livescience--2020-08-25--Do STEM toys actually teach kids science and math?

With a rocky year of pandemic-related educational disruptions ahead , many parents are looking for ways to help their kids learn at home .
Toys advertised as teaching might seem like one way to fill the gap .
But do they really work ?
The answer is yes , research shows that toys can indeed teach science , technology , engineering and concepts — but do n't focus on advertising or fancy labels to find the best bets .
There 's no minimum educational requirement that toys must reach to label themselves a `` STEM toy , '' so almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , experts say , look for toys that encourage open-ended , active play and problem-solving .
Some proven winners ?
, board games , decks of cards and .
Related : The best STEM toys of 2020 '' If I had a huge amount of money , I would donate it to getting a nice for every child on Earth , '' said Jeffrey Trawick-Smith , a professor emeritus at the Center for Early Childhood Play at Eastern Connecticut University .
`` The things we 've seen children do — they use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Blocks ] are just magical toys . ''
Trawick-Smith 's work is part of a large body of research showing that creative , open-ended play is how young children learn STEM concepts .
In preschool , for example , the construction of complex block buildings is associated with an improvement in math learning , according to a 2017 study published in .
Blocks , puzzles and shape toys boost spatial skills , according to a 2014 review article in the journal .
Spatial skills , in turn , are associated with later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploration of shapes acts as a springboard for more complex math concepts .
There are five characteristics that make for a good educational toy , said Kathy Hirsh-Pasek , a psychologist at Temple University who studies learning in early childhood .
The toy should be active , not passive like watching something on a screen .
It should be engaging , encouraging the child to get into a flow of activity rather than distracting them with bells and whistles that interrupt their concentration .
It should be meaningful , giving the child control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage or allow for social play .
And finally , it should be fun .
`` One of the really cool things about everyday good , old-fashioned play is that it has these characteristics built in , '' Hirsh-Pasek said .
Toys that allow children to build and create also have the advantage of being renewable , Hirsh-Pasek said .
They 're different every time children return to them , meaning that kids do n't become bored of them easily .
Though adults certainly do n't have to participate in the building of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can help boost kids ' learning from play .
In a study published in 2011 in the journal , Hirsh-Pasek and her colleagues gave preschoolers ( large , interlocking building blocks that look like giant ) to play with , alongside their parents .
One group was told to play freely with the blocks .
Another was told to build a helipad .
The third group was given a preassembled helipad to play with .
The kids who played with the goal of building the helipad exhibited the most spatial-related language compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is an example of the power of guided play , Hirsh-Pasek said .
Caregivers can encourage kids ' learning by asking open-ended questions and nurturing their curiosity , said Allison Master , a research scientist at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington .
When kids feel more connected to others while doing a STEM task , they enjoy it more — and kids who think STEM is fun and enjoyable are more likely to persist in formal , Master told Live Science .
Building STEM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids enjoy — measuring while baking , or making nature observations on neighborhood walks — can be very powerful , she said .
One useful tool adults can use while playing with their children is `` math talk , '' said Trawick-Smith .
This kind of talk encourages kids to think more deeply about math .
For example , when teaching a preschooler about shapes , kids learn better when parents point out features like corners , sides and curves rather than simply labeling a shape as a triangle or a square , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide excellent opportunities for math talk , Trawick-Smith said .
For example , a parent might ask a child what number he or she needs to roll to reach the end of the gameboard , or encourage them to figure out how many spaces there are between their own game piece and another player 's .
A card game like `` War '' requires kids to decide which of two numbers is larger , and parents can encourage mathematical thinking by asking kids how much larger one card is than another .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rote memory counting and naming shapes , and more about really actually thinking about mathematical concepts , '' Trawick-Smith said .
Conveniently , math talk does n't require any toy purchases at all .
Parents can play guessing games with their kids like `` Which is the Most ? ''
( All the books on the bookshelf or all the eggs in the fridge ?
All the toys in your toybox or all the socks in your drawer ? )
or play simple scorekeeping games like drop-the-clothespins-in-the-jar .
For those who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trawick-Smith recommends picking games that include dice , spinners or other counting-based methods of moving .
Educational experts are n't in agreement about the relative benefits of screens and tech in teaching kids .
But when choosing educational tech , the same rules of active , engaging , meaningful , social and fun apply .
There are plenty of tech toys and apps that allow for open-ended and creative play , said Sudha Swaminathan , a professor of early childhood education at Eastern Connecticut State University .
For preschoolers , coding robots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; kids rearrange segments of the caterpillar or press buttons on the robot bee to direct its movements .
, not yet peer-reviewed , by Swaminathan and undergraduate researcher Jenna Mazza found that preschoolers who learned to program Bee-Bot to travel from one point to another actually improved their abilities in other math tasks , like completing patterns and comparing lengths .
For older kids , the free apps Scratch ( for 8 and up ) and ScratchJr allow kids to program their own characters and stories .
The apps were developed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Playful Invention Company .
from Tufts University shows that kids who play with coding toys show improved problem-solving skills in other tasks .
A recent study in the journal involving kindergartners , first- and second-graders who used ScratchJr found that kids ' ability to grasp complex programming problems rose with age , though even the youngest grasped the foundational concepts .
Regardless of what STEM avenues parents want to pursue — whether planting some marigold seeds in a pot or playing with a programmable robot — the important thing is to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Master said .
`` As long as you 're teaching your kids to have fun and enjoy doing STEM , I think that 's the most important thing , '' she said .

