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Poisons are a potent tool for murder in fiction – a toxicologist explains how some dangerous chemicals kill

  • Written by Brad Reisfeld, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University
imagePoisons are often not so clearly labeled.Josefe Photography/iStock via Getty Images Plus

People have used poisons throughout history for a variety of purposes: to hunt animals for food, to treat diseases and to achieve nefarious ends like murder and assassination.

But what is a poison? Do all poisons act in the same way? Does the amount of the...

Read more: Poisons are a potent tool for murder in fiction – a toxicologist explains how some dangerous...

Increases in opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania varied by county during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Written by Brian King, Professor of Geography, Penn State
imagePills are one of the more common ways of ingesting opioids.AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the opioid epidemic, according to our new research, which finds that opioid overdoses increased in Pennsylvania in 2020 compared with 2018 and 2019.

Yet...

Read more: Increases in opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania varied by county during the COVID-19 pandemic

Increases in opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania varied by county during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Written by Brian King, Professor of Geography, Penn State
imagePills are one of the more common ways of ingesting opioids.AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the opioid epidemic, according to our new research, which finds that opioid overdoses increased in Pennsylvania in 2020 compared with 2018 and 2019.

Yet...

Read more: Increases in opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania varied by county during the COVID-19 pandemic

Seabirds that swallow ocean plastic waste have scarring in their stomachs – scientists have named this disease 'plasticosis'

  • Written by Matthew Savoca, Postdoctoral researcher, Stanford University
imageScientists have identified a condition they call plasticosis, caused by ingesting plastic waste, in flesh-footed shearwaters.Patrick Kavanagh/Wikipedia, CC BY

As a conservation biologist who studies plastic ingestion by marine wildlife, I can count on the same question whenever I present research: “How does plastic affect the animals that eat...

Read more: Seabirds that swallow ocean plastic waste have scarring in their stomachs – scientists have named...

A string of assassinations in Afghanistan point to ISIS-K resurgence – and US officials warn of possible attacks on American interests in next 6 months

  • Written by Andrew Mines, Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism, George Washington University
imageA suicide attack in early March 2023 killed a Taliban governor in his office and two other victims.Atif Aryan/AFP via Getty Images)

Since returning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have struggled to contain the Islamic State Khorasan province, or ISIS-K – the official Islamic State group affiliate operating in Afghanistan.

Now, a...

Read more: A string of assassinations in Afghanistan point to ISIS-K resurgence – and US officials warn of...

Trump's unprecedented call for protests is the latest sign of his aim to degrade America's institutions

  • Written by Shelley Inglis, Executive Director, University of Dayton Human Rights Center, University of Dayton
imageDonald Trump asked his supporters to protest what he claimed is his imminent indictment.AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File

In a social media post on March 18, 2023, former President Donald Trump announced that he would be arrested on March 21 on charges stemming from an investigation led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Bragg’s office is...

Read more: Trump's unprecedented call for protests is the latest sign of his aim to degrade America's...

Is Wikipedia a good source? 2 college librarians explain when to use the online encyclopedia – and when to avoid it

  • Written by Bridget Retzloff, Assistant Professor and Digital Pedagogy Librarian, University of Dayton
imageSome professors now assign Wikipedia editing as an alternative to the traditional research paper. Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images

What comes to mind when you think of Wikipedia?

Maybe you think of clicking link after link to learn about a topic, followed by another topic and then another. Or maybe you’ve heard a teacher or...

Read more: Is Wikipedia a good source? 2 college librarians explain when to use the online encyclopedia – and...

Worst bank turmoil since 2008 means Federal Reserve is damned if it does and damned if it doesn't in decision over interest rates

  • Written by Alexander Kurov, Professor of Finance and Fred T. Tattersall Research Chair in Finance, West Virginia University
imageJust hold your nose and make a decision.AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

The Federal Reserve faces a pivotal decision on March 22, 2023: whether to continue its aggressive fight against inflation or put it on hold.

Making another big interest rate hike would risk exacerbating the global banking turmoil sparked by Silicon Valley Bank’s failure on March...

Read more: Worst bank turmoil since 2008 means Federal Reserve is damned if it does and damned if it doesn't...

Secession is here: States, cities and the wealthy are already withdrawing from America

  • Written by Michael J. Lee, Professor of Communication, College of Charleston
imageActs of secession are happening across the U.S.Vector Illustration/Getty Images

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, wants a “national divorce.” In her view, another Civil War is inevitable unless red and blue states form separate countries.

She has plenty of company on the right, where a host of others – 52% of...

Read more: Secession is here: States, cities and the wealthy are already withdrawing from America

Voice deepfakes are calling – here's what they are and how to avoid getting scammed

  • Written by Matthew Wright, Professor of Computing Security, Rochester Institute of Technology
imageCloning someone's voice is easier than ever.D-Keine/iStock via Getty Images

You have just returned home after a long day at work and are about to sit down for dinner when suddenly your phone starts buzzing. On the other end is a loved one, perhaps a parent, a child or a childhood friend, begging you to send them money immediately.

