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- Feed Preview Science & Medicine
Canny as a crocodile but dumber than a baboon — new research ponders T. rex's brain power
T. rex intelligence was likely much closer to that of modern-day crocodiles than primates — a perfectly respectable amount of smarts for a therapod.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2024-04-29/t-rex-was-not-as-smart-as-primates-new-study-finds
You're gonna need a bigger number: Scientists consider a Category 6 for mega-hurricane era
As climate change intensifies hurricanes, some scientists want a Category 6 for the biggest storms
Opinion: America's 'big glass' dominance hangs on the fate of two powerful new telescopes
Washington acknowledged the need for an 'all-sky' view of deep space but may stint on the funding. Does this make sense?
Mosquito season is upon us. So why are Southern California officials releasing more of them?
Vector control officials in Southern California are starting to release sterilized male mosquitoes to combat the summertime onslaught of ankle biters.
After months of silence, Voyager 1 has returned NASA's calls
The spacecraft launched in 1977 and is now 15 billion miles from Earth. It went silent in November. Scientists at JPL figured out how to get it talking again.
How L.A. County is trying to remake addiction treatment — no more 'business as usual'
A Los Angeles County initiative called Reaching the 95% aims to engage with more people than the fraction of Angelenos already getting addiction treatment.
FDA approves bladder cancer treatment by Culver City company
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Culver City-based ImmunityBio's treatment for bladder cancer.
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-04-22/fda-approves-immunitybios-bladder-cancer-treatment
Taylor Swift's new album is rife with breakup songs. Psychologists explain why we love them
Taylor Swift's new 'The Tortured Poets Department' album draws inspiration from her own breakups. What attracts us to songs about failed relationships?
Opinion: The decline in American life expectancy harms more than our health
This alarming trend, which began before COVID, fuels a deadly cycle of a sick workforce and weakened economy.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-16/united-states-economy-covid-public-health
Too expensive, too slow: NASA asks for help with JPL's Mars Sample Return mission
NASA's administrator says the agency is committed to the mission to bring samples of Mars back to Earth -- but in less time and for less money. How it will pull that off remains to be seen.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2024-04-15/nasa-asks-for-help-on-jpl-mars-sample-return
'Miracle' weight-loss drugs could have reduced health disparities. Instead they got worse
Ozempic and other drugs raised the possibility of reversing the country's obesity crisis. Doctors are frustrated that they've made health disparities worse.
Column: A cancer survivor's advice: research, persistence and second opinions
It's very helpful, Robin Clough said, when, in the midst of a life-threatening medical crisis, the person you live with is a doctor who makes house calls.
Surrogate otter mom at Long Beach aquarium is rehabilitating pup 'better than any human ever can'
The pup could become Aquarium of the Pacific's first surrogate-raised otter to return to the wild — if she masters the skills needed to hack it in the ocean.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-04-11/surrogate-otter-program-long-beach-aquarium
Union accuses Kaiser of violations months after state fine on mental health care
Months after Kaiser Permanente reached a sweeping agreement with state regulators to improve its mental health services, the healthcare giant is facing union allegations that patients could be im...
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-09/kaiser-mental-health
This SoCal hazardous waste facility could get a new permit despite past violations
Environmental and community groups want the state to turn down Phibro-Tech for a renewed permit for its Santa Fe Springs facility.
Solar eclipse thrills crowds in California as it darkens swath of countryside
Millions of people across the U.S. will look up at the sky to witness a rare total solar eclipse. California won't experience totality, but there's still plenty to see.
RFK Jr. speaks candidly about his gravelly voice: 'If I could sound better, I would'
'If I could sound better, I would,' says the presidential candidate, who has spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological condition that affects his vocal cords.
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-04-08/rfk-jr-voice-condition-spasmodic-dysphonia
These scientists think an 'awe'-some eclipse could help unite Americans in troubled times
Awe is a serious topic among psychologists, including one at UC Irvine investigating whether awe-inspiring solar eclipses can help unite Americans.
An AI app claims it can detect sexually transmitted infections. Doctors say it's a disaster
'There are so many things wrong with this app that I don't even know where to begin,' one doctor said about Calmara, which says it can identify sexually transmitted infections from photos of peni...
A total eclipse is more than a spectacle. So I'm on the road to see it — again
Why would someone journey across the country to watch a total eclipse? Because it's more than just an astronomical rarity: It may be the best show in the universe.