With a rocky year of pandemic-related educational disruptions ahead, many parents are looking for ways to help their kids learn at home. Toys advertised as teaching STEM might seem like one way to fill the gap. But do they really work?
The answer is yes, research shows that toys can indeed teach science, technology, engineering and math concepts — but don't focus on advertising or fancy labels to find the best bets. There's no minimum educational requirement that toys must reach to label themselves a "STEM toy," so almost everything on the market is untested. Instead, experts say, look for toys that encourage open-ended, active play and problem-solving. Some proven winners? Tinkertoys , board games, decks of cards and building blocks .
Related: The best STEM toys of 2020
"If I had a huge amount of money, I would donate it to getting a nice classic set of hardwood blocks for every child on Earth," said Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, a professor emeritus at the Center for Early Childhood Play at Eastern Connecticut University. "The things we've seen children do — they use language, they do pretend play. [Blocks] are just magical toys."
Classics of childhood
"As long as you're teaching your kids to have fun and enjoy doing STEM, I think that's the most important thing." Allison Master
Trawick-Smith's work is part of a large body of research showing that creative, open-ended play is how young children learn STEM concepts. In preschool, for example, the construction of complex block buildings is associated with an improvement in math learning, according to a 2017 study published in the Journal of Early Childhood Research . Blocks, puzzles and shape toys boost spatial skills, according to a 2014 review article in the journal Trends in Neuroscience and Education . Spatial skills, in turn, are associated with later math learning, suggesting that the early exploration of shapes acts as a springboard for more complex math concepts.
There are five characteristics that make for a good educational toy, said Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a psychologist at Temple University who studies learning in early childhood. The toy should be active, not passive like watching something on a screen. It should be engaging, encouraging the child to get into a flow of activity rather than distracting them with bells and whistles that interrupt their concentration. It should be meaningful, giving the child control and agency over play. It should encourage or allow for social play. And finally, it should be fun.
"One of the really cool things about everyday good, old-fashioned play is that it has these characteristics built in," Hirsh-Pasek said.
Toys that allow children to build and create also have the advantage of being renewable, Hirsh-Pasek said. They're different every time children return to them, meaning that kids don't become bored of them easily.
Though adults certainly don't have to participate in the building of every block tower, some grown-up guidance can help boost kids' learning from play. In a study published in 2011 in the journal Mind, Brain and Education , Hirsh-Pasek and her colleagues gave preschoolers Mega Bloks (large, interlocking building blocks that look like giant LEGOs ) to play with, alongside their parents. One group was told to play freely with the blocks. Another was told to build a helipad. The third group was given a preassembled helipad to play with. The kids who played with the goal of building the helipad exhibited the most spatial-related language compared with the other two, the researchers found. This is an example of the power of guided play, Hirsh-Pasek said.
Caregivers can encourage kids' learning by asking open-ended questions and nurturing their curiosity, said Allison Master, a research scientist at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington. When kids feel more connected to others while doing a STEM task, they enjoy it more — and kids who think STEM is fun and enjoyable are more likely to persist in formal STEM education , Master told Live Science. Building STEM into things you're already doing that kids enjoy — measuring while baking, or making nature observations on neighborhood walks — can be very powerful, she said.
Playing games
One useful tool adults can use while playing with their children is "math talk," said Trawick-Smith. This kind of talk encourages kids to think more deeply about math. For example, when teaching a preschooler about shapes, kids learn better when parents point out features like corners, sides and curves rather than simply labeling a shape as a triangle or a square, he said.
Board games and card games tend to provide excellent opportunities for math talk, Trawick-Smith said. For example, a parent might ask a child what number he or she needs to roll to reach the end of the gameboard, or encourage them to figure out how many spaces there are between their own game piece and another player's. A card game like "War" requires kids to decide which of two numbers is larger, and parents can encourage mathematical thinking by asking kids how much larger one card is than another.
"These are less about naming numbers, rote memory counting and naming shapes, and more about really actually thinking about mathematical concepts," Trawick-Smith said.
"If I had a huge amount of money, I would donate it to getting a nice classic set of hardwood blocks for every child on Earth." Jeffrey Trawick-Smith
Conveniently, math talk doesn't require any toy purchases at all. Parents can play guessing games with their kids like "Which is the Most?" (All the books on the bookshelf or all the eggs in the fridge? All the toys in your toybox or all the socks in your drawer?) or play simple scorekeeping games like drop-the-clothespins-in-the-jar.
For those who are looking to expand their board game collection, Trawick-Smith recommends picking games that include dice, spinners or other counting-based methods of moving.
Batteries included
Educational experts aren't in agreement about the relative benefits of screens and tech in teaching kids. But when choosing educational tech, the same rules of active, engaging, meaningful, social and fun apply.
There are plenty of tech toys and apps that allow for open-ended and creative play, said Sudha Swaminathan, a professor of early childhood education at Eastern Connecticut State University. For preschoolers, coding robots like Fisher-Price's Code-a-Pillar and Terrapin's Bee-Bot offer an introduction to programming; kids rearrange segments of the caterpillar or press buttons on the robot bee to direct its movements. A small study , not yet peer-reviewed, by Swaminathan and undergraduate researcher Jenna Mazza found that preschoolers who learned to program Bee-Bot to travel from one point to another actually improved their abilities in other math tasks, like completing patterns and comparing lengths.
For older kids, the free apps Scratch (for 8 and up) and ScratchJr allow kids to program their own characters and stories. The apps were developed by researchers from Tufts University, MIT and The Playful Invention Company. Research in press from Tufts University shows that kids who play with coding toys show improved problem-solving skills in other tasks. A recent study in the journal Educational Technology Research and Development involving kindergartners, first- and second-graders who used ScratchJr found that kids' ability to grasp complex programming problems rose with age, though even the youngest grasped the foundational concepts.
Regardless of what STEM avenues parents want to pursue — whether planting some marigold seeds in a pot or playing with a programmable robot — the important thing is to make sure to keep the pressure off, Master said.
"As long as you're teaching your kids to have fun and enjoy doing STEM, I think that's the most important thing," she said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-27--Ancient caiman with 'no parallel in the modern world' left 46 bite marks on sloth leg

About 13 million years ago , a wandered too close to the water 's edge , where a lay waiting to strike .
The attack likely happened in a flash , and ended with the caiman leaving nearly 50 tooth marks in the sloth 's hind leg , a new study finds .
Most of the bite marks on the sloth 's bone are shallow pits and scores , but the larger marks that punctured the tibia , better known as the shinbone , indicate that the caiman 's mouth closed over the sloth 's leg , inflicting terrible damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sloth survived , said study senior researcher Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi , a researcher of the BioGeoSciences Lab at Cayetano Heredia University in Lima , Peru .
`` The tibia of the sloth shows no signal of bone regeneration , which would be evidence of survival . ''
The ground sloth ( Pseudoprepotherium sp . )
bone was found by the Napo River in northeastern Peru in 2004 by study co-author François Pujos , a paleontologist who specializes in sloth evolution at The Scientific Technological Center at the Argentine National Research Council ( CCT-CONICET @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what had left the 46 bite marks on the sloth 's left tibia .
But in the years since Pujos discovered the bone , researchers have learned that the lakes and swamps in the early Amazon `` were plethoric in crocodylians , with up to seven species living together at that time , '' including a with peg-like teeth , Salas-Gismondi told Live Science in an email .
( The crocodylian order includes extinct and living crocodiles , alligators , caimans and gharials . )
Last year , Salas-Gismondi recalled , Pujos approached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now ready to know who killed this ground sloth ? ''
The two began investigating the potential criminals .
They ruled out other predators living in Peru 's prehistoric swamps , including giant flightless birds ( who had no teeth ) and ( whose teeth did n't match the bite marks on the sloth bone ) .
Instead , all of the evidence incriminated the giant caiman Purussaurus — a behemoth that could grow up to 33 feet ( 10 meters ) long , making it the largest known non-marine predator after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The dentition and anatomy of Purussaurus perfectly matches with the marks found in the tibia , '' he said .
This Purussaurus — likely a 13-foot-long ( 4 m ) juvenile based on the size of its tooth marks — likely ambushed the ground sloth , although another scenario is also possible , he said .
`` We can not discard that the marks were produced after death , during dismemberment of the ground sloth carcass , '' Salas-Gismondi noted .
Crocodylians often leave this many bite marks on a single bone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville , who was n't involved with the study .
`` I 've done some work with modern crocodylians , '' Drumheller-Horton told Live Science .
`` They really can wear out a bone .
It 's not unusual to find dozens and in some cases hundreds of individual tooth marks on a single bone . ''
Related : In photos : A jaguar takes down a caiman in Brazil This is only the second fossil on record showing evidence of a Purussaurus attack .
The other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is on display at the Natural History Museum in Lima .
That turtle sustained a 25-inch-long ( 60 centimeter ) bite mark on its shell .
It `` survived the attack , '' Salas-Gismondi said , `` but lost a big portion of the carapace [ the upper shell ] and the left hindlimb was amputated .
We know that the turtle survived because the carapace shows bone regeneration . ''
Crunching a turtle shell would have been no problem for Purussaurus , which lived during the ( 23 million to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an adult , this caiman had a bite force estimated at 7 tons ( 6.3 metric tons ) , more than four times the strongest bite ever measured in living and extinct animals , according to earlier research .
( The saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus has a bite force of 1.6 tons , or 1.5 metric tons . )
`` With this bite force , adult Purussaurus individuals were able to incorporate into their diet whatever , no matter the size or hardness , '' Salas-Gismondi said .
`` These animals had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The study was published online yesterday ( Aug. 26 ) in the journal .

