as "STEM toys," with claims that they teach kids science, technology, engineering and math. But very few toys that hold these claims are actually studied. Some may be fun but not particularly educational; others focus on STEM topics but may not hold kids’ attention for long.
The research on educational toys suggests that some of the best STEM toys are the classics. Anything that allows children to build, play, experiment and build again — in an endless array of variations — will teach spatial and mathematical skills. Many of these activities can be done with free or cheap materials just as well as with pricier options.
According to Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a psychologist at Temple University who studies learning in early childhood, the best STEM toys are active, engaging, meaningful, social and fun. This list highlights some examples that researchers have studied directly or that check those boxes.
Best STEM Toys for Toddlers (ages 2-5)
Wooden Blocks
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Wooden and other types of blocks are a "magical" toy for young children, said Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, a professor emeritus at the Center for Early Childhood Play at Eastern Connecticut University. They allow for endless creativity, meaning kids can return to the same set again and again (unlike some toys that kids play with for a day and then forget forever). They also encourage social play and mathematical thinking. A study in the Journal of Early Childhood Research by Trawick-Smith and colleagues found that when preschoolers played with blocks with a high level of social interaction, they built more complex structures. Building complex structures was associated with gains in math learning.
Melissa & Doug Standard Unit Blocks This set comes with 60 natural-finished, smooth-sanded hardwood blocks and a wooden storage crate. There are no instructions, meaning the only limit is your child's imagination. Put those little creative minds and hands to work with endless possibilities. Ages: 3 to 8
Price: $57.99
Gupgi Wooden Balancing Blocks For a twist on traditional wooden blocks, check out these balancing "stones," which come in various colors. The blocks or "stones," which are recommended for ages 2 to 5, will help to promote engineering and basic science skills. For instance, your child will want to make sure their sculpture has a solid base and that each ascending "stone" won't let gravity topple their creation. Ages: 2 to 5
Price: $19.99
Melissa & Doug Jumbo Cardboard Blocks With 40 jumbo blocks made of cardboard, kids can go wild, from making obstacles to jump over to building structures that they can then try to knock over. Who can build the tallest tower? Who can create an indestructible base? What about a life-size game-board (the blocks can hold 150 pounds, according to Melissa & Doug.) Ages: 2 to 5
Price: $37.40
Tinkertoys
For a decade, the Center for Early Childhood Play at Eastern Connecticut University has conducted the TIMPANI Toy Study, which evaluates how different toys elicit creativity, problem-solving, cooperation and use of language, all skills that feed into STEM learning. The list of annual winners is a great starting point for finding STEM toys. One standout was 2011’s winner, Tinkertoys, Trawick-Smith told Live Science, another classic of childhood. Preschoolers not only constructed a wide variety of structures, they also incorporated movement and imagination into their play. For example, many made helicopter structures and then began “flying” around the room.
TINKERTOY 30 Model 200 Piece Super Building Set The set comes with 200 brightly colored plastic parts, including spools, flags, washers, rods and end caps. Kids can build one of 30 ideas in an instruction booklet or their own creation, including castles, houses, bicycles, cool creatures and more. Ages: 3 and up
Price: $40.86
Magnetic tile building blocks
Magnetic tile building blocks allow kids to learn about engineering concepts and organically teach children about the nature of shapes (not enough square tiles? Click together two triangles). In the 2013 TIMPANI toy study, magnetic tiles impressed researchers by prompting kids to problem-solve. The magnetism spurred the kids' creativity and interest in experimenting, they found. These toys have lasting power and are engaging for kids in elementary school, as well.
Magna-Tiles 32-Piece Clear Colors Set The original 3D magnetic building set will engage your child for hours, as they create both flat and three-dimensional structures. The set comes with: squares (2 large, 14 small) and triangles (8 equilateral, 4 right and 4 isosceles). Ages: 3 and up
Price: $49.99
PicassoTiles 100 Piece Set This set of magnetic tiles is very similar to the Magna-Tiles, so should encourage the same creative play time. Amazon reviewers have noted a few differences: Whereas Magna-Tiles are connected with rivets, Picasso tiles are glued; Picasso tiles are heavier with a stronger magnetic connection as well. Ages: 3 and up
Price: $49.99
Board games
Hasbro's Candy Land Look out for the Licorice Lagoon! Candy Land is a game that can grow with kids. Before they learn to count, they can move along the board using the included color-coded game cards. Later, parents can make their own numerical cards or make a number spinner or use a die so that kids can practice moving by counting, Trawick-Smith advises. Ages: 3 and up
Price: $11.77
Chutes and Ladders This game of luck requires kids to count spaces as they race to the end. It’s simple and quick and valuable for early math learning, said Sudha Swaminathan, a professor of early childhood education at Eastern Connecticut State University. Ages: 4 and up
Price: $11.99
Toys for coding
Code-a-pillar As computers have become crucial for many careers, interest in teaching young kids the fundamentals of coding and programming has grown. This preschool toy allows kids to swap out segments on a robotic caterpillar’s body to direct it. It encourages planning and spatial reasoning. Ages: 3 to 6
Price: $34.99
TTS New Bee-Bot Programmable and Educational Floor Robot Similarly, Bee-Bot follows a set of instructions preprogrammed by kids pressing buttons on the toys’ back. Research by Swaminathan and her colleagues found that learning to use Bee-Bot improved preschoolers’ performance in other spatial and pattern-recognition tasks. And kids loved it, Swaminathan said: "Children as young as four were really passionate in figuring it out." Ages: 3 and up
Price: $73.95
Puzzles for STEM
Puzzles stretch the brain’s spatial abilities, and kids can complete surprisingly complex jigsaws, Trawick-Smith said. A 2012 study in the journal Developmental Psychology found that kids who regularly played with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 years of age showed better performance on a task that required them to mentally rotate and move shapes at age 4.
Dreampark Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles (6 Pack) These large-piece wooden puzzles are shaped like cute animals, and their vibrant colors and cute animal faces will encourage hand-eye coordination and imaginative play. There are enough pieces for each puzzle to fuel your tot's thinking, but not too many to cause frustration. Ages: 2 and up
Price: $12.99
Melissa & Doug Dinosaur Floor Puzzle There are enough different dinosaur species plodding across this 48-piece puzzle to cater to any dinosaur lover, from a child who can't get enough of T. rex, to a young enthusiast who has a soft spot for plant-eaters like Triceratops or Stegosaurus. As your child works on puzzles like this, they are strengthening their problem-solving skills and beginning to develop logic and critical thinking processes (remember, straight edges go on the outside). Ages: 3 to 6
Price: $19.99
iPlay, iLearn Wooden Solar System Jigsaw Puzzle For the little ones who would rather gaze up at the stars than play "Jurassic Park," this outer space puzzle could be just perfect for the little hands and big imaginations. The 48-piece puzzle is circular and even comes with an instructional mat so kids can match up the puzzle pieces with the figures on the mat. Ages: 3 to 12
Price: $18.99
Best STEM toys for School-age (5 and up)
LEGO
A step up from Mega Bloks and Duplo, LEGO is the classic building toy that encourages spatial reasoning and creativity.
LEGO Classic Creative Fun Building Kit This 900-piece set comes with a good mix of bricks and pieces for creating classic toys, including eyes, wheels, windows doors and hinges, according to Amazon. With all of the bright colors and variety of parts, your kids are sure to build something cool and imaginative. Lego provides some ideas to get started with, including: an airplane, a spinning top, a grinning dog, a sports car and even a mini cash register. Let the building begin. Ages: 5 and up
Price: $39.99
LEGO City Space Mars Research Shuttle and Mars Rover Even Lego building sets can foster STEM skills. Little minds need to follow instructions, while also relying on spatial reasoning skills and fine motor abilities, to put their kit together. Along the way, they are sure to ask questions about the Red Planet, the research shuttle and the Mars rover. The building set also comes with astronaut minifigures so your child can pretend to be a Martian. Ages: 5 and up
Price: $31.99
Card games
Card games encourage a grasp of counting and basic math, and they encourage the social connections that help kids enjoy STEM activities. Some kid-centric card packs come with decks designed for Crazy 8s, Go Fish, Memory and other childhood games. A plain old deck of cards can be used to play most of these games, plus other kid-friendly games like War.
