Days with both extreme heat and extreme air pollution are becoming more common – which can't be a good thing for global health

In South Asia, days with both extreme heat and extreme pollution are expected to increase 175% by 2050. Separately, the health effects are bad; together they will likely be worse.

Xiaohui Xu, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M University • conversation
June 25, 2020 • ~7 min
Tags: health climate-change pollution asthma models air-pollution heat india temperature lung-disease heatwave air-quality south-asia heatstroke

What is the slowest thing on Earth?

Physicists can use bright, hot lasers to slow atoms down so much that they measure -459 degrees Fahrenheit.

Katie McCormick, Postdoctoral Scholar of Physics, University of Washington • conversation
June 22, 2020 • ~6 min
Tags: physics quantum-mechanics laser light photons molecules curious-kids curious-kids-us temperature cold atoms absolute-zero warmblood sloths

'Normal' human body temperature is a range around 98.6 F – a physiologist explains why

'Normal' body temperature varies from person to person by age, time of day, where it's measured, and even menstrual cycle. External conditions also influence your thermometer reading.

JohnEric Smith, Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology, Mississippi State University • conversation
June 16, 2020 • ~9 min
Tags: coronavirus metabolism inflammation sars-cov-2 fever infection immune-response temperature body-temperature warmblood warm-bloodedness

Coronavirus may wane this summer, but don't count on any seasonal variation to end the pandemic

Winter is flu season – could it be coronavirus season as well? The research is mixed, but other factors besides temperature and humidity have more to do with the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Ellen Wright Clayton, Professor of Pediatrics and Law and Health Policy, Vanderbilt University • conversation
April 15, 2020 • ~5 min
Tags: infectious-diseases covid-19 sars-cov-2 heat severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-sars viruses mers-cov temperature humidity infectious-disease-research us-national-academy-of-sciences national-academies seasonal-flu flu-season

Do I have to wear a jacket when it's cold outside?

Leaving your coat at home on a cold winter day doesn't automatically mean you're going to get sick. But it could make you more susceptible to germs.

Carolyn Kaloostian, Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, University of Southern California • conversation
Feb. 20, 2020 • ~4 min

Tags:  influenza  immune-system  viruses  winter-weather  quick-reads  sick  curious-kids  curious-kids-us  colds  rhinovirus  temperature  germs  cold  cold-weather  sickness

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