About 13 million years ago, a ground sloth wandered too close to the water's edge, where a caiman lay waiting to strike. The attack likely happened in a flash, and ended with the caiman leaving nearly 50 tooth marks in the sloth's hind leg, a new study finds.
Most of the bite marks on the sloth's bone are shallow pits and scores, but the larger marks that punctured the tibia, better known as the shinbone, indicate that the caiman's mouth closed over the sloth's leg, inflicting terrible damage.
"There is no chance" the sloth survived, said study senior researcher Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi, a researcher of the BioGeoSciences Lab at Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, Peru. "The tibia of the sloth shows no signal of bone regeneration, which would be evidence of survival."
Related: Photos: Ancient crocodile relatives roamed the Amazon
The ground sloth (Pseudoprepotherium sp.) bone was found by the Napo River in northeastern Peru in 2004 by study co-author François Pujos, a paleontologist who specializes in sloth evolution at The Scientific Technological Center at the Argentine National Research Council (CCT-CONICET).
It wasn't immediately clear what had left the 46 bite marks on the sloth's left tibia. But in the years since Pujos discovered the bone, researchers have learned that the lakes and swamps in the early Amazon "were plethoric in crocodylians, with up to seven species living together at that time," including a shovel-mouthed crocodile with peg-like teeth, Salas-Gismondi told Live Science in an email. (The crocodylian order includes extinct and living crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials.)
Image 1 of 6 The ground sloth's bone was found in the Pebas Mega-Wetland System, in northeastern Peru. Here are drawings and photos showing the bite marks (in red) that cover the left tibia (shinbone) of the ground sloth Pseudoprepotherium. (Image credit: François Pujos and Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi. Biology Letters (2020))
(Image credit: R. Salas-Gismondi)
This 2004 photo shows lignite (soft coal) deposits by the Napo River that hold Miocene epoch bones, including the tibia belonging to the sloth. (Image credit: P. Baby)
A sloth claw found at the Pebas Formation in 2004. (Image credit: P. Baby)
(Image credit: J. Tejada-Lara)
Researchers found a small Purussaurus jaw at the Pebas Formation by the Napo River in Peru. The sloth tibia was found nearby. (Image credit: P. Baby)
Last year, Salas-Gismondi recalled, Pujos approached him and asked, "Are we now ready to know who killed this ground sloth?" The two began investigating the potential criminals. They ruled out other predators living in Peru's prehistoric swamps, including giant flightless birds (who had no teeth) and marsupials (whose teeth didn't match the bite marks on the sloth bone). Instead, all of the evidence incriminated the giant caiman Purussaurus — a behemoth that could grow up to 33 feet (10 meters) long, making it the largest known non-marine predator after the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs , Salas-Gismondi said.
"The dentition and anatomy of Purussaurus perfectly matches with the marks found in the tibia," he said. This Purussaurus — likely a 13-foot-long (4 m) juvenile based on the size of its tooth marks — likely ambushed the ground sloth, although another scenario is also possible, he said.
"We cannot discard that the marks were produced after death, during dismemberment of the ground sloth carcass," Salas-Gismondi noted.
Crocodylians often leave this many bite marks on a single bone, said Stephanie Drumheller-Horton, a paleontologist at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, who wasn't involved with the study. "I've done some work with modern crocodylians," Drumheller-Horton told Live Science. "They really can wear out a bone. It's not unusual to find dozens and in some cases hundreds of individual tooth marks on a single bone."
Related: In photos: A jaguar takes down a caiman in Brazil
This is only the second fossil on record showing evidence of a Purussaurus attack. The other is a shell from the aquatic turtle Podocnemis, which is on display at the Natural History Museum in Lima. That turtle sustained a 25-inch-long (60 centimeter) bite mark on its shell. It "survived the attack," Salas-Gismondi said, "but lost a big portion of the carapace [the upper shell] and the left hindlimb was amputated. We know that the turtle survived because the carapace shows bone regeneration."
Crunching a turtle shell would have been no problem for Purussaurus, which lived during the Miocene epoch (23 million to 5 million years ago). As an adult, this caiman had a bite force estimated at 7 tons (6.3 metric tons), more than four times the strongest bite ever measured in living and extinct animals, according to earlier research. (The saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus has a bite force of 1.6 tons, or 1.5 metric tons.)
"With this bite force, adult Purussaurus individuals were able to incorporate into their diet whatever, no matter the size or hardness," Salas-Gismondi said. "These animals had no parallel in the modern world."
The study was published online yesterday (Aug. 26) in the journal Biology Letters .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-27--Cells solved Henry VIII's infamous hedge maze by 'seeing around corners,' video shows

For a single cell , the is a gargantuan maze of tissues , chemicals and capillaries , crammed full with trillions of other cells all bustling about like commuters at the world 's busiest train station .
Somehow , amidst all this hubbub , most cells still manage to reach their destinations .
How do they do it ?
Many cells have a trick up their sleeves known as —essentially , the ability to navigate by sensing the presence or absence of chemical attractants in the environment .
use chemotaxis to find eggs , white blood cells use it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to metastasize through vulnerable tissues .
So , can an amoeba use chemotaxis to solve the world 's most infamous hedge maze ?
That 's precisely what happened in a new study published today ( Aug. 27 ) in the journal .
To test the power of a specific form of chemotaxis employed by the farthest-traveling cells , researchers created miniature versions of the ( once the residence of and his descendants ) plus dozens more microscopic labyrinths of varying complexity .
Remarkably , when amoebas were released in these mazes they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , using chemotaxis to effectively `` see around corners '' and avoid dead-ends before they even reached them , study author Robert Insall said .
`` The cells are n't waiting for someone to tell them what to do , '' Insall , a professor of mathematical and computational cell biology at the University of Glasgow in Scotland , told Live Science .
`` By breaking down the chemicals in front of them , they know which branch of the maze leads to a dead-end and which leads [ to the exit ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In their new study , the researchers focused on a specific form of cell navigation called `` self-generated '' chemotaxis .
It relies on a simple philosophy : cells want to move from areas of a lower concentration of attractant ( in this case , an acidic solution called adenosine monophosphate ) into areas with a higher concentration .
`` It 's sort of like the old saying , 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence , ' '' Insall said .
`` The cows have eaten all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they want to get into the surrounding field where the grass is still growing . ''
But sometimes there are multiple `` fields '' to choose from , illustrated in this study by the multiple branching paths of a maze .
To determine which branch holds the higher concentration of attractant , cells break down the molecules in front of them , causing attractant from the nearby areas to diffuse toward them .
As the cells move forward , the attractant ahead of them depletes more and more ; eventually , short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totally depleted of attractant , even before the cells reach the exit to a dead end .
When faced with a short , depleted branch and a long , attractant-filled branch , the cells will never take the dead-end route , Insall said .
`` They really can see around corners , '' Insall said .
The researchers illustrated this phenomenon with computer models at the start of their study , but wanted to see it in action , too .
So , they created more than 100 microscopic mazes by etching grooves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path measuring between 10 and 40 microns wide .
( For comparison , the thinnest human hairs measure about 20 microns wide ) .
Mazes ranged from easy ( just a few branching paths before the exit ) to difficult ( with long dead-end paths , like the Hampton Court hedge maze replica ) to impossible ( according to Insall , a replica of Scotland 's had to be scrapped , because all the amoebas kept dying before they solved the puzzle ) .
The researchers cast these tiny mazes in rubber , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was piped in from the maze exit .
At the start of each maze , soil amoebas called Dictyostelium discoideum lined up and began to swim forward , breaking down the fluid molecules before them .
The longest mazes took about 2 hours for the savvy cells to solve , Insall said , while the shorter ones took just 30 minutes .
The real-life cells performed exactly as the team 's models predicted ; when faced with the choice between a short dead-end path and a long path that led toward the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long path .
In harder mazes , which included dead-end paths that were just as long as the correct path , cells chose correctly about 50 % of the time .
In both cases , cells that entered the maze first were the most likely to reach the exit ; cells that straggled found that every path , even the correct one , had already been depleted of attractant by their competitors , leaving the stragglers no information about where to go .
`` The amount of information cells can read by breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone thought , '' Insall said .
`` That makes us think that most biological problems , where cells have to find their way from one place to another , almost certainly use a mechanism like this . ''
Even though the study focused on amoebas , the researchers believe the results should hold true for any number of human body cells — be it blood cells darting through tissues to reach an infection , or cancerous glioblastoma cells swimming down white matter channels of the brain .
The type of attractant is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in many cases , is still unknown to scientists ) , but for cells navigating the winding labyrinth of our bodies , figuring out where the grass is greener may be the best way to go .