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-04-06/solar-eclipse-science-wonder
A big year for wildflowers in Southern California — just not poppies. Why?
Poppies across Southern California aren't popping, even as other bright flowers blanket the region. Here's why — and how you can marvel at a different wildflower this year.
How to watch the solar eclipse from California — and avoid heartbreak if chasing 'totality'
Though there won't be totality in California, the state will still enjoy an impressive partial eclipse in the late morning — if the skies remain cloud-free.
Killer whales are killer whales, right? It might be a lot more complicated than that
Approving two proposed killer whale species could transform how they're conserved. It would also turn a new page in one of the strangest chapters in marine mammal history.
What the Supreme Court's abortion pill case could mean for California
The high court is weighing a case that could rewrite the rules of care in more than two-thirds of U.S. abortions, limiting access to a popular drug even in states where it remains legal.
Opinion: The mifepristone case should be an easy one for the Supreme Court. But will it be?
The question before the justices is who should decide what medicines are safe and effective: courts or the FDA?
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-03-26/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-oral-arguments
Q&A: The FDA says the abortion pill mifepristone is safe. Here's the evidence
Mifepristone has been used more than 5 million times in the U.S. since its FDA approval in 2000. The Supreme Court will weigh a challenge to expanding its access.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2024-03-26/whats-the-evidence-that-mifepristone-is-safe
Abortion pill usage surged post-Roe. These numbers show the dramatic rise
As the Supreme Court weighs limiting access to mifepristone, here are some of the numbers on abortion pill usage in the U.S. and California.
Tuberculosis cases rising in California, and state officials are sounding the alarm
The number of tuberculosis cases in 2023 rose by 15% in California compared to the previous year. That's the highest year-over-year increase in 35 years.
NASA's attempt to bring home part of Mars is unprecedented. The mission's problems are not
Could JPL's ambitious Mars Sample Return mission use the long-troubled, massively over budget, but ultimately successful James Webb Space Telescope as a guide?
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2024-03-25/nasa-mars-sample-return-james-webb-space-telescope
Q&A: What oncologists can glean from Kate Middleton's cancer announcement
The video announcement by Catherine, Princess of Wales, about her cancer diagnosis was short on specifics. Here's a look at what we know.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2024-03-23/what-oncologists-can-glean-from-royal-announcement
Your dog can understand what you say better than you think, new study shows
Using machines that measure brain activity, scientists were able to show that dogs understand that words refer to some of their favorite objects.
California investigation faults L.A. hospital over power outage that caused evacuation
A power outage that forced patients to be evacuated at a Boyle Heights hospital after the massive storm Hilary was the result of lapses in maintaining the facility, state investigators found.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-21/power-outage-boyle-heights-hospital
Why the spread of organic farms may prompt growers to use more pesticide, not less
When conventional farms are bordered by organic crops, conventional growers use more pesticide to keep insects at bay, study says.
Column: Two Rutgers professors are accused of poisoning the debate over COVID's origins. Here's why
Richard Ebright and Bryce Nickels of Rutgers have labeled leading virologists fraudsters, perjurers, felons and murderers. Is this how scientific debate is supposed to be conducted?
California communities are banning syringe programs. Now the state is fighting back in court
Giving clean syringes to people who inject drugs has been found to curb the spread of disease. But syringe programs are being banned in many California communities. The state is fighting back.
Opinion: How measles reemerged as a threat in California and elsewhere
Marin County and other areas with too-low vaccination rates have shown that vaccine skepticism can be reversed.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-03-19/california-measles-vaccine-mmr-doubt
SpaceX Starship successfully blasts off on third test flight
SpaceX's giant Starship rocket, intended to take humans back to the moon and eventually to Mars, blasts off successfully from a Texas launchpad.
Presence of parasite that's deadly for dogs now confirmed in California: Signs to watch for
A parasite that sickened 10 dogs and killed another in Southern California was found in the Colorado River in Blythe, its first known presence in the state.
11% of high school seniors report using delta-8 THC, advertised as 'legal' form of cannabis
More than 11% of high school seniors said in a national survey that they had used delta-8 THC, a psychoactive compound that is derived from hemp, in the last year.
More parents are delaying their kids' vaccines, and it's alarming pediatricians
More parents are choosing to delay childhood vaccinations, such as the MMR vaccine. Doctors worry toddlers remain vulnerable as measles spreads.