Hoyle Fun Pack Kids Card Games This set comes with six classic card games for kids: Go Fish, Memory, Old maid, Crazy Eights, Slap Jack and Matching. These card games can keep kids of all ages having fun, for just $5.97 on Amazon. Ages: 4 to 8
Price: $5.97
Puzzles
Elementary schoolers can benefit from puzzles, just as preschoolers, but they'll need bigger challenges. Depending on age, kids can try 100-piece puzzles , 200-piece puzzles , or work with the whole family on larger, more complex offerings .
Eurographics 250 Piece African Animal Puzzle Set - Tiger and Giraffe Jigsaw Puzzles This set comes with two 250-piece jigsaw puzzles, one showing a mama giraffe and her baby and the other with a tiger mom and cub. In addition to piecing together these gorgeous puzzles with their cognitive skills, curious kids are likely to want to learn about the animals and how they behave in the wild ... do they kiss and protect their babies? Ages: 5 and up
Price: $32.99
Ravensburger Dinosaurs - 100 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle for Kids Kids can enter the fantastical world of these giant beasts as they piece together this dinosaur puzzle. The vibrant colors may not depict a real-world dinosaur existence, but kids can at least imagine how amazing Earth would have been more than 66 million years ago. Ages: 6 to 10
Price: $12.99
Galison 500 Piece Rainbow Popsicle Jigsaw Puzzle This puzzle will be a little more challenging for the little ones in your life and probably works best as a family project. Kids can make piles of puzzle pieces for each different hue and then strategize on which pieces to connect first. One Amazon reviewer said that her 5- and 10-year-olds were both able to make progress on this puzzle on their own. When you're finished, it might just look good enough to eat! Ages: 8 and up
Price: $19.99
Board games
Any board game that requires counting or the use of dice or a numerical spinner will teach kids math without them even realizing it, according to Trawick-Smith. Math-friendly elementary-school level choices abound, including Monopoly Jr or Enchanted Forest , a game that requires kids to count strategically to reach particular spots on the board.
Hasbro 'Monopoly Junior' Board Game Kids will have so much fun they won't even know they're learning some math to count their spaces or figure out how much a property costs. And this classic game is just the activity to spark imagination with the kid-friendly properties offered: a movie theater, a zoo, a video game arcade and more. And they can choose from adorable tokens, including Little Scottie, Little Hazel, Toy Car or the iconic Mr. Monopoly top hat. Ages: 5 and up
Price: $14.61
Hasbro 'The Game of Life Junior' Board Game The Game of Life just got even cooler. In this junior version, kids can choose their own fun adventure, but with hip rides. They ride along life's twists and turns inside: the Blue Wheeler, the Pink Cruiser, the Yellow Speedster or the Green Rider. Ages: 5 and up
Price: $16.99
'Enchanted Forest' Kids Game Kids can roll the dice and enter an enchanted forest where classic fairy tales come to life. As they trek through the forest, they will find hidden treasures. The first player to find the treasures sought by the king will win the game ... and the kingdom! Ages: 4 and up
Price: $21.53
Train and car tracks
Train tracks : "Tell me one elementary school kid or middle-school kid who doesn’t like a good wooden or electric train set," Hirsh-Pasek said. The 2013 TIMPANI toy study found that a simple Brio wooden train set encouraged lots of imaginative play in children, and that train sets were particularly good at promoting cooperation.
Brio Metro Railway Set This train set comes with 20 pieces: a light and sounds train engine, two passenger cars with sliding doors, a ticket kiosk, metro map and two passengers. This set is also compatible with other Brio sets; so as your child develops, they can make their train tracks more complex and creative. Ages: 3 to 10
Price: $52.26
Melissa & Doug Wooden Railway Set This railway set includes everything needed for your budding train enthusiast: a six-piece freight train with cargo, a four-piece passenger train and a three-piece flatbed truck with cargo. All together the set includes 100 wooden track sections and supports, along with over 30 train accessories. Easy-to-follow instructions will guide your child in building four different track configurations ... and then they can create their own. Ages: 3 to 10
Price: $97.99
Best STEM Toys for Coding (ages 5+)
Scratch Jr. A version of the kid-friendly programming language Scratch, ScratchJr is geared toward 5- to 7-year-olds. (Scratch is great for 8 and up.) Kids learn to program characters and interactive stories. Numerous studies have examined how kids use and learn from these platforms
CodeSpark Academy Another intriguing option for early coding practice is CodeSpark Academy, Swamination said. Kids start by learning to solve problems in the app, then move on to building their own games.
Osmo - Genius Starter Kit for iPad Screens can fail to keep kids actively engaged, Hirsh-Pasek said, but games like Osmo bring the learning out from the screen into the real world. With Osmo, kids interact with real-world manipulatives that then control what happens on an iPad screen. It's not a cheap option, but it’s the kind of hybrid approach to technological learning that Hirsh-Pasek said she’d like to see more toymakers tackle.


livescience--2020-08-18--Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

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90-year-old woman in the UK receives first dose of Pfizer vaccine, FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman (who will turn 91 next week) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, according to the BBC. Margaret Keenan, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was given the vaccine at the University Hospital in Coventry, England. She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks, according to the BBC. "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19," Keenan said, according to the BBC."It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year." "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too," she added. Up to four million doses of Pfizer's vaccine is expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month. Meanwhile, a 53-page Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review published Tuesday (Dec. 8) confirmed that Pfizer's vaccine is safe and effective, according to The Washington Post.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine starts to protect people from the novel coronavirus just 10 days after the first dose, according to new documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The documents were released on Tuesday (Dec. 8), two days before a meeting of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel, which will vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine in the U.S, Live Science reported . The FDA analyzed data from Pfizer's phase 3 clinical trial, which included some 44,000 people in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Turkey, about half of whom received the vaccine while the other half received a placebo. Both groups received two shots, 21 days apart. About 10 days after the first dose, there was a noticeable drop-off in new COVID-19 cases in the vaccine group compared with the placebo group, indicating that even one dose provides some protection, the report said. However, scientists don't know how long the protection from a single dose will last, so it will still be important for people to receive two shots, according to The New York Times . Overall, the vaccine was 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose, the report said.
People with significant allergies should avoid Pfizer vaccine, UK warns The U.K.'s Regulatory Agency is advising people with a history of "significant" allergic reactions to avoid Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, after two National Health Service members developed severe allergic reactions to it on Tuesday (Dec. 8), Live Science reported. "As is common with new vaccines the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday," Stephen Powis, the national medical director for England's National Health Service said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9). Both workers have a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline auto injectors (such as EpiPens) around with them, according to The Guardian. Shortly after receiving the vaccine, both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms, or severe allergic reactions, but have recovered after receiving treatment. The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation, according to Reuters. "Allergic reaction occurs with quite a number of vaccines, and perhaps even more frequently with drugs. So it is not unexpected," Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in remarks to journalists published by Britain's Science Media Center. “What would be wise, as the MHRA have already advised, would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen, to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified," he said. For the general population this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination, he added. "One has to remember that even things like marmite [a quintessential British food spread] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.”
Canada approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Canada has authorized Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine, with the first doses expected to be administered there as early as next week. Health Canada, the country's health regulatory agency, said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9) that it had determined that the vaccine "meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada," according to CTV News . "We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [Dec. 14]. It takes time to prepare the vaccine," said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the top military general leading the vaccine rollout for the Public Health Agency of Canada, according to CTV News. The first doses could be administered by the middle of next week, he said. Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine, following the United Kingdom and Bahrain. The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December, and has purchased 20 million doses total, with the option to purchase more, CTV News reported.
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high, surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday (Dec. 9), the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily death toll to date, according to CNN . In comparison, 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. has now recorded 280,488 deaths related to the virus, according to The COVID Tracking Project . A forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by January 2, according to CNN. There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S.; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator, according to the COVID Tracking Project. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet to discuss an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
FDA panel recommends authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine A panel of experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the panel voted 17 to 4 to recommend that the vaccine receive emergency use authorization (EUA) for people ages 16 and older, according to The New York Times . The FDA typically follows the advice of its panels, and so today's vote is an important step towards the vaccine's authorization. It is anticipated that the agency will officially authorize the vaccine on Saturday (Dec. 12), the Times reported. Several countries have already authorized Pfizer's vaccine, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Bahrain.
Vaccine approval could come this weekend, as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday (Dec. 10), the U.S. recorded another 2,902 COVID-19 deaths, a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths, according to Reuters . “Probably for the next 60 to 90 days, we’re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor,” Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, according to Reuters. "The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really impact that, I think, to any degree for the next 60 days." On Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed, voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved in the U.K. and in Canada, and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend.