For a single cell, the human body is a gargantuan maze of tissues, chemicals and capillaries, crammed full with trillions of other cells all bustling about like commuters at the world's busiest train station. Somehow, amidst all this hubbub, most cells still manage to reach their destinations.
How do they do it? Many cells have a trick up their sleeves known as chemotaxis —essentially, the ability to navigate by sensing the presence or absence of chemical attractants in the environment. Sperm cells use chemotaxis to find eggs, white blood cells use it to rally around infection sites and cancer cells use it to metastasize through vulnerable tissues.
So, can an amoeba use chemotaxis to solve the world's most infamous hedge maze? That's precisely what happened in a new study published today (Aug. 27) in the journal Science .
Related: Gallery: The BioDigital Human
To test the power of a specific form of chemotaxis employed by the farthest-traveling cells, researchers created miniature versions of the hedge maze at Hampton Court Palace (once the residence of King Henry VIII and his descendants) plus dozens more microscopic labyrinths of varying complexity. Remarkably, when amoebas were released in these mazes they darted to the exits with incredible accuracy, using chemotaxis to effectively "see around corners" and avoid dead-ends before they even reached them, study author Robert Insall said.
"The cells aren't waiting for someone to tell them what to do," Insall, a professor of mathematical and computational cell biology at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, told Live Science. "By breaking down the chemicals in front of them, they know which branch of the maze leads to a dead-end and which leads [to the exit]. It's absolutely unbelievable."
Cells in a maze
In their new study, the researchers focused on a specific form of cell navigation called "self-generated" chemotaxis. It relies on a simple philosophy: cells want to move from areas of a lower concentration of attractant (in this case, an acidic solution called adenosine monophosphate) into areas with a higher concentration.
"It's sort of like the old saying, 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence,'" Insall said. "The cows have eaten all of the grass where they are, and they want to get into the surrounding field where the grass is still growing."
But sometimes there are multiple "fields" to choose from, illustrated in this study by the multiple branching paths of a maze. To determine which branch holds the higher concentration of attractant, cells break down the molecules in front of them, causing attractant from the nearby areas to diffuse toward them. As the cells move forward, the attractant ahead of them depletes more and more; eventually, short, dead-end branches of the maze are totally depleted of attractant, even before the cells reach the exit to a dead end. When faced with a short, depleted branch and a long, attractant-filled branch, the cells will never take the dead-end route, Insall said.
"They really can see around corners," Insall said.
The researchers illustrated this phenomenon with computer models at the start of their study, but wanted to see it in action, too. So, they created more than 100 microscopic mazes by etching grooves onto a silicon chip, with each path measuring between 10 and 40 microns wide. (For comparison, the thinnest human hairs measure about 20 microns wide).
Mazes ranged from easy (just a few branching paths before the exit) to difficult (with long dead-end paths, like the Hampton Court hedge maze replica) to impossible (according to Insall, a replica of Scotland's Traquair House maze had to be scrapped, because all the amoebas kept dying before they solved the puzzle).
The researchers cast these tiny mazes in rubber, then flooded them with a fluid attractant that was piped in from the maze exit. At the start of each maze, soil amoebas called Dictyostelium discoideum lined up and began to swim forward, breaking down the fluid molecules before them. The longest mazes took about 2 hours for the savvy cells to solve, Insall said, while the shorter ones took just 30 minutes.
The real-life cells performed exactly as the team's models predicted; when faced with the choice between a short dead-end path and a long path that led toward the exit, the cells always chose the long path. In harder mazes, which included dead-end paths that were just as long as the correct path, cells chose correctly about 50% of the time. In both cases, cells that entered the maze first were the most likely to reach the exit; cells that straggled found that every path, even the correct one, had already been depleted of attractant by their competitors, leaving the stragglers no information about where to go.
"The amount of information cells can read by breaking chemicals down is much more sophisticated than anyone thought," Insall said. "That makes us think that most biological problems, where cells have to find their way from one place to another, almost certainly use a mechanism like this."
Even though the study focused on amoebas, the researchers believe the results should hold true for any number of human body cells — be it blood cells darting through tissues to reach an infection, or cancerous glioblastoma cells swimming down white matter channels of the brain. The type of attractant is likely different in each situation (and, in many cases, is still unknown to scientists), but for cells navigating the winding labyrinth of our bodies, figuring out where the grass is greener may be the best way to go.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-27--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--2020-08-27--Hand sanitizers sold in beer cans and children's food pouches? Don't buy them, FDA says

Some products are being packaged in containers typically used for food and drinks , leading to concerns that people may accidentally ingest the products , according to health officials .
On Thursday ( Aug. 27 ) , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) warned consumers about these hand sanitizer products , which have been packaged in a variety of potentially misleading containers , including beer cans , water bottles , juice bottles , vodka bottles and children 's food pouches , the agency .
In addition , officials have found hand sanitizers with food flavors , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically contain 60 % to 70 % alcohol , so can be toxic when ingested , particularly for young children who may develop alcohol poisoning .
Related : Dozens of hand sanitizers contain a toxic ingredient .
How do you know yours is safe ?
`` I am increasingly concerned about hand sanitizer being packaged to appear to be consumable products , '' FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said in the statement .
`` These products could confuse consumers into accidentally ingesting a potentially deadly product . ''
For example , the FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who purchased what they thought was a bottle of water , but was actually hand sanitizer .
The agency also learned about a hand sanitizer product sporting cartoons for children and packaged in a container that resembled a snack pouch , the statement said .
The FDA has identified safety issues with numerous hand sanitizer products , which have flooded the market amid the COVID-19 .
Since June , the agency has found dozens of hand sanitizer products that contain methanol , a toxic substance that can cause nausea , vomiting , permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ingested , .
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that at least four people in the U.S. have died after drinking methanol-tainted hand sanitizer , and about a dozen more have experienced serious health effects such as vision loss and seizures , .
The FDA said it will continue to work with manufacturers to recall potentially dangerous hand sanitizer products and remove them from the market .
The agency also keeps a running list of risky hand sanitizer products that people should not use .
In early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to include a warning about hand sanitizer products packaged as food or drinks .
But Thursday 's warning highlights this issue and provides more detailed information .

