Meeri Kim

An emerging field of climate science that analyzes extreme weather events is behind the assertion that the unprecedented heat waves sweeping the globe are a result of human-induced climate change.
Extreme event attribution examines the human fingerprint on weather-related disasters by comparing our current world — and its growing amount of weather anomalies — to an idealized one, where the human influence on climate never happened.
To do that, researchers run computer programs known as climat...

The first detailed description of Parkinson’s disease, published in 1817 by British physician James Parkinson, is a harrowing read. Based on his observation of six cases, Parkinson found that a patient starts by experiencing a slight sense of weakness and some bothersome trembling in one of their hands.
The condition slowly worsens to the point where tremors become more frequent. Simple actions such as walking and eating become challenging to the point where assistance is needed. After severa...

Growing up in Taiwan, Joseph Wu watched his parents and grandparents enjoy alcohol on occasion, their faces turning a glaring shade of red after only one or two drinks. When trying alcohol for himself years later, he experienced the phenomenon firsthand.
Live well every day with tips and guidance on food, fitness and mental health, delivered to your inbox every Thursday.
“My heart rate goes up to 130 beats per minute, I get facial flushing, and three to four hours later, I’ll probably get a h...

While pregnant, I had heard about the many challenges of breastfeeding and mentally prepared myself for a rough road ahead.
To my surprise, my daughter took to the breast right away, and my milk supply was good, as she was steadily gaining weight. My husband also fed her my expressed breast milk in a bottle from the first week onward, and she moved seamlessly between breast and bottle.
Live well every day with tips and guidance on food, fitness and mental health, delivered to your inbox every...

Meeri Kim
As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires, optics is helping researchers better understand the threats—and reduce the impacts.
The 2023 spring wildfire season in Canada was the worst on record, with an area larger than the Netherlands—more than 12 million acres—burned by June. That figure exceeds the amount of land burned in the entire 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022 seasons combined. The fires displaced tens of thousands of people, destroyed hundreds of homes a...

In terms of efficiency, perovskite solar cells are the fastest-growing solar technology to date, but stability issues still block their widespread commercialization.

Richard Sima will return next week.
Spending time in nature — even as little as two hours a week — has been linked to several health benefits.
Live well every day with tips and guidance on food, fitness and mental health, delivered to your inbox every Thursday.
It seems to support healthy aging and has been associated with, among other things, improved cognitive function, blood pressure, mental health and sleep.
Now, a study of nearly 62 million Medicare beneficiaries suggests that nature may...

Aside from his wife, soccer is the love of Gary Clark’s life. He started playing at age 7 and kept it up for more than four decades, even representing his home country Canada at the international level.
Live well every day with tips and guidance on food, fitness and mental health, delivered to your inbox every Thursday.
His involvement in the sport, though, was cut short at age 48, following a knee replacement surgery. When Clark asked about getting back on the field, his doctor told him to g...

Climate change—which brings more intense periods of heavy rain, longer dry periods and extreme heat—threatens both farmers’ livelihoods and the world’s food supply. One potential solution for farms is the use of greenhouses to regulate the environment and boost crop yields.
Now researchers in the United States have designed a smart greenhouse with semi-transparent organic solar cells integrated into its roof (Nat. Sustain., doi: 10.1038/s41893-023-01071-2). The addition of an interlayer based...

To relieve hot flashes, sleep problems and low libido, some menopausal women are choosing to seek relief with cannabis, usually in the form of a joint or an edible, new research shows.
The study, a survey of women either in perimenopause or postmenopause, sought to gather data about how women are using cannabis to treat the symptoms of menopause. The analysis, published by Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society in August, included responses from 258 participants, more ...

Metal-halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have quickly become a leading candidate to replace crystalline silicon devices, boasting the advantages of high power-conversion efficiency and low processing cost. However, the major challenge with PSCs is operating instability, particularly at high temperatures, which significantly reduces their lifespan.
Now, an international team of researchers says it has discovered a novel approach to minimize PSC degradation at elevated temperatures (Science, ...

Meeri Kim
Countless research groups have tried to invent a noninvasive glucose sensor and ultimately failed. Can a new generation of optics technologies provide a path to success?
[Nanoclustering / Science Photo Library]
In March 2001, California-based Cygnus Inc. received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a wearable medical device that seemed poised to revolutionize the way people with diabetes managed their disease. The GlucoWatch Biographer—which looked like a bulky but ot...

Meeri Kim
The freedom of functional near-infrared spectroscopy opens a window into brain activity outside the confines of an MRI machine.
Biomedical engineer Frans Jöbsis was preparing a chuck roast for dinner—what he called “the poor academic’s substitute for steak”—when he realized the slab of meat could serve as the subject for a quick-and-dirty experiment. As a professor at Duke University, USA, he was preparing a grant application to study the exposed heart with near-infrared spectrophot...

Social exercise — working out with another person — has many advantages, and new research suggests it also may extend to your brain.
Having a workout buddy has been shown to help boost your motivation, sense of adventure and the likelihood of showing up. For older adults, the potential benefits are even more pronounced. Compared with those who exercise solo, people older than 65 who exercise with others are more physically active, have a lower risk of functional disability and suffer fewer fa...

Researchers and patients are excited about recent advancements, but such experiments have their own sets of risks and challenges
Paddy Doherty remembers his father as a proud, hard-working family man who stayed physically fit for most of his life. A career in construction and various home improvement projects kept him active until his 60s, when Doherty first caught glimpses of a worrying decline in his dad’s health.
“I noticed him getting breathless on walks. He’d stop for a while and maybe m...