Australia abandons local COVID-19 vaccine after it caused false-positive HIV tests An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in early trials is being abandoned after researchers found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests. On Friday (Dec. 11), Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine, which was being developed by The University of Queensland and CSL Ltd., a local biotech company, according to The New York Times . In an early trial with 216 participants, the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19, according to a statement from CSL . But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV, which officials feared would undermine trust in the vaccine, the Times reported. The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein, which helped stabilize the vaccine. Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments, and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests. It's important to note that there is no way for the vaccine to cause an HIV infection, because it contains harmless fragments of the virus.
ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York, the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic, just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, kicking off a long, massive effort to vaccinate the American people, Live Science reported. Around 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday (Dec. 14), the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, according to The New York Times. This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Since the start of the pandemic, New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths, according to The Times. "This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination. "It's the beginning of the last chapter of the book, but now we just have to do it."
FDA analysis confirms Moderna's vaccine is safe and effective, emergency authorization is likely to come Friday A new briefing document from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released on Tuesday (Dec. 15) confirmed that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, according to NPR . Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 94% effective and has "a favorable safety profile," according to the document. A panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday (Dec. 17) to discuss the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and vote on whether or not the FDA should grant emergency approval to the vaccine. Last week, the same panel voted that the FDA should grant emergency approval to Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine; the authorization came a day late and the first doses were given on Monday (Dec. 15). The FDA will likely approve Moderna's vaccine for emergency use on Friday (Dec. 18), according to The New York Times .
FDA authorizes first over-the-counter COVID-19 test The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test, which can be done at home and does not need a prescription. The test, made by the Australia-based company Ellume, provides results in as little as 20 minutes, according to a statement from the FDA . It is a "lateral flow antigen test," meaning it works in a similar way to a home pregnancy test, by running a "liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules," the FDA said. The test works in conjunction with a smartphone app. Users take a nasal swab and place their sample in an analyzer, which communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The results are delivered through the app, and also reported to public health authorities (based on a user's zip code) through a secure cloud connection, the company said . Ellume is ramping up production of its test, and expects to produce three million tests in January 2021, and 20 million within the first half of 2021.
A wild mink tested positive for the coronavirus, it may be the first wild animal to have a confirmed case A wild mink in Utah may be the first "free-ranging, native wild animal" confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Live Science reported. The mink was found near a mink farm and likely picked up the infection from the farmed mink. There's no evidence that the virus spread to other minks or wild animals; but if the virus does begin circulating in wild animals, it could pick up mutations that COVID-19 vaccines may not protect well against if it spreads back to humans, according to the report. "If it does [establish a reservoir], then we've got a long-term issue here, where this virus has the potential to be with us for millennia," Sarah Olson, associate director of the health program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told Vox. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has screened other animal species for the virus near mink farms in Utah, Michigan and Wisconsin, but all of them have tested negative so far, according to a statement.
An FDA advisory panel will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval On Thursday (Dec. 17), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee will meet to determine whether to recommend that Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval, according to The New York Times . This panel, composed of independent experts, will vote on whether to recommend the vaccine after hearing from the company, FDA scientists and the public, according to The Times. Last week, the same panel of experts met to discuss Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and voted to recommend emergency authorization; the authorization came the next day. There have now been more than 16.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 307,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard . There are currently 113,090 people hospitalized across the country with more than 21,900 of them in the ICU and 7,778 on a ventilator, according to The COVID Tracking Project .
California becomes new epicenter of COVID-19 in U.S. California, once praised for its early pandemic response, is now the new U.S. hotspot for COVID-19 infections. The state has reported an alarming surge in cases, breaking previous records for daily cases. On Thursday (Dec. 17), the state reported some 50,000 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours, and nearly 100,000 in 48 hours, according to The Washington Post . That's more than the daily cases reported in many countries, including India, Germany and Britain, the Post reported. The state also set a record for daily deaths on Thursday, with 379 fatalities reported, up from the previous high of 293. Capacity in intensive care units has also dropped dramatically, with hospitals in Southern California reporting zero percent capacity on Thursday. "I want to be very clear: Our hospitals are under siege, and our model shows no end in sight," said Christina Ghaly, director of Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services, the Post reported.
FDA expected to authorize Moderna's vaccine on Friday The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday (Dec. 18). Once authorized, it will be the second coronavirus vaccine to get the green light from the agency in just a week, with Pfizer's vaccine gaining authorization on Dec. 11. Moderna is expected to begin shipping 5.9 million doses of its vaccine on Sunday (Dec. 20), with the first deliveries arriving Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna's vaccine does not require storage in extremely cold temperatures, and states are hoping to distribute the vaccine to rural hospitals and community health centers, the Times reported.
COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the U.S. There have now been more than 17 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 300,000 deaths, according to The COVID Tracking Project . There are currently 114,237 people hospitalized across the country and 21,900 people in the ICU. California is facing a massive surge in cases; the state reported 41,012 new COVID-19 cases and 300 new deaths on Thursday (Dec. 17), according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard . By comparison, at the start of November, California was reporting a seven-day average of 4,183 cases, compared to an average of 38,774 on Thursday, according to CNN . "We're experiencing an explosive and very deadly surge," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director said, according to CNN. Intensive care unit beds are rapidly filling up across the state; there are only 1,234 ICU beds left available in California, according to the dashboard. Current closures across California are impacting around 98% of the state's population, according to CNN.
London and southeast England are under an emergency lockdown Following concerns of a new version of the coronavirus that might be more transmissible, London and most of southeast England are now under an emergency lockdown, according to The New York Times . Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown on Saturday (Dec. 19) citing concerns that the mutated virus — which was detected a couple of weeks ago in southeast England — may be as much as 70% more transmissible than previous versions, according to the Times. The new version of the coronavirus is detected in more than 60% of new infections in London and have also been detected in several other countries, according to the Times. But it's not yet clear if this coronavirus version is any more infectious than the last and thorough analyses will need to be conducted before conclusions are made, scientists cautioned. In South Africa, a similar version of the virus has been found in up to 90% of new cases detected since mid-November, according to The Times . It's common for viruses to mutate, and this particular coronavirus has mutated many times since the start of the pandemic. But experts told The Times that it would take years for the virus to mutate enough such that it would make the current vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 ineffective.
Biden gets Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine President-elect Joe Biden received a dose of Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine on Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . He received the shot on camera at the Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. "I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about," Biden said.
Antarctica has its 1st COVID-19 outbreak The first COVID-19 cases have been reported in Antarctica , meaning the disease has now spread to every continent in the world. On Tuesday (Dec. 22), Chilean officials reported an outbreak of 36 COVID-19 cases at the Chilean research base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to the BBC . Of these, 26 cases were military personnel and 10 were maintenance workers, the BBC reported. All of these cases have been evacuated from Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile, according to The Guardian . Antarctica had been COVID-19 free up until the current outbreak. The continent has no permanent residents, but about 1,000 people, including scientists and other workers, stayed there this past winter, The Guardian reported.
Live updates will continue in 2021!


livescience--2020-08-18--What does the Pentagon's new UFO task force mean? Experts weigh in.

If you 're a fan of ( UFOs ) and alien visitation , this is manna from heaven .
showing U.S. Navy pilots encountering mysterious , fast-moving objects emerged in 2017 and 2018 .
The videos were made public due to reporting by The New York Times and efforts by To The Stars Academy , a research , development and media center for cutting-edge science and technology .
One of the UAP videos was taken in November 2004 , and the other two were shot in January 2015 .
All were captured by Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet jets with pilots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hardware that detects heat and creates images .
The three released UAP videos are called `` Gimbal , '' `` GoFast '' and `` FLIR1 '' ( also known as the `` Tic Tac '' video ) .
Related : 7 things most often mistaken for UFOs Last week , the U.S. Department of Defense ( DoD ) announced the creation of a task force to analyze and understand the `` nature and origins '' of UAPs .
The Department of the Navy , under the cognizance of the Office of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security , will lead the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force ( UAPTF ) .
The mission of the UAPTF `` is to detect , analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security , '' DoD officials said in a brief statement released on Friday ( Aug. 14 ) .
But before you set up greeting signs and start tossing out welcome mats for the , a little perspective and context are in order .
I asked some UFO specialists what they thought of the newly announced task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task force on UFOs is another welcome development in the recent renewed interest and attention to these reports by government agencies and political actors , '' said Mark Rodeghier , president and scientific director of the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies in Chicago .