Some hand sanitizer products are being packaged in containers typically used for food and drinks, leading to concerns that people may accidentally ingest the products, according to health officials.
On Thursday (Aug. 27), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers about these hand sanitizer products, which have been packaged in a variety of potentially misleading containers, including beer cans, water bottles, juice bottles, vodka bottles and children's food pouches, the agency said in a statement . In addition, officials have found hand sanitizers with food flavors, such as chocolate and raspberry.
Hand sanitizers typically contain 60% to 70% alcohol, so can be toxic when ingested, particularly for young children who may develop alcohol poisoning.
Related: Dozens of hand sanitizers contain a toxic ingredient. How do you know yours is safe?
"I am increasingly concerned about hand sanitizer being packaged to appear to be consumable products," FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said in the statement. "These products could confuse consumers into accidentally ingesting a potentially deadly product."
For example, the FDA recently received a report about a person who purchased what they thought was a bottle of water, but was actually hand sanitizer. The agency also learned about a hand sanitizer product sporting cartoons for children and packaged in a container that resembled a snack pouch, the statement said.
The FDA has identified safety issues with numerous hand sanitizer products, which have flooded the market amid the COVID-19 pandemic . Since June, the agency has found dozens of hand sanitizer products that contain methanol, a toxic substance that can cause nausea, vomiting, permanent blindness, seizures and even death if ingested, Live Science previously reported .
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that at least four people in the U.S. have died after drinking methanol-tainted hand sanitizer, and about a dozen more have experienced serious health effects such as vision loss and seizures, Live Science previously reported .
The FDA said it will continue to work with manufacturers to recall potentially dangerous hand sanitizer products and remove them from the market. The agency also keeps a running list of risky hand sanitizer products that people should not use . In early July, the FDA updated this list to include a warning about hand sanitizer products packaged as food or drinks. But Thursday's warning highlights this issue and provides more detailed information.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-27--Record-setting Hurricane Laura kills 4, leaves trail of destruction across Louisiana

Laura barrelled ashore in southwestern Louisiana in the dark hours of the morning ( Aug. 27 ) as a category 4 storm .
Right before landfall , it became the strongest Gulf hurricane since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 .
Laura , now weakened to a tropical storm , is headed northeast , but the storm surge it left behind may not recede for days .
Today 's sunrise revealed flooding and wind damage across the region .
The Associated Press this morning that stranded people in the city of Lake Charles , Louisiana , a city in the storm 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had n't received aid yet , as first responders in the region were also trapped indoors .
At least four people in the state died as a result of the hurricane , including a 14-year-old girl who was killed when a tree fell on her family 's house in Leesville , Louisiana , according to .
The storm previously killed 20 people in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic , according to .
It also caused major flooding in Puerto Rico , where two teenagers narrowly escaped drowning after spending hours trapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to .
Over 850,000 are without power in Louisiana , Texas and Arkansas , according to PowerOutage.us .
The total extent of the storm 's damage to the Louisiana and southeastern Texas coasts is still unclear as rain and high winds continue to trail through the region .
The National Hurricane Center ( NHC ) stated that an `` unsurvivable '' storm surge could penetrate up to 40 miles ( 64 kilometers ) inland and not recede for days .
Laura did not move toward Houston as originally projected .
Instead , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now poised to enter Arkansas .
Meanwhile , a `` life threatening storm surge '' at the coastal border of Texas and Louisiana continued as of 8 a.m .
ET , according to the .
At its overnight landfall , Laura was a category 4 storm with 150 mph ( 240 kph ) winds .
That makes it the most intense storm ever to hit Louisiana in at least 170 years .
At its most powerful , just before landfall , Laura had strengthened into a category 5 storm , recording the strongest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Katrina 's pre-landfall peak .
During landfall , National Weather Service flood gauges recorded storm surges over 10 feet ( 3 meters ) in the worst-hit areas .
Wind gusts reached up to 132 mph ( 212 kph ) in Lake Charles , Louisiana , the largest population center in the storm 's path .
Related : Hurricane season : How long it lasts and what to expect Reporters and residents shared footage overnight of intense winds lifting heavy debris into the air and ripping material off of buildings .
Flash flooding will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and streams in Louisiana , Mississippi and Arkansas , according to the NHC .
Heavy rainfall , flash flooding and urban floods will threaten parts of southern Ohio , Tennessee and the mid-Atlantic states Friday and Saturday as the storm moves northeast , according to the NHC .
Multiple studies have shown that powerful hurricanes like Laura are becoming more common in this era of dramatic climate change , .
Severe storms such as this one , along with the major wildfires that have forced evacuations in four western states this month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic even more difficult , Laura set the record for the earliest 13th tropical cyclone in a year ; typically , the 13th storm does n't form until at least September .
With three more months of hurricane season left , that 2020 will continue to be busy with whirling storms .

Hurricane Laura barrelled ashore in southwestern Louisiana in the dark hours of the morning (Aug. 27) as a category 4 storm. Right before landfall, it became the strongest Gulf hurricane since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Laura, now weakened to a tropical storm, is headed northeast, but the storm surge it left behind may not recede for days.
Today's sunrise revealed flooding and wind damage across the region. The Associated Press reported this morning that stranded people in the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana, a city in the storm's path, were calling for help but hadn't received aid yet, as first responders in the region were also trapped indoors.
7:53 am — have to take back roads to get to Lake Charles. Since part of I-10 was closed last night. Passing lots of scenes like this. #abc13 #laura pic.twitter.com/HZ942a0EL8August 27, 2020 See more
At least four people in the state died as a result of the hurricane, including a 14-year-old girl who was killed when a tree fell on her family's house in Leesville, Louisiana, according to NOLA.com . The storm previously killed 20 people in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic, according to The Weather Channel . It also caused major flooding in Puerto Rico, where two teenagers narrowly escaped drowning after spending hours trapped on a rock amid floodwaters, according to El Nuevo Dia .
Over 850,000 are without power in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas, according to PowerOutage.us.
The total extent of the storm's damage to the Louisiana and southeastern Texas coasts is still unclear as rain and high winds continue to trail through the region. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts stated that an "unsurvivable" storm surge could penetrate up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) inland and not recede for days.
Laura did not move toward Houston as originally projected. Instead, the storm tracked northeast across Louisiana and is now poised to enter Arkansas. Meanwhile, a "life threatening storm surge" at the coastal border of Texas and Louisiana continued as of 8 a.m. ET, according to the NHC .
At its overnight landfall, Laura was a category 4 storm with 150 mph (240 kph) winds. That makes it the most intense storm ever to hit Louisiana in at least 170 years. At its most powerful, just before landfall, Laura had strengthened into a category 5 storm, recording the strongest winds in the Gulf of Mexico since Katrina's pre-landfall peak.
During landfall, National Weather Service flood gauges recorded storm surges over 10 feet (3 meters) in the worst-hit areas. Wind gusts reached up to 132 mph (212 kph) in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the largest population center in the storm's path.
Hurricane #Laura left a trail of destruction in Lake Charles, LA. Winds gusted to at least 132 mph in the city. Video via Brandon Clement with Live Storms Media. #LAwx pic.twitter.com/qUXDvjcuoFAugust 27, 2020 See more
Before and after #Hurricane #Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana #wx #louisiana #louisianawx #lakecharleslouisiana #wsaz pic.twitter.com/IiAeSgGukkAugust 27, 2020 See more
Related: Hurricane season: How long it lasts and what to expect
Reporters and residents shared footage overnight of intense winds lifting heavy debris into the air and ripping material off of buildings.
BREAkING! Buildings gutted in Lake Charles LA in powerful eye wall of #HurricaneLaura @RadarOmega_WX @ChasinSpin pic.twitter.com/wP3fPyREIZAugust 27, 2020 See more
Flash flooding will be a major ongoing threat along rivers and streams in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, according to the NHC.
Heavy rainfall, flash flooding and urban floods will threaten parts of southern Ohio, Tennessee and the mid-Atlantic states Friday and Saturday as the storm moves northeast, according to the NHC.
Multiple studies have shown that powerful hurricanes like Laura are becoming more common in this era of dramatic climate change, Live Science previously reported .
Severe storms such as this one, along with the major wildfires that have forced evacuations in four western states this month, make controlling the spread of the coronavirus epidemic even more difficult, Live Science previously reported.
Laura set the record for the earliest 13th tropical cyclone in a year; typically, the 13th storm doesn't form until at least September. With three more months of hurricane season left, meteorologists expect that 2020 will continue to be busy with whirling storms.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-27--FDA gives emergency approval to rapid, cheap coronavirus antigen test