Microplastics may be new risk factor for cardiovascular disease, researchers say
Microplastics draw scrutiny as potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Opinion: Mars rocks are a science prize the U.S. can't afford to lose
Bringing back samples from the Red Planet would help us beat the Chinese, send humans into space and learn about how planets form. Congress, where's the money?
Budget deal for NASA offers glimmer of hope for JPL's Mars Sample Return mission
With a final 2024 budget for NASA in place, the space agency has directed JPL not to cut any more staff working on the Mars Sample Return mission.
California effort to confront implicit bias among doctors faces 1st Amendment challenge
The litigation is part of a national crusade by right-leaning advocacy and legal groups against DEI initiatives in healthcare.
'What is this, "The Handmaid's Tale"?' Exploring moral questions posed by controversial IVF ruling
The Alabama Supreme Court says frozen embryos created through IVF are children. Will clinics be required to maintain them forever? Do they have a right to be born?
Opinion: Should California schools stick to phonics-based reading 'science'? It's not so simple
Legislation to require a 'science of reading' curriculum oversimplifies the process of learning to read. It would be particularly bad for English learners.
The countdown to NASA's Jupiter mission is on. This JPL engineer is helping it happen
Steve Barajas is a mechanical engineer on NASA-JPL's Europa Clipper 2024, the mission looking for an ocean beneath the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa.
Some D.A.s are fighting fentanyl with murder charges. Why San Francisco will join them
San Francisco is following the lead of more conservative California counties, launching an investigative unit to target fentanyl deaths as homicide cases. That means drug dealers could be charged...
Hours on hold, limited appointments: Why California babies aren't going to the doctor
Most California kids rely on Medi-Cal for vital preventive care, but many are missing necessary health screenings because of trouble accessing its services.
A total solar eclipse will be visible to millions of Americans in April. Here's how to view it
Much of the United States will experience a total solar eclipse, when for just a few minutes the moon completely blocks the sun, on April 8.
An essential medical device fails people of color. A clinic is suing to fix that
Inaccurate pulse oximeter readings are more common in Black patients than non-Black ones. It was a problem that could be ignored — until COVID-19 hit.
Column: Still searching for the fountain of youth? Don't drown in all the hype
The anti-aging industry is booming, but hype and hope won't make you younger, so skip the 'fountain of youth' claims and embrace healthy living.
Could a single synthetic molecule outsmart a variety of drug-resistant bacteria?
Scientists have created a synthetic molecule that appears capable of attacking a broad range of bacteria that have become dangerously resistant to workhorse medicines.
Risk for chronic fatigue soars among those who had COVID-19, study says
People who have had COVID-19 have a significantly higher risk of suffering chronic fatigue than those who haven't had the disease, a new CDC study shows.
Inside the plan to diagnose Alzheimer's in people with no memory problems — and who stands to benefit
People without memory problems could be diagnosed with Alzheimer's under a plan by an influential scientific panel dominated by members with ties to drug companies.
'Behind the times': Washington tries to catch up with AI's use in healthcare
Policymakers are starting to puzzle over how to regulate artificial intelligence in healthcare — and likely to mess it up, the AI industry thinks.
What is Alaskapox? The disease has claimed its first fatality
An elderly man in Alaska has become the country's first person confirmed to have died of Alaskapox. Here's what you should know about the disease.
Halfway through Medicaid purge, enrollment is down about 10 million
Since last April, states have removed more than 16 million people from their Medicaid programs in a process known as the "unwinding," according to KFF estimates compiled from state-level data.
Budget cuts to Mars Sample Return mission prompt hundreds of layoffs at JPL
A hiring freeze wasn't enough to avoid layoffs after NASA ordered cuts to the MSR mission. Some 530 employees and 40 contractors will lose their jobs.
Abcarian: Should you sleep with your pet? It depends
A shocking amount of scientific research has been done on whether people and their pets should sleep together.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-02-04/dog-cat-pets-sleep-disorder-bed
L.A. County has its first measles case since 2020: What to do if you're exposed
A recently arrived traveler at Los Angeles International Airport is the source of the first case of measles in L.A. County since 2020.
Lawmaker wants California workplaces to put Narcan in first-aid kits
A new bill would require California workplaces to stock a nasal spray that can prevent opioid overdoses, greatly expanding the range of locations that have the lifesaving medication on hand.