Without further details , it 's impossible to judge how well-positioned the task force will be to seriously investigate reports , Rodeghier added , `` but I remain cautiously optimistic for now . ''
Rodeghier said he understands the need for secrecy .
However , `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible is released to the public so we can all be informed on this potentially world-shattering subject , '' he told Inside Outer Space .
Reasons for the DoD to care '' I have no doubt that military intelligence services around the world have always been interested in ‘ UFO reports ' — whether or not a real 'unexplainable ' phenomenon is behind a few of them . ''
That 's the view of Jim Oberg , a noted space journalist , historian and a debunker of a slew of UFO sightings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nut '' and professional rocket scientist whose career includes 20-plus years at NASA 's Johnson Space Center in Houston .
There are many non-extraterrestrial reasons why the Defense Department is interested in UFO reports , Oberg said .
• First , to identify and ameliorate instrumental `` funnies '' in new sensory technology , to make sure we do n't accidentally misinterpret or overlook future readings .
• Second , to determine how detection `` funnies '' might be deliberately induced by hackers and real enemies , and what we can do to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliberately induce anomalous targets into the range of our own new detection/tracking technology , as a way of testing it .
• Fourth , to test enemy detection systems with deliberate pokes to identify exploitable weaknesses .
• Fifth , to assess which reports from within or near adversary nations are indicators of their classified military testing and operations that we need insight into .
• Sixth , to determine which detections ( at home or abroad ) accidentally reveal highly classified operations of our own that might be revealed to enemy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indications , so as to improve our masking , misdirection and stealth .
• Seventh , in so far as observations of UFO reports from adversary nations are indicators of leaked observable clues to military capabilities , to do nothing to provoke such regimes from curtailing their own news media coverage of the `` pseudo-UFOs . ''
Never announce how such innocent ( to them ) news items can be exploited .
• Eighth , in so far as our own domestic UFO reports may be authentic indicators of classified military activities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to distract , confuse or lull foreign observers and analysts .
`` Perceptive observers of the UFO scene over the last two-thirds of a century have noted a telltale feature of the evolution of reports , '' Oberg said .
`` Their nature has been changing , with the progress in human observation and detection technologies . ''
Oberg added that , year by year , the `` old UFOs '' fade away just before the advent of new technologies that would have unambiguously documented them come online , to be replaced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that precisely match the limits of vision of new technologies .
`` I do n't think this [ task force ] is as significant as some people are suggesting , '' said writer and UFO skeptic Robert Sheaffer .
`` It 's just a response to all the publicity generated by To The Stars leaking the three Navy infrared videos , which the Pentagon later released . ''
In the military , a task force is something that is put together to deal with a specific situation or problem , Sheaffer said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and recommendations concerning that issue and is disbanded when such work is complete .
`` So , this is not something open-ended and ongoing , like .
It does not suggest an ongoing government interest in unidentified objects , '' Sheaffer observed .
Conducted by the United States Air Force , Project Blue Book appraised the UFO situation starting in 1952 and officially closed down in 1970 .
Military operations areas ( MOAs ) are clearly designated on aviation maps , and civilian aircraft are generally supposed to avoid them , Sheaffer pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments about `` unidentified objects '' mention `` range incursions , '' Sheaffer added — i.e.
, unknown objects that seem to be entering one of these MOAs .
`` So , it seems that the military is worried about unidentified objects that might be intruding into their sandbox .
If unidentified objects turn up elsewhere , the military does n't care , '' Sheaffer said .
`` The 'Tic Tac ' and 'Gimbal ' videos appear to show distant jets , which are probably well outside the MOA , quite far away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an abundance of caution , and a sensitivity to criticism . ''
Sarah Scoles is author of the recently published book , `` They Are Already Here : UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers `` ( Pegasus Books , 2020 ) .
`` First , I 'd say that the establishment of a task force to investigate and understand UAP makes sense and could , if done systematically and scientifically and transparently , provide data useful in interpreting pilots ' sightings , '' Scoles told Inside Outer Space .
And it also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Defense — whose job it is , of course , to protect the U.S. from threats — is undertaking this endeavor .
`` However , I think those expecting big , exotic conclusions from the task force would do well to temper their expectations , '' Scoles said .
`` If you look at what the official announcement actually says , it 's not quite as extraordinary as it might seem at first glance . ''
Last week 's three-paragraph DoD release , Scoles added , uses language similar to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UAPs .
For example , a September 2019 statement from Joseph Gradisher , spokesman for the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare defining `` UAP , '' reads , `` The 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena ' terminology is used because it provides the basic descriptor for the sightings/observations of unauthorized/unidentified aircraft/objects entering/operating in the airspace of various military-controlled training ranges . ''
Scoles said that `` UAP '' technically could include aircraft or objects that are simply unauthorized , as well as aircraft or objects that can not be immediately identified .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilot sees something they can not explain , but someone else explains it a few hours later , it could still fall under the definition of UAP . ''
The task force press release uses very similar wording to talk about DoD interest .
`` It very specifically states that the DoD is concerned with boundary-crossing by objects that are — right when an observer sees them — unidentified , '' Scoles said .
`` It says nothing so specific about objects that remain forever unidentified and mysterious .
It certainly says nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like all things UFO , Scoles concluded , `` vague and somewhat weaselly wording leaves enough room for people to interpret this latest development very differently . ''
Leonard David is author of `` Moon Rush : The New Space Race '' ( National Geographic , 2019 ) .
A longtime writer for Space.com , David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades .
Follow us @ Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ .
This version of the story published on Space.com .

U.S. Navy videos of alleged UFO sightings were previously available but had not been officially declassified.
If you're a fan of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and alien visitation, this is manna from heaven.
Three videos
showing U.S. Navy pilots encountering mysterious, fast-moving objects emerged in 2017 and 2018. The videos were made public due to reporting by The New York Times and efforts by To The Stars Academy, a research, development and media center for cutting-edge science and technology.
One of the UAP videos was taken in November 2004, and the other two were shot in January 2015. All were captured by Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet jets with pilots utilizing Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) technology, hardware that detects heat and creates images.
The three released UAP videos are called "Gimbal," "GoFast" and "FLIR1" (also known as the "Tic Tac" video).
Related: 7 things most often mistaken for UFOs
New task force
Last week, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced the creation of a task force to analyze and understand the "nature and origins" of UAPs. The Department of the Navy, under the cognizance of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, will lead the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF).
The mission of the UAPTF "is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security," DoD officials said in a brief statement released on Friday (Aug. 14).
But before you set up greeting signs and start tossing out welcome mats for the incoming aliens , a little perspective and context are in order. I asked some UFO specialists what they thought of the newly announced task force.
Cautiously optimistic
"The formation of a task force on UFOs is another welcome development in the recent renewed interest and attention to these reports by government agencies and political actors," said Mark Rodeghier, president and scientific director of the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies in Chicago.
Without further details, it's impossible to judge how well-positioned the task force will be to seriously investigate reports, Rodeghier added, "but I remain cautiously optimistic for now."
Rodeghier said he understands the need for secrecy. However, "I would hope that as much information as possible is released to the public so we can all be informed on this potentially world-shattering subject," he told Inside Outer Space.
Related: UFO watch: 8 times the government looked for flying saucers
Reasons for the DoD to care
"I have no doubt that military intelligence services around the world have always been interested in ‘UFO reports' — whether or not a real 'unexplainable' phenomenon is behind a few of them."
That's the view of Jim Oberg, a noted space journalist, historian and a debunker of a slew of UFO sightings. He's an admitted "lifelong space nut" and professional rocket scientist whose career includes 20-plus years at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
There are many non-extraterrestrial reasons why the Defense Department is interested in UFO reports, Oberg said.
First, to identify and ameliorate instrumental "funnies" in new sensory technology, to make sure we don't accidentally misinterpret or overlook future readings.
Second, to determine how detection "funnies" might be deliberately induced by hackers and real enemies, and what we can do to frustrate such efforts.
Third, to deliberately induce anomalous targets into the range of our own new detection/tracking technology, as a way of testing it.
Fourth, to test enemy detection systems with deliberate pokes to identify exploitable weaknesses.
Fifth, to assess which reports from within or near adversary nations are indicators of their classified military testing and operations that we need insight into.
Sixth, to determine which detections (at home or abroad) accidentally reveal highly classified operations of our own that might be revealed to enemy nations that are also looking for such indications, so as to improve our masking, misdirection and stealth.