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized a new , rapid antigen test for COVID-19 , which costs $ 5 and can diagnose an infection in 15 minutes .
The test , made by Abbott Labs , is the size of a credit card and does not require any lab equipment to run .
Rather , the device has a similar design to some pregnancy tests , allowing health care providers to read test results directly from the testing card , the FDA said .
A patient is given a nasal swab , which is then inserted into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to look for small proteins on the surface of the coronavirus , according to an approval letter from the FDA .
If such proteins are present in the sample , the test , known as the `` BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card , '' will display a colored line to indicate a COVID-19 infection .
The test has demonstrated 97.1 % sensitivity and 98.5 % specificity , according to Abbott .
When a test is sensitive , it means that it correctly diagnoses most people who are infected with the virus ; whereas when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it does n't have many `` false positives , '' .
The rapid test also comes linked to an app called NAVICA , which will allow users that test negative to display their results to organizations as a `` digital health pass , '' according to a statement released by Abbott .
`` With lab-based tests , you get excellent sensitivity but might have to wait days or longer to get the results , '' Joseph Petrosino , a chairman and professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
Petrosino ’ s labs have been leading efforts to provide testing for Baylor College and Harris County in Texas , according to the statement .
`` With a rapid antigen test , you get a result right away , getting infectious people off the streets and into quarantine so they do n't spread the virus , ” Petrosino said .
But the test is only allowed to be given by healthcare professionals .
The new test is the fourth antigen test to receive `` emergency use authorization '' ( EUA ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorization is permission given to unapproved products to be used in an emergency to diagnose , treat or prevent serious or life-threatening conditions , `` when there are no adequate , approved , and available alternatives , '' according to the FDA .
By the beginning of October , Abbott will ship out about 50 million tests a month , according to the statement .

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized a new, rapid antigen test for COVID-19, which costs $5 and can diagnose an infection in 15 minutes.
The test, made by Abbott Labs, is the size of a credit card and does not require any lab equipment to run. Rather, the device has a similar design to some pregnancy tests, allowing health care providers to read test results directly from the testing card, the FDA said.
A patient is given a nasal swab, which is then inserted into the test card. The test is designed to look for small proteins on the surface of the coronavirus, according to an approval letter from the FDA . If such proteins are present in the sample, the test, known as the "BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card," will display a colored line to indicate a COVID-19 infection.
The test has demonstrated 97.1% sensitivity and 98.5% specificity, according to Abbott. When a test is sensitive, it means that it correctly diagnoses most people who are infected with the virus; whereas when a test is specific, it means it doesn't have many "false positives," according to a previous Live Science report .
Related: Coronavirus live updates
The rapid test also comes linked to an app called NAVICA, which will allow users that test negative to display their results to organizations as a "digital health pass," according to a statement released by Abbott .
"With lab-based tests, you get excellent sensitivity but might have to wait days or longer to get the results," Joseph Petrosino, a chairman and professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas said in the Abbott statement. Petrosino’s labs have been leading efforts to provide testing for Baylor College and Harris County in Texas, according to the statement. "With a rapid antigen test, you get a result right away, getting infectious people off the streets and into quarantine so they don't spread the virus,” Petrosino said. But the test is only allowed to be given by healthcare professionals.
The new test is the fourth antigen test to receive "emergency use authorization" (EUA) from the FDA , according to CNN . Emergency use authorization is permission given to unapproved products to be used in an emergency to diagnose, treat or prevent serious or life-threatening conditions, "when there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives," according to the FDA .
By the beginning of October, Abbott will ship out about 50 million tests a month, according to the statement.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-27--Half the atoms in the planet could be digital data by 2245

But within a few short centuries , the total amount of digital bits produced annually by humanity could exceed the number of on our planet and , even more unexpectedly , account for half of its mass .
Those are the conclusions of a mind-bending new study looking at the growth of data over time and its potentially catastrophic consequences .
We live in information-rich times .
Cell phones everywhere and high social media use mean that almost every human being is generating astonishing quantities of computerized content every day .
Related : What could drive humans to extinction ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimated that 90 % of the world 's current digital data was produced in the last decade alone , prompting physicist Melvin Vopson of the University of Portsmouth in England to wonder where we might be headed in the future .
His analysis began with the fact that currently contains roughly 10^21 , or 100 billion billion , bits of computer information .
`` This is everything we collectively do , '' Vopson told Live Science .
`` Any digital content produced and stored anywhere on the planet by anyone . ''
Vopson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exist in the future .
This is n't simply a linear extrapolation , since the amount of new information is also growing with time .
Assuming a 20 % annual growth rate in digital content , Vopson showed that 350 years from now , the number of data bits on Earth will be greater than all the atoms inside it , of which there are about 10^50 or a hundred trillion trillion trillion trillion .
Even before this time , humanity would be using the equivalent of its current power consumption just to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The question is : Where do we store this information ?
How do we power this ? ''
Vopson said .
`` I call this the invisible crisis , as today it is truly an invisible problem . ''
Related : How much information does the internet hold ?
While such timescales might seem far enough in the future to ignore at present , Vopson also warns of another possible concern .
In 1961 , the German-American physicist Rolf Landauer proposed that , because erasing a digital bit produces a tiny amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between information and energy .
Though still a matter of scientific debate , this finding , known as Landauer 's principle , has received some experimental verification in recent years .
In a 2019 study published in the journal , Vopson posited that there might therefore be a relationship between information and mass .
The conjecture relies on the famous equation , derived by at the beginning of the 20th century .
Einstein 's work showed that energy and mass are interchangeable , leading Vopson to calculate the potential mass of a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times smaller than an electron .
This means that the current mass of information produced every year is insignificant , about the weight of a single bacteria , Vopson said .
But , assuming that same 20 % growth per year , half of Earth 's mass could be converted into digital data in less than 500 years .
Assuming a 50 % growth rate , half the planet would be information by just 2245 .
Vopson 's findings appeared Aug. 11 in the same journal , .
`` I see this as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Just [ like ] burning fossil fuels , plastic pollution and , I think the information is something overlooked by everyone .
We are literally changing the planet bit-by-bit . ''
In fact , he considers the growth rates in his paper to be somewhat conservative ( the International Data Corporation estimates the current data growth rate ) and thinks this information catastrophe might occur sooner than predicted .
A way to alleviate the issues of storing such vast amounts of data might be to develop technology that would keep information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
The arguments put forth in the study are thought-provoking and surprising , particle physicist Luis Herrera of the University of Salamanca in Spain , who was not involved in the work , told Live Science .
But the idea that information has mass remains theoretical and will require experiments to prove it , he added .
Given the long timeframes involved and the reality of other , more immediate crises , `` I think there are a lot more important problems than this one , '' Herrera said .