Opinion: That pain in your back? It's really a pain in your brain
Most diagnoses cite a physical cause for chronic pain, but there's robust evidence that it comes from the mind instead.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-01-29/chronic-pain-health-wellness-mind-body
A record number of Californians are visiting emergency rooms for dog bites
Dog bites led to about 48,600 California emergency room visits in 2022, the highest in at least 18 years. 2022 saw about 125 ER visits for dog bites per 100,000 California residents, about 70% hi...
Here's why some high-risk patients aren't getting drugs to combat COVID
Medicines such as Paxlovid were hailed as an important way to help reduce the risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19. A new study explores why many vulnerable patients didn't get them.
Opinion: California's new rules allow COVID-positive kids in school. Here's the problem
Amid a COVID surge and with few people masking or testing, the state missed an opportunity for good public health communication.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-01-22/california-covid-oakland-schools-rules
NASA finally figures out how to open a $1-billion canister
Late last year, a spacecraft containing samples of a 4.6-billion-year-old asteroid landed safely in the desert after a 1.2-billion mile journey.
How plagiarism-detection programs became an unlikely political weapon
In academia particularly, a charge of plagiarism can be devastating. Software makes it easier than ever to spot attribution errors in published works, which can then be weaponized for political g...
A life-saving transplant awaits Arthur Yu — if the U.S. government lets his donor into the country
Arthur Yu needs a stem cell transplant if he's going to beat leukemia. But the government is blocking his Filipino cousin from visiting to make the donation.
A California panel is holding up studies on psychedelics. Some researchers want it gone
Dozens of California studies on psychedelics or addiction treatment that need to be vetted by a little-known government panel are now in limbo. Some scientists want to abolish the panel entirely.
Newsom blocks proposed ban on youth tackle football: 'Parents have the freedom to decide'
Proposed California legislation that would ban tackle football for kids under 12 had gained momentum until Gov. Gavin Newsom made it clear he'd veto the bill.
Mission accomplished: Space shuttle Endeavour's giant orange fuel tank moved into viewing spot in L.A.
The move was delayed by winds, but crews eventually raised the massive tank Friday at the California Science Center before nearly finishing Saturday.
Column: Meet the most dangerous quack in America
Florida Surgeon Gen. Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo is advising people to avoid the most effective COVID vaccines, just as a surge in disease cases gets worse.
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-01-09/meet-the-most-dangerous-quack-in-america
Researchers discover thousands of nanoplastic bits in bottles of drinking water
Nanoplastics are microscopic flecks so small that they can be absorbed into human cells and tissue, as well as cross the blood-brain barrier.
Questions about NASA's Mars Sample Return mission put JPL jobs in jeopardy
The head of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory warns that jobs at the lab will be in jeopardy if proposed funding cuts for the Mars Sample Return mission go through.
R.I.P. Shaunzi. Second elephant in about a year dies at L.A. Zoo
Shaunzi, a 53-year-old Asian elephant at the L.A. Zoo, was euthanized Wednesday. The death coincides with a planned vigil by activists for elephants who have died in captivity.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-05/la-zoo-shaunzi-elephant-death
Opinion: The U.S. is facing the biggest COVID wave since Omicron. Why are we still playing make-believe?
Thanks to the newly dominant strain JN.1, about 2 million Americans are getting infected each day.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-01-04/covid-2024-flu-virus-vaccine
A potent antibiotic has emerged in the battle against deadly, drug-resistant superbugs
For the first time in half a century, researchers have identified a new antibiotic that appears to kill a deadly, drug-resistant superbug.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2024-01-03/new-type-of-antibiotic-targets-drug-resistant-bugs
SpaceX soars into 2024 with a burst of color and six special satellites
The Falcon 9 rocket carried 21 low-orbit satellites for its sister company, Starlink, including six that, for the first time, feature direct-to-cell communications.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-03/spacex-january-2024-starlink-launch
Space shuttle Endeavour's giant orange external tank begins final journey
At long last, the final journey of the last space shuttle ever built, Endeavour, and its giant orange external tank are expected to begin this month — the capstone to a historic journey to an a...
A new coronavirus variant may be behind California's COVID rise
Coronavirus transmission is once again spiking in California entering the winter holiday season — and the new JN.1 subvariant may be partly to blame.