Seventh, in so far as observations of UFO reports from adversary nations are indicators of leaked observable clues to military capabilities, to do nothing to provoke such regimes from curtailing their own news media coverage of the "pseudo-UFOs." Never announce how such innocent (to them) news items can be exploited.
Eighth, in so far as our own domestic UFO reports may be authentic indicators of classified military activities, to purposefully create camouflage and masking reports to distract, confuse or lull foreign observers and analysts.
"Perceptive observers of the UFO scene over the last two-thirds of a century have noted a telltale feature of the evolution of reports," Oberg said. "Their nature has been changing, keeping uncanny pace with the progress in human observation and detection technologies."
Oberg added that, year by year, the "old UFOs" fade away just before the advent of new technologies that would have unambiguously documented them come online, to be replaced by a new flavor of "anomalies" that precisely match the limits of vision of new technologies.
Related: 5 bold claims of alien life
Not open-ended and ongoing
"I don't think this [task force] is as significant as some people are suggesting," said writer and UFO skeptic Robert Sheaffer. "It's just a response to all the publicity generated by To The Stars leaking the three Navy infrared videos, which the Pentagon later released."
In the military, a task force is something that is put together to deal with a specific situation or problem, Sheaffer said. It is expected to produce a report and recommendations concerning that issue and is disbanded when such work is complete.
"So, this is not something open-ended and ongoing, like Project Blue Book . It does not suggest an ongoing government interest in unidentified objects," Sheaffer observed. Conducted by the United States Air Force, Project Blue Book appraised the UFO situation starting in 1952 and officially closed down in 1970.
Intruding into their sandbox
Military operations areas (MOAs) are clearly designated on aviation maps, and civilian aircraft are generally supposed to avoid them, Sheaffer pointed out.
Most of the recent Pentagon comments about "unidentified objects" mention "range incursions," Sheaffer added — i.e., unknown objects that seem to be entering one of these MOAs.
"So, it seems that the military is worried about unidentified objects that might be intruding into their sandbox. If unidentified objects turn up elsewhere, the military doesn't care," Sheaffer said. "The 'Tic Tac' and 'Gimbal' videos appear to show distant jets, which are probably well outside the MOA, quite far away. The military is investigating out of an abundance of caution, and a sensitivity to criticism."
Temper expectations
Sarah Scoles is author of the recently published book, " They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers " (Pegasus Books, 2020).
"First, I'd say that the establishment of a task force to investigate and understand UAP makes sense and could, if done systematically and scientifically and transparently, provide data useful in interpreting pilots' sightings," Scoles told Inside Outer Space.
And it also makes sense, she said, that the Department of Defense — whose job it is, of course, to protect the U.S. from threats — is undertaking this endeavor.
"However, I think those expecting big, exotic conclusions from the task force would do well to temper their expectations," Scoles said. "If you look at what the official announcement actually says, it's not quite as extraordinary as it might seem at first glance."
Boundary-crossing objects
Last week's three-paragraph DoD release, Scoles added, uses language similar to that of other, previous statements about UAPs. For example, a September 2019 statement from Joseph Gradisher, spokesman for the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare defining "UAP," reads, "The 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena' terminology is used because it provides the basic descriptor for the sightings/observations of unauthorized/unidentified aircraft/objects entering/operating in the airspace of various military-controlled training ranges."
Scoles said that "UAP" technically could include aircraft or objects that are simply unauthorized, as well as aircraft or objects that cannot be immediately identified. "That means that, if a pilot sees something they cannot explain, but someone else explains it a few hours later, it could still fall under the definition of UAP."
The task force press release uses very similar wording to talk about DoD interest.
"It very specifically states that the DoD is concerned with boundary-crossing by objects that are — right when an observer sees them — unidentified," Scoles said. "It says nothing so specific about objects that remain forever unidentified and mysterious. It certainly says nothing nor implies anything about alien aircraft ."
But, like all things UFO, Scoles concluded, "vague and somewhat weaselly wording leaves enough room for people to interpret this latest development very differently."
Leonard David is author of "Moon Rush: The New Space Race" (National Geographic, 2019). A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. This version of the story published on Space.com.


livescience--2020-08-18--Massive 'Darth Vader' sea bug pulled from waters near Indonesia

Buglike marine creatures that skitter across the sea bottom can grow to be as big as puppies , and a newly described species is one of the largest ever seen .
These crustaceans are known as isopods ; the order Isopoda includes around 10,000 species that live in diverse habitats on land and in the ocean , and they can range in size from just a few millimeters to nearly 20 inches ( 500 mm ) long .
Of the ocean-dwelling isopods , the genus Bathynomus contains the biggest species ; the newfound isopod , which turned up in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest of the Bathynomus species ever seen in the wild .
Named Bathynomus raksasa ( `` rakasa '' is the Indonesian word for `` giant '' ) , the sizable sea bug measures about 13 inches ( 330 mm ) in length , on average .
It is the first new giant isopod species to be described in more than a decade , and is the first of these isopod behemoths to be found in waters near Indonesia , scientists reported in a new study .
Big or small , all isopods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sets of jaws , compound eyes , two sets of antennae , and a segmented body with seven sections , each with its own pair of legs , according to the .
Of the 16 previously described Bathynomus species , seven are considered to be `` supergiants '' — maturing at more than 6 inches ( 150 mm ) long and then growing to be 12 inches ( 300 mm ) or more , according to the study , published online July 8 in the journal .
Researchers identified B. rakasa during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they collected two specimens , a male and a female , off the southern coast of Java , at ocean depths between 3,117 and 4,134 feet ( 950 and 1,260 meters ) .
The unique shape of B. rakasa 's head shield and abdominal segments , as well as the large number of spines — 11 to 13 — on its abdomen , indicated the supergiant is a new species , the scientists wrote in the study .
During the 2018 expedition , scientists were excited to discover the deep-sea Bathynomus isopods , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to as `` Darth Vader of the Seas '' ( perhaps for their heads that resemble the Sith Lord 's helmet ) , according to the .
Museum collections specialist and expedition member Muhammad Dzaki Bin Safaruan held up a giant isopod while onboard the Indonesian research vessel Baruna Jaya VIII , in a photo shared by the museum that year .
`` The staff on our expedition team could not contain their excitement when they finally saw one , '' museum representatives wrote in the post .
`` The identification of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how little we know about the oceans , '' said study co-author Helen Wong , a researcher with St. John ’ s Island National Marine Laboratory , part of the Tropical Marine Science Institute at the National University of Singapore .
`` There is certainly more for us to explore in terms of biodiversity in the deep sea of our region , '' Wong .
Another team of scientists in 2019 captured rare — and gruesome — evidence of deep-sea isopod behavior , Live Science .
Underwater video showed a group of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and feasted on the corpse of an alligator , which the researchers had submerged in the Gulf of Mexico to observe how bottom dwellers might consume this windfall of a meal .
Giant marine bugs that gorge on alligator carcasses may sound unsettling , but massive isopods ' much-smaller cousins are arguably even more terrifying .
Parasitic isopods known as tongue biters or tongue-eating louses by siphoning off the tongue 's blood supply as the organ slowly withers ; the parasites then take the tongue 's place in a still-living host 's mouth @

Buglike marine creatures that skitter across the sea bottom can grow to be as big as puppies, and a newly described species is one of the largest ever seen.
These crustaceans are known as isopods; the order Isopoda includes around 10,000 species that live in diverse habitats on land and in the ocean, and they can range in size from just a few millimeters to nearly 20 inches (500 mm) long. Of the ocean-dwelling isopods, the genus Bathynomus contains the biggest species; the newfound isopod, which turned up in the Indian Ocean in 2018, is among the largest of the Bathynomus species ever seen in the wild.
Named Bathynomus raksasa ("rakasa" is the Indonesian word for "giant"), the sizable sea bug measures about 13 inches (330 mm) in length, on average. It is the first new giant isopod species to be described in more than a decade, and is the first of these isopod behemoths to be found in waters near Indonesia, scientists reported in a new study.
Related: Marine marvels: Spectacular photos of sea creatures
Big or small, all isopods share many features, such as four sets of jaws, compound eyes, two sets of antennae, and a segmented body with seven sections, each with its own pair of legs, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
Of the 16 previously described Bathynomus species, seven are considered to be "supergiants" — maturing at more than 6 inches (150 mm) long and then growing to be 12 inches (300 mm) or more, according to the study, published online July 8 in the journal ZooKeys .
