The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was a record-smasher – and it's raising more concerns about climate change

There were so many tropical storms in 2020, forecasters exhausted the list of names and started using Greek letters. And that's only one reason 2020 was extreme.

Allison Wing, Assistant Professor of Meteorology, Florida State University • conversation
Nov. 30, 2020 • ~8 min

Does coronavirus spread more easily in cold temperatures? Here's what we know

Winter weather forces us to congregate inside but evidence suggests cold, dry air also helps spread respiratory viruses.

Sarah Pitt, Principal Lecturer, Microbiology and Biomedical Science Practice, Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Brighton • conversation
Oct. 29, 2020 • ~6 min

People's bodies now run cooler than 'normal' – even in the Bolivian Amazon

'Normal' body temperature has declined in urban, industrialized settings like the US and UK. Anthropologists find the trend extends to Indigenous people in the Bolivian Amazon – but why?

Thomas Kraft, Postdoctoral Scholar in Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara • conversation
Oct. 28, 2020 • ~8 min

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

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

'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

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

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

/

4