Column: Blame ketamine for killing Matthew Perry? It's saving someone I love
A medical examiner credits 'acute effects of ketamine' for the death of Matthew Perry. But for some, the drug saves lives.
November shatters global temperature records, marking 6 record-warm months in a row
Global average temperatures last month were 2.59 degrees above the 20th century average — 0.68 degrees above the previous record, officials say.
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-12-21/november-shatters-global-temperature-records
Ozempic overdose? Poison control experts explain why thousands OD'd this year
Nearly 3,000 reported overdoses of popular weight loss and diabetes drug semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, were reported in the United States this year.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2023-12-20/semaglutide-ozempic-wegovy-overdoses
Column: Measles is again on the march across the world, thanks to anti-vaxxers such as RFK Jr.
Measles cases are surging in Europe and Central Asia, according to the World Health Organization. Who's responsible? The anti-vaccination movement and its leaders, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Remembrances of apes past: Chimpanzees and bonobos can recognize long-lost friends
Our closest animal relatives are capable of remembering former groupmates they haven't seen in years, or even decades, researchers report.
Abcarian: Who will make abortion pill rules? A bunch of right-wing judges, or FDA scientists?
The Supreme Court's mifepristone case comes down to science and the health of women versus rabidly antiabortion hogwash.
Science doesn't yet support broad restrictions on teens' access to social media, experts say
Experts convened by the National Academies say they didn't find evidence to support broad restrictions on young people's access to social media.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2023-12-13/social-media-teens-national-academies
DeSantis bragged about a COVID study during Newsom debate. Not so fast, lead author says
Ron DeSantis cited a scientific journal as evidence Florida had a lower COVID death rate than California. The study's author says that's not the whole story.
Pregnant people can get a shot to protect babies from RSV, but some hit hurdles
Some pregnant patients who were eager to get vaccinated to protect their babies against RSV instead met with obstacles.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-13/rsv-vaccine-pregnant-people-hard-to-find
Emojis to the rescue? More are needed to address the biodiversity crisis, scientists say
More emojis of plants, mollusks, flatworms, fungi and microorganisms could help spark new conversations about conservation and biodiversity, a new study argues.
Opinion: Same hospital, same injury, same child, same day: Why did one ER visit cost thousands more?
A Bay Area 4-year-old was treated for a common joint injury twice in one day. But the bills for the two hospital visits were thousands of dollars apart.
Opinion: What we can learn in the 'era of cognitive challenges,' when politicians and celebrities suffer from brain disorders
The Senate minority leader freezes on camera. Trump mixes up "Sioux Falls" and "Sioux City." Those are natural parts of aging, and more people would get help if we discussed them openly.
Nine months after scandal, publishers are still sorting out a plagiarism mess
Ghostwriter Kristin Loberg and many of her clients have apologized for misusing authors' words without attribution. But publishing firms have been largely quiet.
Column: A bogus new attack on COVID vaccines from Texas' least credible politician
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton unveils a fact-free lawsuit questioning Pfizer's COVID vaccine, which has helped to save millions of people from hospitalization and death.
Could a monthly treatment prevent fentanyl overdoses? Scientists are working on it
Scientists say that giving an infusion of monoclonal antibodies has shown promise in blocking the potentially deadly effects of fentanyl for nearly a month, raising hopes for a new tool to combat...
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2023-12-05/fentanyl-antibody
COVID, flu, RSV on the rise in California. Is another 'tripledemic' coming?
California's respiratory virus season is ramping up, prompting officials to renew their calls for residents to get vaccinated in hopes of reducing pressure on hospitals.
Trabajadores de mostrador de California murieron de silicosis a pesar de años de advertencias
El pulido y lijado de piedra sintética expone a los trabajadores a altos niveles de sílice, que daña los pulmones. Los expertos dicen que el riesgo para la salud debería haber sido claro much...
Suicides in U.S. hit historic high in 2022, driven by increase among older adults
Rising suicide rates among older adults drove such deaths to a historic high in the U.S. last year, even as suicide declined among youth, the CDC reports.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-29/suicides-in-u-s-reached-new-high-in-2022
Backlash to affirmative action hits pioneering maternal health program for Black women
Conservative groups have sued to shut down the Abundant Birth Project, a San Francisco program that offers a monthly stipend to support pregnant Black and Pacific Islander women.