Researchers identified B. rakasa during the South Java Deep Sea Biodiversity Expedition; they collected two specimens, a male and a female, off the southern coast of Java, at ocean depths between 3,117 and 4,134 feet (950 and 1,260 meters). The unique shape of B. rakasa's head shield and abdominal segments, as well as the large number of spines — 11 to 13 — on its abdomen, indicated the supergiant is a new species, the scientists wrote in the study.
During the 2018 expedition, scientists were excited to discover the deep-sea Bathynomus isopods, a genus sometimes "affectionately" referred to as "Darth Vader of the Seas" (perhaps for their heads that resemble the Sith Lord's helmet), according to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum's website . Museum collections specialist and expedition member Muhammad Dzaki Bin Safaruan held up a giant isopod while onboard the Indonesian research vessel Baruna Jaya VIII, in a photo shared by the museum on Instagram that year. "The staff on our expedition team could not contain their excitement when they finally saw one," museum representatives wrote in the post.
During an expedition, there are some animals which you find unexpectedly, while there are others that you hope to find. One of the animal that we hoped to find was a deep sea cockroach affectionately known as Darth Vader Isopod. The staff on our expedition team could not contain their excitement when they finally saw one, holding it triumphantly in the air! #SJADES2018 LKCNHM A photo posted by @lkcnhm on Apr 1, 2018 at 9:30pm PDT
"The identification of this new species is an indication of just how little we know about the oceans," said study co-author Helen Wong, a researcher with St. John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, part of the Tropical Marine Science Institute at the National University of Singapore.
"There is certainly more for us to explore in terms of biodiversity in the deep sea of our region," Wong said in a statement .
Another team of scientists in 2019 captured rare — and gruesome — evidence of deep-sea isopod behavior, Live Science previously reported . Underwater video showed a group of these giant sea bugs as they ripped apart and feasted on the corpse of an alligator, which the researchers had submerged in the Gulf of Mexico to observe how bottom dwellers might consume this windfall of a meal.
Giant marine bugs that gorge on alligator carcasses may sound unsettling, but massive isopods' much-smaller cousins are arguably even more terrifying. Parasitic isopods known as tongue biters or tongue-eating louses devour fishes' tongues by siphoning off the tongue's blood supply as the organ slowly withers; the parasites then take the tongue's place in a still-living host's mouth.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-18--This palm-sized elephant relative was just sighted for the first time in 50 years

A teensy animal , with a long nose , a fur tuft on its tail and big , spectacled eyes had n't been seen in nearly half a century .
That is , until a whiff of peanut butter lured the wee mouse-sized mammal out from the rocky , rugged lands of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa .
The recently `` rediscovered '' mammal , called a Somali sengi ( Elephantulus revoilii ) , is a species of elephant shrew .
While elephant shrews are related to , and — they 're not elephants and they 're not shrews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen since 1973 .
Everything known about the obscure mini mammal came from 39 individual specimens that were collected decades and centuries ago and that are now stored in museums , from Global Wildlife Conservation .
In 2019 , a group of scientists from the U.S. and Djibouti set out to look for the species after receiving tips that the creatures could be hiding in Djibouti , although the animals had only previously been found in Somalia , according to the statement .
`` For us living in Djibouti , and by extension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered the sengis to be 'lost , ' but this new research does bring the Somali sengi back into the scientific community , which we value , '' co-author Houssein Rayaleh , a research ecologist and conservationist with the nonprofit organization Association Djibouti Nature , said in the statement .
Rayaleh had seen the creature before — and locals had too , correctly identifying it in photos during interviews with the scientists , according to the statement .
Using information from interviews , analysis of dung piles at candidate sites and assessments of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set up 1,259 traps at 12 different locations across the rocky terrain .
They lured the animals to the traps by setting out peanut butter , oatmeal and yeast .
They caught one of the elusive mammals in the first trap they set .
In total , they found 12 Somali sengis , which they could distinguish from a similar species by the tuft of fur on their tails , according to the statement .
`` For Djibouti , this is an important story that highlights the great biodiversity of the country and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunities for new science and research here , '' Rayaleh said .
They found all of sengis by rocky outcrops and relatively sparse vegetation , areas that are typically inhospitable to human activities , meaning the tiny creatures are not likely to experience habitat destruction , according to the statement .
Because they found comparable numbers to other sengi and because they now know that the creatures live beyond just Somalia , the authors recommended that the change the Somali sengi 's current `` data deficient '' status to `` least concern , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Usually when we rediscover lost species , we find just one or two individuals and have to act quickly to try to prevent their imminent extinction , '' Robin Moore , one of GWC 's Search for Lost Species program leads , said in the statement .
`` This is a welcome and wonderful rediscovery during a time of turmoil for our planet , and one that fills us with renewed hope for the remaining small mammal species on our most wanted list . ''
( GWC crafted a list of 25 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
The findings were published today ( Aug. 18 ) in the journal .

A teensy animal, with a long nose, a fur tuft on its tail and big, spectacled eyes hadn't been seen in nearly half a century. That is, until a whiff of peanut butter lured the wee mouse-sized mammal out from the rocky, rugged lands of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
The recently "rediscovered" mammal, called a Somali sengi (Elephantulus revoilii), is a species of elephant shrew. While elephant shrews are related to elephants , aardvarks and manatees — they're not elephants and they're not shrews.
The Somali sengi has not been seen since 1973. Everything known about the obscure mini mammal came from 39 individual specimens that were collected decades and centuries ago and that are now stored in museums, according to a statement from Global Wildlife Conservation.
Related: The world's 6 smallest mammals
This is the first-ever photo of a live Somali Sengi, a tiny mammal that was recently rediscovered in Africa. (Image credit: Photo by Steven Heritage, Duke University Lemur Center)
In 2019, a group of scientists from the U.S. and Djibouti set out to look for the species after receiving tips that the creatures could be hiding in Djibouti, although the animals had only previously been found in Somalia, according to the statement.
"For us living in Djibouti, and by extension the Horn of Africa, we never considered the sengis to be 'lost,' but this new research does bring the Somali sengi back into the scientific community, which we value," co-author Houssein Rayaleh, a research ecologist and conservationist with the nonprofit organization Association Djibouti Nature, said in the statement. Rayaleh had seen the creature before — and locals had too, correctly identifying it in photos during interviews with the scientists, according to the statement.
This Somali Sengi was spotted way up north, greatly expanding the range of the species. (Image credit: Photo by Houssein Rayaleh, Association Djibouti Nature)
Using information from interviews, analysis of dung piles at candidate sites and assessments of terrain and sheltering potential, the researchers set up 1,259 traps at 12 different locations across the rocky terrain. They lured the animals to the traps by setting out peanut butter, oatmeal and yeast. They caught one of the elusive mammals in the first trap they set.
In total, they found 12 Somali sengis, which they could distinguish from a similar species by the tuft of fur on their tails, according to the statement. "For Djibouti, this is an important story that highlights the great biodiversity of the country and the region and shows that there are opportunities for new science and research here," Rayaleh said.
They found all of sengis by rocky outcrops and relatively sparse vegetation, areas that are typically inhospitable to human activities, meaning the tiny creatures are not likely to experience habitat destruction, according to the statement. Because they found comparable numbers to other sengi taxa and because they now know that the creatures live beyond just Somalia, the authors recommended that the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species change the Somali sengi's current "data deficient" status to "least concern," according to the statement.
"Usually when we rediscover lost species, we find just one or two individuals and have to act quickly to try to prevent their imminent extinction," Robin Moore, one of GWC's Search for Lost Species program leads, said in the statement. "This is a welcome and wonderful rediscovery during a time of turmoil for our planet, and one that fills us with renewed hope for the remaining small mammal species on our most wanted list." (GWC crafted a list of 25 of the most wanted "lost" species.)
The findings were published today (Aug. 18) in the journal PeerJ .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-18--What if a powerful hurricane hits during the pandemic? Here's how to prevent a double disaster.

With the peak of fast approaching , possible evacuations must be planned to help people dodge the storms and avoid causing uncontrolled outbreaks of COVID-19 .
Now , a new mathematical model offers guidance on how to minimize COVID-19 spread during large-scale evacuations : People evacuating from hard-hit counties should be directed to counties with relatively lower rates of .
The burden then falls to these `` destination counties '' to enforce social distancing and mask wearing , among other countermeasures to reduce transmission .