Information might seem immaterial.
But within a few short centuries, the total amount of digital bits produced annually by humanity could exceed the number of atoms on our planet and, even more unexpectedly, account for half of its mass.
Those are the conclusions of a mind-bending new study looking at the growth of data over time and its potentially catastrophic consequences.
We live in information-rich times. Cell phones everywhere and high social media use mean that almost every human being is generating astonishing quantities of computerized content every day.
Related: What could drive humans to extinction?
IBM and other technology research companies have estimated that 90% of the world's current digital data was produced in the last decade alone, prompting physicist Melvin Vopson of the University of Portsmouth in England to wonder where we might be headed in the future.
His analysis began with the fact that Earth currently contains roughly 10^21, or 100 billion billion, bits of computer information.
"This is everything we collectively do," Vopson told Live Science. "Any digital content produced and stored anywhere on the planet by anyone."
Vopson then calculated how much more data might exist in the future. This isn't simply a linear extrapolation, since the amount of new information is also growing with time.
Assuming a 20% annual growth rate in digital content, Vopson showed that 350 years from now, the number of data bits on Earth will be greater than all the atoms inside it, of which there are about 10^50 or a hundred trillion trillion trillion trillion. Even before this time, humanity would be using the equivalent of its current power consumption just to sustain all these zeros and ones.
"The question is: Where do we store this information? How do we power this?" Vopson said. "I call this the invisible crisis, as today it is truly an invisible problem."
Related: How much information does the internet hold?
While such timescales might seem far enough in the future to ignore at present, Vopson also warns of another possible concern. In 1961, the German-American physicist Rolf Landauer proposed that, because erasing a digital bit produces a tiny amount of heat, there's a link between information and energy.
Though still a matter of scientific debate, this finding, known as Landauer's principle, has received some experimental verification in recent years. In a 2019 study published in the journal AIP Advances , Vopson posited that there might therefore be a relationship between information and mass.
The conjecture relies on the famous equation E = mc^2 , derived by Albert Einstein at the beginning of the 20th century. Einstein's work showed that energy and mass are interchangeable, leading Vopson to calculate the potential mass of a single bit of information — about 10 million times smaller than an electron.
This means that the current mass of information produced every year is insignificant, about the weight of a single E. coli bacteria, Vopson said. But, assuming that same 20% growth per year, half of Earth's mass could be converted into digital data in less than 500 years.
Assuming a 50% growth rate, half the planet would be information by just 2245. Vopson's findings appeared Aug. 11 in the same journal, AIP Advances .
"I see this as a real problem," Vopson said. "Just [like] burning fossil fuels, plastic pollution and deforestation , I think the information is something overlooked by everyone. We are literally changing the planet bit-by-bit."
In fact, he considers the growth rates in his paper to be somewhat conservative (the International Data Corporation estimates the current data growth rate at 61 percent ) and thinks this information catastrophe might occur sooner than predicted. A way to alleviate the issues of storing such vast amounts of data might be to develop technology that would keep information in non-material mediums such as holograms, he said.
The arguments put forth in the study are thought-provoking and surprising, particle physicist Luis Herrera of the University of Salamanca in Spain, who was not involved in the work, told Live Science. But the idea that information has mass remains theoretical and will require experiments to prove it, he added.
Given the long timeframes involved and the reality of other, more immediate crises, "I think there are a lot more important problems than this one," Herrera said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-26--Health experts frustrated with new CDC coronavirus testing guidelines

In an abrupt switch , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) changed its COVID-19 testing guidance to say that being exposed to a person with the disease does n't necessarily warrant a test if you 're not in a high-risk group or showing any symptoms .
But public health officials are criticizing this sudden change , which a federal health official was a result of pressure from upper ranks of the Trump administration .
President Donald Trump has previously said that less COVID-19 testing would lead to fewer cases , but Department of Health and Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giroir told CNN that the point of the new guidance was n't to do `` less '' testing , but more `` appropriate '' testing .
Previously , the CDC website recommended that all close contacts of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , get tested .
`` Because of the potential for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission , it is important that contacts of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection be quickly identified and tested , '' .
Now , the says that if you 've been within 6 feet ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for at least 15 minutes but do n't have any symptoms , `` you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one . ''
In a statement to CNN , Giroir said the guidance was updated `` to reflect current evidence and best public health practices , and to further emphasize using CDC-approved prevention strategies to protect yourself , your family , and the most vulnerable of all ages . ''
But current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The virus continues to infect many people who do n't end up developing any symptoms , and who can silently spread the disease to others .
`` These testing recommendations make no scientific sense , unless there are plans to demand isolation of all known contacts of COVID-19 , '' said Krys Johnson , an assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Temple University in Pennsylvania .
It 's not clear what percentage of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic ; some estimates say around 10 to 20 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of these people goes about their daily lives , this will continue to impact our country and daily lives for the foreseeable future , regardless of the advent of a vaccine , '' Johnson told Live Science in an email .
Since March , `` we have continued to see inadequate testing , '' she said .
With schools and universities opening across the country , especially in hot spots , testing of asymptomatic people has become more important , not less , she said .
Anyone who has been or may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to access a test — and those tests need to be reported within 48 hours for contact tracers to inform infected people and their contacts , she said .
`` It is unconscionable that recommendations , which should follow only the science , are being modified to enable [ maybe even ensure ] underreporting of COVID-19 cases at this critical juncture , '' she added .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) also condemned the decision .
`` The only plausible rationale is they want fewer people taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , if we do n't take tests you wo n't know that people are COVID-positive and the number of COVID-positive people will come down , '' Cuomo said in a call with reporters on Wednesday ( Aug. 26 ) .
`` But it totally violates public health standards and rationale , and just fosters his failed policy of denial , '' Cuomo said .
`` This will not be the policy of the state of CA , '' Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) .
Other state and local health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t believe it , for it seemed entirely bizarre , ” California 's Santa Clara County public health director Sara Cody said on Wednesday , according to the San Jose Mercury News .
“ The truth is that if you ’ ve been in contact with someone who is infected with COVID , you absolutely need to get a test .
”