You ask them...

Read more: Voice deepfakes are calling – here's what they are and how to avoid getting scammed

More Articles ...

  1. The state takeover of Houston public schools is about more than school improvement
  2. Estonia's e-governance revolution is hailed as a voting success – so why are some US states pulling in the opposite direction?
  3. 3 reasons the Willow Arctic oil drilling project was approved – it's the latest battle in a long fight over Alaska's North Slope
  4. Prosecuting Putin for abducting Ukrainian children will require a high bar of evidence – and won't guarantee the children can come back home
  5. Is the Western drought finally ending? That depends on where you look
  6. Why it's hard for the US to cut or even control Medicare spending
  7. Water in space – a 'Goldilocks' star reveals previously hidden step in how water gets to planets like Earth
  8. US regulators avoided a banking crisis by swift action following SVB's collapse – but the cracks it exposed continue to weaken the global financial system's foundation
  9. Downing of US drone in Russian jet encounter prompts counterclaims of violations in the sky – an international law expert explores the arguments
  10. AI information retrieval: A search engine researcher explains the promise and peril of letting ChatGPT and its cousins search the web for you
  11. 'Pantry porn' on TikTok and Instagram makes obsessively organized kitchens a new status symbol
  12. Climate change threatens spring wildflowers by speeding up the time when trees leaf out above them
  13. How to use free satellite data to monitor natural disasters and environmental changes
  14. El consumo de alcohol está ampliamente aceptado en Estados Unidos pero incluso el consumo moderado está asociado a numerosos efectos nocivos
  15. What the research shows about risks of myocarditis from COVID vaccines versus risks of heart damage from COVID – two pediatric cardiologists explain how to parse the data
  16. Syrian earthquake devastated an area that was already a disaster zone – and highlights the vital role of local aid groups
  17. I went to CPAC to take MAGA supporters' pulse – China and transgender people are among the top 'demons' they say are ruining the country
  18. What exactly is the internet? A computer scientist explains what it is and how it came to be
  19. Marburg virus outbreaks are increasing in frequency and geographic spread – three virologists explain
  20. Smell is the crucial sense that holds ant society together, helping the insects recognize, communicate and cooperate with one another
  21. Vinyl record sales keep spinning and spinning – with no end in sight
  22. JetBlue merger with Spirit not cleared for takeoff – why Justice Department is suing to scupper deal
  23. Silicon Valley Bank biggest US lender to fail since 2008 financial crisis – a finance expert explains the impact
  24. Who are Jehovah's Witnesses? A religion scholar explains the history of the often misunderstood group
  25. Why employment remains red hot even as the Federal Reserve tries to put job market on ice
  26. 5 tips for women to negotiate a higher salary
  27. Biggest racial gap in prison is among violent offenders – focusing on intervention instead of incarceration could change the numbers
  28. Distant star TOI-700 has two potentially habitable planets orbiting it – making it an excellent candidate in the search for life
  29. Syria's earthquake survivors struggle in a disaster made far worse by civil war, bombed-out hospitals and currency collapse
  30. Robots are performing Hindu rituals -- some devotees fear they'll replace worshippers
  31. Once the Callery pear tree was landscapers' favorite – now states are banning this invasive species and urging homeowners to cut it down
  32. Should you pay for Meta's and Twitter’s verified identity subscriptions? A social media researcher explains how the choice you face affects everyone else
  33. Leading American medical journal continues to omit Black research, reinforcing a legacy of racism in medical knowledge
  34. How the 'Holman rule' allows the House to fast-track proposals to gut government programs without debate or much thought at all
  35. Regulating 'forever chemicals': 3 essential reads on PFAS
  36. Why Meta’s embrace of a ‘flat’ management structure may not lead to the innovation and efficiency Mark Zuckerberg seeks
  37. What parents and educators need to know about teens’ pornography and sexting experiences at school
  38. What is a pogrom? Israeli mob attack has put a century-old word in the spotlight
  39. Eli Lilly is cutting insulin prices and capping copays at $35 – 5 questions answered
  40. El trayecto del trabajo a casa es más que una pérdida de tiempo: los beneficios psicológicos de los desplazamientos que el trabajo a distancia no proporciona
  41. Republicans are trying to build a multiracial right – will it work?
  42. A little bit of narcissism is normal and healthy – here's how to tell when it becomes pathological
  43. Politicians' health problems are important information for voters -- but reporters and candidates often conceal them
  44. 3 ways to prevent school shootings, based on research
  45. Radio interference from satellites is threatening astronomy – a proposed zone for testing new technologies could head off the problem
  46. The retention problem: Women are going into tech but are also being driven out
  47. 5 things to know about Moldova and Transnistria – and why Russia's war in Ukraine is threatening their security, too
  48. Three AI experts on how access to ChatGPT-style tech is about to change our world – podcast
  49. Why the humble city bus is the key to improving US public transit
  50. The brief but shining life of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a poet who gave dignity to the Black experience