If all counties adequately prepare , additional coronavirus spread can be minimized , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been peer-reviewed .
In the worst-case scenario modeled by the team , more than two million evacuees from high-transmission counties retreated to areas with similarly high viral transmission , and their travel and interactions with others resulted in about 66,000 extra COVID-19 cases .
In the best-case scenario , evacuees were systematically divided among low-transmission counties , resulting in only about 9,000 new cases .
Related : Hurricane preparation : What to do '' Those are just hypothetical scenarios , '' but the overall trends revealed by the model could help local officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study author Sen Pei , an associate research scientist in the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York , told Live Science .
In their report , posted Aug. 11 to the preprint database , Pei and his co-authors noted that the ability to minimize viral spread largely lies with the destination counties — namely , `` the degree to which counties are prepared to host , isolate and meet the needs of evacuees while also minimizing virus exposure . ''
`` The major factor here is just to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populations , '' Pei said .
`` But it 's challenging when you have to provide accommodation for those people . ''
The researchers built their model using data from the formidable , which made landfall in Florida in September 2017 .
They found that evacuees from the storm dispersed to 165 different destinations across 26 states ; these locations served as the `` destination counties '' in their hypothetical model .
Based on additional historical data from four southeast Florida counties — Palm Beach , Broward , Miami-Dade and Monroe — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would leave the counties in response to a Category 3 .
The researchers then assigned these evacuees to different destination counties to devise four hypothetical scenarios .
In the `` baseline '' scenario , evacuees retreated to the same counties they would have for Hurricane Irma , in terms of overall proportions .
In two additional scenarios , 90 % of the evacuees were either directed to the 82 counties with the highest rates of COVID-19 transmission or the 82 counties with the lowest rates .
After noting that movement to low-transmission counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fourth scenario that assigned evacuees to low-transmission counties more systematically , to determine precisely how many should be sent where to limit overall case counts .
Related : 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history In addition , the model assumed that the rate of COVID-19 spread would increase by 20 % in each origin county as the refugees prepare to leave and again when they finally return home , given that coming back requires travel , restocking on supplies , and potentially cleanup from the storm or sheltering with others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Essentially , the model simulates what would happen if we move people from one location to the other and then move them back , '' Pei said .
`` We wanted to see how this movement of infections across the country would impact the course of the pandemic . ''
The model does not account for the behavior of individual evacuees once they reach their destination , Pei noted .
For example , rates of COVID-19 spread may change depending on how many evacuees stay with family or friends , rather than in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have on hand may determine how much they interact with the local community .
To capture different degrees of mingling between the hosts and refugees , the team adjusted the rate of transmission in the destination counties , increasing it by either 0 % , 10 % or 20 % when the refugees arrived .
`` Those [ percentages ] are all abstractions of those people 's individual behaviors , '' Pei said .
COVID-19 cases go up in the 20 % scenario , where refugees mingle with their hosts a fair amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high rates of viral spread .
`` That makes sense intuitively because you 're moving people around more , '' said Pamela Murray-Tuite , a professor of civil engineering at Clemson University in South Carolina , who was not involved in the study .
However , to fine-tune the model and make it more realistic , the researchers would have to incorporate data about real human behavior , Murray-Tuite said .
Related : Name that hurricane : Famous examples of the 5 hurricane categories '' What we do n't know yet is whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the people living in that destination [ county ] , '' in terms of their compliance with mask wearing , how often they frequent local businesses and whether they stick to social distancing , for instance , Murray-Tuite said .
In addition , the amount of time people remain in the destination county would depend on the path of the storm , whether the roads home remain safe to travel on and whether a given evacuee stays in a shelter or with friends , among other factors .
What 's more , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of people would allow you to direct them to a given location … if they do n't have friends or family there , '' she noted .
The mathematical model rests on the assumption that the vast majority of evacuees will accept their destination county assignment , but that would likely be an unrealistic expectation , she said .
Murray-Tuite and her research team plan to survey people seeking refuge from natural disasters during the pandemic to see how they behave .
The survey data will be combined with information from Tweets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fit individual behaviors into their greater context .
Murray-Tuite said that she expects the individuals ' perceptions of risks will drive their behavior and determine how they interact with communities they encounter .
Given the risk of catching COVID-19 , a person 's `` may play a greater role than they even have in the past , '' in terms of whether people are willing to evacuate their homes , she added .
`` It 's one thing to have COVID , but COVID in a ?
Now you 're dealing with multiplicative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a professor of political science at Rice University , who was not involved in the study .
Evacuees must weigh the relative risks of leaving their homes and potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19 , versus staying home and weathering a dangerous storm .
To help people resolve these tough decisions , public officials must clearly communicate who should evacuate — and who should stay home , Stein said .
So-called shadow evacuees , or people who evacuate when there is no recommendation to do so , can clog the roads during typical evacuations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also amplify the risk of viral spread , Stein noted .
Communicating the risk that shadow evacuees pose to others and getting people to comply with official guidance `` requires a level of public trust , '' he said .
Stein and his research team are studying who should deliver messages about risk and disaster responses to reach the public most effectively .
He noted that county-level elected officials and governors , as well as local celebrities and athletes , all hold sway in public discourse and can help communicate clear , trustworthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The key thing here is to stay away from partisanship , '' Stein noted .
`` The argument that we 've used … is that we try to communicate to people that we 're all in this together . ''
To get people to not only evacuate but to go to an approved destination , counties need adequate supplies and funding to care for evacuees once they arrive , he said .
Beyond providing food , transportation , accommodations and medical care , ideally , destination counties should be able to test evacuees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive and perform , Stein said .
Evacuees should also be reminded to pack their own food , water , medical supplies and masks so they can avoid relying on stores in their destination county to stock up , Murray-Tuite added .
( The American Red Cross has further guidance on what to pack in your evacuation kit . )
In short , while Pei 's model provides helpful hints for planning this year 's hurricane evacuations , the hard work will be in applying those lessons in real life .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious : If we have the COVID virus running around and a hurricane , it 's going to be a problem , '' Stein said .
The model hints at one solution , that is , sending evacuees to counties with low COVID-19 transmission rates .
Now comes the work of figuring out how that can be done , in practicality , Stein said .
`` You 've identified a solution , now tell us how we 're going to implement this . ''

With the peak of hurricane season fast approaching, possible evacuations must be planned to help people dodge the storms and avoid causing uncontrolled outbreaks of COVID-19.
Now, a new mathematical model offers guidance on how to minimize COVID-19 spread during large-scale evacuations: People evacuating from hard-hit counties should be directed to counties with relatively lower rates of viral spread . The burden then falls to these "destination counties" to enforce social distancing and mask wearing, among other countermeasures to reduce COVID-19 transmission. If all counties adequately prepare, additional coronavirus spread can be minimized, according to the research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed.
In the worst-case scenario modeled by the team, more than two million evacuees from high-transmission counties retreated to areas with similarly high viral transmission, and their travel and interactions with others resulted in about 66,000 extra COVID-19 cases. In the best-case scenario, evacuees were systematically divided among low-transmission counties, resulting in only about 9,000 new cases.
Related: Hurricane preparation: What to do
"Those are just hypothetical scenarios," but the overall trends revealed by the model could help local officials plan for large-scale evacuations to come, study author Sen Pei, an associate research scientist in the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York, told Live Science. In their report, posted Aug. 11 to the preprint database medRxiv , Pei and his co-authors noted that the ability to minimize viral spread largely lies with the destination counties — namely, "the degree to which counties are prepared to host, isolate and meet the needs of evacuees while also minimizing virus exposure."
"The major factor here is just to limit the contact of evacuees with local populations," Pei said. "But it's challenging when you have to provide accommodation for those people."
Hypothetically...
The researchers built their model using data from the formidable Hurricane Irma , which made landfall in Florida in September 2017. They found that evacuees from the storm dispersed to 165 different destinations across 26 states; these locations served as the "destination counties" in their hypothetical model. Based on additional historical data from four southeast Florida counties — Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe — the team estimated that about 2.3 million evacuees would leave the counties in response to a Category 3 hurricane . The researchers then assigned these evacuees to different destination counties to devise four hypothetical scenarios.
In the "baseline" scenario, evacuees retreated to the same counties they would have for Hurricane Irma, in terms of overall proportions. In two additional scenarios, 90% of the evacuees were either directed to the 82 counties with the highest rates of COVID-19 transmission or the 82 counties with the lowest rates. After noting that movement to low-transmission counties minimized spread, the team designed a fourth scenario that assigned evacuees to low-transmission counties more systematically, to determine precisely how many should be sent where to limit overall case counts.