In an abrupt switch, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its COVID-19 testing guidance to say that being exposed to a person with the disease doesn't necessarily warrant a test if you're not in a high-risk group or showing any symptoms.
But public health officials are criticizing this sudden change, which a federal health official told CNN was a result of pressure from upper ranks of the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has previously said that less COVID-19 testing would lead to fewer cases, but Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Adm. and Dr. Brett Giroir told CNN that the point of the new guidance wasn't to do "less" testing, but more "appropriate" testing.
Previously, the CDC website recommended that all close contacts of people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, get tested. "Because of the potential for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, it is important that contacts of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection be quickly identified and tested," the guidance read .
Related: Coronavirus live updates
Now, the CDC guidance says that if you've been within 6 feet (1.8 meters) of a COVID-19-positive person for at least 15 minutes but don't have any symptoms, "you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one."
In a statement to CNN, Giroir said the guidance was updated "to reflect current evidence and best public health practices, and to further emphasize using CDC-approved prevention strategies to protect yourself, your family, and the most vulnerable of all ages."
But current evidence on COVID-19 transmission has not changed: The virus continues to infect many people who don't end up developing any symptoms, and who can silently spread the disease to others.
"These testing recommendations make no scientific sense, unless there are plans to demand isolation of all known contacts of COVID-19," said Krys Johnson, an assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Temple University in Pennsylvania.
It's not clear what percentage of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic; some estimates say around 10 to 20%, but the CDC estimates about 40% . "If each of these people goes about their daily lives, this pandemic will continue to impact our country and daily lives for the foreseeable future, regardless of the advent of a vaccine," Johnson told Live Science in an email.
Since March, "we have continued to see inadequate testing," she said. With schools and universities opening across the country, especially in hot spots, testing of asymptomatic people has become more important, not less, she said. Anyone who has been or may have been near someone with COVID-19 should be able to access a test — and those tests need to be reported within 48 hours for contact tracers to inform infected people and their contacts, she said.
"It is unconscionable that recommendations, which should follow only the science, are being modified to enable [maybe even ensure] underreporting of COVID-19 cases at this critical juncture," she added.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) also condemned the decision. "The only plausible rationale is they want fewer people taking tests because, as the president has said, if we don't take tests you won't know that people are COVID-positive and the number of COVID-positive people will come down," Cuomo said in a call with reporters on Wednesday (Aug. 26). "But it totally violates public health standards and rationale, and just fosters his failed policy of denial," Cuomo said.
"This will not be the policy of the state of CA," Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) tweeted on Wednesday . Other state and local health officials agreed. "I actually didn’t believe it, for it seemed entirely bizarre,” California's Santa Clara County public health director Sara Cody said on Wednesday, according to the San Jose Mercury News . “The truth is that if you’ve been in contact with someone who is infected with COVID, you absolutely need to get a test.”
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-26--Laura is now a monster Category 4 hurricane

Editor 's Note : This story was updated at 2:21 p.m .
ET to note that Laura has strengthened to a Category 4 storm , and to provide updated information on its wind speeds .
Hurricane Laura has now strengthened into an `` extremely dangerous '' Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of nearly 140 mph ( 220 km/h ) , according to the National Hurricane Center .
As of 2 p.m E.D.T .
on Wednesday ( Aug. 26 ) , Laura is moving toward the northwest near 16 mph ( 26 km/h ) and is expected to approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the NHC .
At least 20 million people reside in the path of the hurricane and over half a million have been ordered to evacuate , according to CBS News .
Category 4 storms are considered `` major '' hurricanes racking up sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph ( 209 to 251 km/h ) , according to the NHC .
The storm is expected to bring `` catastrophic '' storm surge , extreme winds and flash flooding along the northwest Gulf Coast tonight , according to the advisory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 15 to 20 feet ( 4.6 to 6 meters ) , according to the NHC .
`` Unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves , '' will cause `` catastrophic damage '' from Sea Rim State Park in Texas to the Intracoastal City in Louisiana , according to the NHC .
This storm surge can reach up to 30 miles ( 48 km ) inland and `` Only a few hours remain to protect life and property and all actions should be rushed to completion , '' according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely going to be the most impactful events of this storm , '' U.S. Geological Survey oceanographer Kara Doran , leader of the USGS Coastal Change Hazards Storm Team based in St. Petersburg , Florida said in a statement .
`` The coast is vulnerable with back-to-back storms in the same general area.
” Storm surges will strongly impact sandy beaches and barrier islands along the central Gulf coast , according to the statement .
Surges can cause erosion at the base of sand dunes , they can transport large amounts of sand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landscape and inundation and completely submerge beaches and dunes , according to the statement .
After Laura makes landfall , it 's expected to rapidly weaken , according to the NHC .
Laura is forecast to move over northwestern Louisiana tomorrow , over Arkansas on Thursday ( Aug. 27 ) night and over the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday ( Aug. 28 ) , according to the NHC .

Satellite image shows Hurricane Laura swirling over the Gulf of Mexico on Aug.26 at 10 a.m. ET
Editor's Note: This story was updated at 2:21 p.m. ET to note that Laura has strengthened to a Category 4 storm, and to provide updated information on its wind speeds.
Hurricane Laura has now strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of nearly 140 mph (220 km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 2 p.m E.D.T. on Wednesday (Aug. 26), Laura is moving toward the northwest near 16 mph (26 km/h) and is expected to approach Texas and southwestern Louisiana coasts this evening, according to the NHC. At least 20 million people reside in the path of the hurricane and over half a million have been ordered to evacuate, according to CBS News.
TROPICAL UPDATE: The latest forecast from @NHC_Atlantic has Hurricane #Laura strengthening to a devastating Cat-4 #hurricane. In this imagery from @NOAA's #GOES16 early this morning, you can see its eye while #lightning flashes around the storm. https://t.co/VTAp4gGkHs https://t.co/JgRDiATanM pic.twitter.com/KLOt8PSlwIAugust 26, 2020 See more
Category 4 storms are considered "major" hurricanes racking up sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph (209 to 251 km/h), according to the NHC. The storm is expected to bring "catastrophic" storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding along the northwest Gulf Coast tonight, according to the advisory. In some areas, water may reach up to 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6 meters), according to the NHC.
Related: A History of Destruction: 8 Great Hurricanes
"Unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves," will cause "catastrophic damage" from Sea Rim State Park in Texas to the Intracoastal City in Louisiana, according to the NHC. This storm surge can reach up to 30 miles (48 km) inland and "Only a few hours remain to protect life and property and all actions should be rushed to completion," according to the NHC.
Here is the projected path of Hurricane Laura, expected to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane. (Image credit: NOAA/National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center)
"The storm surges are likely going to be the most impactful events of this storm," U.S. Geological Survey oceanographer Kara Doran, leader of the USGS Coastal Change Hazards Storm Team based in St. Petersburg, Florida said in a statement. "The coast is vulnerable with back-to-back storms in the same general area.”
Storm surges will strongly impact sandy beaches and barrier islands along the central Gulf coast, according to the statement. Surges can cause erosion at the base of sand dunes, they can transport large amounts of sand across coastal environments causing changes to the landscape and inundation and completely submerge beaches and dunes, according to the statement.
After Laura makes landfall, it's expected to rapidly weaken, according to the NHC. Laura is forecast to move over northwestern Louisiana tomorrow, over Arkansas on Thursday (Aug. 27) night and over the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday (Aug. 28), according to the NHC.
Originally published on Live Science.