The US will send depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine – a health physicist explains their military, health and environmental effects

Depleted uranium munitions are bad news for enemy tanks, but are not nuclear weapons, and studies have shown that they pose low risks of radiation or chemical exposure.

Kathryn Higley, Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Oregon State University • conversation
June 16, 2023 ~8 min

Brightest cosmic explosion of all time: how we may have solved the mystery of its puzzling persistence

Radiation from the brightest cosmic explosion ever seen may have been mixing with gas and dust around its dying star – making the signal last longer.

Hendrik Van Eerten, Reader in Astrophysics, University of Bath • conversation
June 7, 2023 ~6 min


Kakhovka dam breach raises risk for Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – receding waters narrow options for cooling

The International Atomic Energy Agency says the plant has enough water to last for several months. What happens afterward or if the remaining water is lost to the war could lead to a disaster.

Najmedin Meshkati, Professor of Engineering and International Relations, University of Southern California • conversation
June 7, 2023 ~10 min

Quantum physics proposes a new way to study biology – and the results could revolutionize our understanding of how life works

Studying the brief and tiny quantum effects that drive living systems could one day lead to new approaches to treatments and technologies.

Clarice D. Aiello, Quantum Biology Tech (QuBiT) Lab, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles • conversation
May 15, 2023 ~9 min

Videos help kids with cancer skip anesthesia during radiation

Zoning out to a favorite video during radiation treatments can help kids with cancer hold still and skip anesthesia, a new study shows.

Erin Digitale-Stanford • futurity
May 10, 2023 ~10 min

Could space dust help protect the Earth from climate change?

A new study has found that dust launched from the moon’s surface or from a space station positioned between Earth and the sun could reduce enough solar radiation to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Harvard Gazette • harvard
Feb. 9, 2023 ~7 min

New approach cuts number of CT scans for kids

A new effort significantly reduces the number of unnecessary CT scans in children, limiting exposure to harmful radiation.

Scott Hesel - U. Rochester • futurity
Jan. 31, 2023 ~5 min

Fukushima to release contaminated water – an expert explains why this could be the best option

Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is set to release radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean – but the cause for concern is minimal.

Jim Smith, Professor of Environmental Science, University of Portsmouth • conversation
Jan. 23, 2023 ~7 min


3D imaging tracks cancer radiation in real time

A technique that tracks radiation in real time promises safer, more effective cancer therapy with less collateral damage, researchers say.

Jim Lynch-Michigan • futurity
Jan. 6, 2023 ~5 min

Gel-like implant destroys pancreatic cancer in mice

A new approach that combines a gel-like radiation implant and chemotherapy completely dissolved pancreatic cancer in 80% percent of mice.

Ken Kingery-Duke • futurity
Oct. 21, 2022 ~8 min

/

8