Related: 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history
In addition, the model assumed that the rate of COVID-19 spread would increase by 20% in each origin county as the refugees prepare to leave and again when they finally return home, given that coming back requires travel, restocking on supplies, and potentially cleanup from the storm or sheltering with others if homes have been destroyed.
"Essentially, the model simulates what would happen if we move people from one location to the other and then move them back," Pei said. "We wanted to see how this movement of infections across the country would impact the course of the pandemic."
The model does not account for the behavior of individual evacuees once they reach their destination, Pei noted. For example, rates of COVID-19 spread may change depending on how many evacuees stay with family or friends, rather than in public shelters, and the supplies they have on hand may determine how much they interact with the local community. To capture different degrees of mingling between the hosts and refugees, the team adjusted the rate of transmission in the destination counties, increasing it by either 0%, 10% or 20% when the refugees arrived.
"Those [percentages] are all abstractions of those people's individual behaviors," Pei said. COVID-19 cases go up in the 20% scenario, where refugees mingle with their hosts a fair amount, and especially in counties with already high rates of viral spread. "That makes sense intuitively because you're moving people around more," said Pamela Murray-Tuite, a professor of civil engineering at Clemson University in South Carolina, who was not involved in the study.
However, to fine-tune the model and make it more realistic, the researchers would have to incorporate data about real human behavior, Murray-Tuite said.
Related: Name that hurricane: Famous examples of the 5 hurricane categories
"What we don't know yet is whether the evacuees … will behave the same as the people living in that destination [county]," in terms of their compliance with mask wearing, how often they frequent local businesses and whether they stick to social distancing, for instance, Murray-Tuite said. In addition, the amount of time people remain in the destination county would depend on the path of the storm, whether the roads home remain safe to travel on and whether a given evacuee stays in a shelter or with friends, among other factors.
What's more, "I would be surprised if 90% of people would allow you to direct them to a given location … if they don't have friends or family there," she noted. The mathematical model rests on the assumption that the vast majority of evacuees will accept their destination county assignment, but that would likely be an unrealistic expectation, she said.
Real-world concerns
Murray-Tuite and her research team plan to survey people seeking refuge from natural disasters during the pandemic to see how they behave. The survey data will be combined with information from Tweets, mobility data and traffic data to fit individual behaviors into their greater context. Murray-Tuite said that she expects the individuals' perceptions of risks will drive their behavior and determine how they interact with communities they encounter.
Given the risk of catching COVID-19, a person's " age and medical conditions may play a greater role than they even have in the past," in terms of whether people are willing to evacuate their homes, she added.
"It's one thing to have COVID, but COVID in a hurricane ? Now you're dealing with multiplicative risk," said Robert Stein, a professor of political science at Rice University, who was not involved in the study. Evacuees must weigh the relative risks of leaving their homes and potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19, versus staying home and weathering a dangerous storm. To help people resolve these tough decisions, public officials must clearly communicate who should evacuate — and who should stay home, Stein said.
Related: A history of destruction: 8 great hurricanes
So-called shadow evacuees, or people who evacuate when there is no recommendation to do so, can clog the roads during typical evacuations, but during a pandemic, they also amplify the risk of viral spread, Stein noted. Communicating the risk that shadow evacuees pose to others and getting people to comply with official guidance "requires a level of public trust," he said.
Stein and his research team are studying who should deliver messages about risk and disaster responses to reach the public most effectively. He noted that county-level elected officials and governors, as well as local celebrities and athletes, all hold sway in public discourse and can help communicate clear, trustworthy guidance in times of uncertainty.
"The key thing here is to stay away from partisanship," Stein noted. "The argument that we've used … is that we try to communicate to people that we're all in this together." To get people to not only evacuate but to go to an approved destination, counties need adequate supplies and funding to care for evacuees once they arrive, he said.
Beyond providing food, transportation, accommodations and medical care, ideally, destination counties should be able to test evacuees for COVID-19, isolate those who test positive and perform thorough contact tracing , Stein said. Evacuees should also be reminded to pack their own food, water, medical supplies and masks so they can avoid relying on stores in their destination county to stock up, Murray-Tuite added. (The American Red Cross has further guidance on what to pack in your evacuation kit .)
In short, while Pei's model provides helpful hints for planning this year's hurricane evacuations, the hard work will be in applying those lessons in real life.
"I think what they're raising is the obvious: If we have the COVID virus running around and a hurricane, it's going to be a problem," Stein said. The model hints at one solution, that is, sending evacuees to counties with low COVID-19 transmission rates. Now comes the work of figuring out how that can be done, in practicality, Stein said.
"You've identified a solution, now tell us how we're going to implement this."
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-18--California reports first human plague case in 5 years

A California resident has tested positive for , marking the state 's first human case of the disease in five years , according to health officials .
The case was confirmed on Monday ( Aug. 17 ) in a resident of South Lake Tahoe , according to a from the El Dorado County Department of Health and Human Services .
The individual is described as an `` avid walker '' who may have been bitten by an infected flea while walking their dog in the Tahoe Keys area or along the `` Truckee River Corridor '' north of Highway 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is naturally present in many parts of California , including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County , '' Dr. Nancy Williams , the El Dorado County public health officer , said in the statement .
`` It 's important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors , especially while walking , hiking and/or camping in areas where wild rodents are present .
Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious . ''
The patient is currently recovering at home under the care of medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plague is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis , and the disease is perhaps best known for causing the in Europe in the 1300s .
The infection still occurs today , although it is relatively rare and usually treatable with common antibiotics .
In the U.S. , about seven cases of plague occur each year , on average , according to the .
Humans can catch the plague through flea bites or through contact with the tissue or bodily fluids of an infected animal , the CDC says .
The last known cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in two visitors to Yosemite National Park , the statement said .
A number of factors may play a role in when and where cases of plague pop up , including the behavior of people or rodents , as well as weather patterns since warmer temperatures are favorable for flea activity , .
The most common type of plague in the U.S. is known as bubonic plague , which can cause fever , nausea , weakness , and swollen and painful lymph nodes ( called buboes ) , the CDC says .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contagious , is usually caused by a flea bite .
Steps to prevent plague infections include : avoiding contact with wild rodents ( including sick , injured or dead rodents ) ; keeping pets away from rodent burrows ; keeping pets on a leash when outside ; and wearing long pants and insect repellent to reduce flea exposure , the statement said .

A California resident has tested positive for plague , marking the state's first human case of the disease in five years, according to health officials.
The case was confirmed on Monday (Aug. 17) in a resident of South Lake Tahoe, according to a statement from the El Dorado County Department of Health and Human Services.
The individual is described as an "avid walker" who may have been bitten by an infected flea while walking their dog in the Tahoe Keys area or along the "Truckee River Corridor" north of Highway 50, the statement said.
"Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County," Dr. Nancy Williams, the El Dorado County public health officer, said in the statement. "It's important that individuals take precautions for themselves and their pets when outdoors, especially while walking, hiking and/or camping in areas where wild rodents are present. Human cases of plague are extremely rare but can be very serious."
The patient is currently recovering at home under the care of medical professionals, the statement said.
Related: Pictures of a Killer: A Plague Gallery
The plague is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis, and the disease is perhaps best known for causing the Black Death in Europe in the 1300s. The infection still occurs today, although it is relatively rare and usually treatable with common antibiotics. In the U.S., about seven cases of plague occur each year, on average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .
Humans can catch the plague through flea bites or through contact with the tissue or bodily fluids of an infected animal, the CDC says.
The last known cases of plague in California occurred in 2015 in two visitors to Yosemite National Park, the statement said. A number of factors may play a role in when and where cases of plague pop up, including the behavior of people or rodents, as well as weather patterns since warmer temperatures are favorable for flea activity, Live Science previously reported .
The most common type of plague in the U.S. is known as bubonic plague, which can cause fever, nausea, weakness, and swollen and painful lymph nodes (called buboes), the CDC says. This type of plague, which is not contagious, is usually caused by a flea bite.
Steps to prevent plague infections include: avoiding contact with wild rodents (including sick, injured or dead rodents); keeping pets away from rodent burrows; keeping pets on a leash when outside; and wearing long pants and insect repellent to reduce flea exposure, the statement said.
Originally published on Live Science.