August 27, 2024: We're covering adult drownings, West Nile virus, and a rock guitarist (Brian May of Queen!) studying badgers. —Robin Lloyd, Contributing Editor | | | The rate of drownings in the U.S. increased in nearly all adult age groups between 2020 and 2022, the latest year for which data exist, and nearly three-quarters of the people who drowned in that time period were adults, reports journalist Erica Westly. It is unclear what is causing this shift, a reversal of trends in the past two decades, but it could be related to people spending more time outdoors during the peak COVID pandemic years. Alcohol is often involved in adult drownings and boating fatalities (most of which are due to drowning). Drinking alcohol impairs breathing and muscle coordination.
What the experts say: "Drowning prevention has been entirely too focused on the child, and that's a weird thing coming from a pediatrician. It's terrible to lose a child, but it can also be devastating for a child to lose a parent. It affects the whole family," says Lina Quan, a pediatric drawing expert.
What to do: Many people, and especially men, overestimate their strength and skills as swimmers. So experts urge people engaging in aquatic fun to wear life jackets. An interdisciplinary coalition of experts last year recommended better access to swimming lessons for people of all age groups and particularly for groups with disproportionately high fatal drowning rates, such as Native American, Alaska Native and Black people. | | | Amanda Montañez; Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | | | Queen's Guitarist Champions Badgers | Brian May, the guitarist for the rock band Queen who also has a Ph.D. in astrophysics, continues to tour and to contribute his stereoscopic expertise to NASA and other space agencies. But for more than a decade, he also has applied his scientific training to a controversial animal rights problem. In the UK, farmers and researchers alike have thought that the European badger (Meles meles) is responsible for infecting cattle with bovine tuberculosis (TB). The badgers can indeed carry TB. But May and a research team near the south coast of England claim to have discovered that cattle contract TB by consuming the pathogen-laden dung of an infected neighboring cow. If published and accepted by the farming and scientific community, the insight could help prevent the culling of tens of thousands of badgers every year. Why this matters: A total of 230,000 European badgers have been killed in the past 10 years, reports science journalist Elizabeth Gibney, in an effort to stave off the spread of TB. At the same time, more than 20,000 cows, thought to be infected with TB, have been slaughtered annually, costing the UK government more than $130 million (£100 million).
What the experts say: May tells Gibney: "Everything comes down to asking the right questions and keeping an open mind, and resisting the terrible inclination that scientists have, because they're human beings, of finding what you expect to find. We've all been told that badgers are how the pathogen is spread, so we look for that pattern. And, sadly, I think that's why the myth has perpetuated." | | | • Astronaut captures stunning time-lapse of auroras from the International Space Station. "I'm up here with a couple of veteran folks that have spent more than a year of their life in space across missions," said astronaut Matthew Dominick, "and all of them have unanimously said they've never seen anything like it." | 3 min read | | | • Anthony Fauci, former director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, reportedly is recovering from West Nile virus, which is spread by mosquito bites. Following a hospitalization to treat his infection, he told USA Today that he has "never been as sick in my life. Ever." Experts warn against underestimating the risk of West Nile virus. Wear long-sleeve shirts and pants outdoors and use federally approved mosquito repellants. For more information on the virus and how to protect yourself, see this recent story by Scientific American senior news reporter Meghan Bartels. | 3 min read | | | In case you hadn't heard the truly joyous news, The Onion is back in print. The publication has a new owner—Global Tetrahedron. That's really the company's name, and its CEO is Ben Collins, who made his name at The Daily Beast and NBC News. The media is a vital pillar of our democracy, and to my mind, that includes media that satirizes the media, as well as people of prominence, people in power, and well, all of us. The Onion currently has no dedicated science section but routinely addresses deadly serious topics and scientific topics, including this recent take on the stranded astronauts. Hope you have the finest day! | —Robin Lloyd, Contributing Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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