Will Sullivan
Washington, D.C.
Science writer. Previously @InsideScience, @mitgovlab, @urbanmediaarts, @novapbs, @wburartery, @soundofboston. He/him.
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Articles by Will Sullivan
Building trust in governments through digital platforms
As governments turn to the internet to connect with citizens, researchers are wondering whether these online services can help build public trust in governments. Credit: Conny Schneider/Unsplash Around the world, many people report distrusting their government. In some places, such as Latin America, North America and Africa, trust in government has declined in recent decades. How can governments rebuild this trust?
Building trust in governments through digital platforms
Around the world, many people report distrusting their government. In some places, such as Latin America, North America, and Africa, trust in government has declined in recent decades. How can governments rebuild this trust? New research from the MIT Governance Lab and the behavioral science research organization Busara examines how government partnerships with trusted private organizations can shape public trust in government.
Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 Commander Who Thrived Under Pressure, Dies at 97
The space explorer was determined throughout his life, says Teasel Muir-Harmony, the curator of the Apollo Collection at the National Air and Space Museum Once the Soviet satellite Sputnik soared beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, launching the space race, the United States rushed to beat their rival to the next milestone: sending the first human into space. Less than two years later, NASA selected the seven Americans who would fly to space for its Project Mercury.
Anti-corruption measures drive tax compliance, research shows
A fundamental problem for governments is getting citizens to comply with their laws and policies. They can't monitor everyone and catch all the rule-breakers. "It's a logistical impossibility," says Lily L. Tsai, MIT's Ford Professor of Political Science and the director and founder of the MIT Governance Lab. Instead, governments need citizens to choose to follow the rules of their own accord.
How government accountability and responsiveness affect tax payment
A fundamental problem for governments is getting citizens to comply with their laws and policies. They can’t monitor everyone and catch all the rule-breakers. “It’s a logistical impossibility,” says Lily L. Tsai, MIT’s Ford Professor of Political Science and the director and founder of the MIT Governance Lab. Instead, governments need citizens to choose to follow the rules of their own accord.
'Matching' Dinosaur Footprints Discovered in Africa and South America
Today, Brazil and Cameroon are separated by thousands of miles of the Atlantic Ocean. But for millions of years, the two countries were part of a single supercontinent, called Gondwana. Scientists have now examined more than 260 similar dinosaur footprints in both Cameroon and Brazil that date to 120 million years ago, demonstrating how dinosaurs could have crossed between what are now Africa and South America.
New Hampshire Resident Dies From Rare but Serious Mosquito-Borne Illness
An adult in New Hampshire has died from an infection with Eastern equine encephalitis, a rare but serious disease caused by a virus spread by mosquitoes, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
What Are the Best Policies for Reducing Carbon Emissions? A New Study Has Some Answers
A systematic analysis of more than 1,500 climate policies from around the world found that only 63 were successful, reducing average emissions by 19 percent on average. The research, published August 22 in the journal Science, finds that policies are more effective when implemented with a variety of other policies, instead of alone.
Rare Endangered Lynx Spotted in Vermont for the First Time Since 2018
A sighting of a rare wildcat called the Canada lynx has been confirmed in Vermont for the first time since 2018, according to a statement from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Local resident Gary Shattuck recorded video of the male cat on August 17 as the animal walked alongside a road in Rutland County. “Canada lynx are endangered in Vermont and threatened nationally,” , a wildlife biologist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, says in the statement.
Groundbreaking Mission Attempting the First Private Astronaut Spacewalk Will Target Tuesday Launch
This week, a commercial spaceflight is scheduled to make history by carrying billionaire Jared Isaacman and three other crewmembers to Earth orbit. During the five-day mission, the crew will travel farther away from Earth than any astronauts since the Apollo program, fly through a high-radiation environment and perform the first-ever commercial spacewalk. “They’re pushing the envelope in multiple ways,” retired NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman tells Reuters’ Joey Roulette.
Groundbreaking Mission Will Attempt the First Private Astronaut Spacewalk Next Week
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Groundbreaking Mission Will Attempt the First Private Astronaut Spacewalk Next Week
Next week, a commercial spaceflight is scheduled to make history by carrying billionaire Jared Isaacman and three other crewmembers to Earth orbit. During the five-day mission, the crew will travel farther away from Earth than any astronauts since the Apollo program, travel through a high-radiation environment and perform the first-ever commercial spacewalk. “They’re pushing the envelope in multiple ways,” retired NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman tells Reuters’ Joey Roulette.
These Spiders Use Captured Fireflies as Flashing Lures to Snare More Prey
A new study suggests orb-weaver spiders manipulate trapped male fireflies to emit female-like signals, which in turn draws more males into the web Some spiders might use captured fireflies as beacons to lure more of the insects into their webs. In a study of orb-weaver spiders in China, researchers noticed that male fireflies tangled in spiderwebs emitted unusual pulses of light—their flashes mimicked the signals female fireflies make to attract mates.
Weight Loss and Diabetes Drug Could Slow Alzheimer's Progression, Preliminary Study Suggests
A drug used to treat weight loss and diabetes may slow cognitive decline in people with mild Alzheimer’s disease, according to research from a mid-stage trial presented in late July at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. The findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Asteroid That Ended the Dinosaurs Came From Beyond Jupiter, Study Finds
Metal isotopes delivered to Earth by the asteroid reveal it’s consistent with space rocks formed in the outer solar system Sixty-six million years ago, an enormous asteroid collided with Earth, contributing to a mass extinction event that wiped out all the non-avian dinosaurs. Now, scientists suggest they’ve tracked down the origin of this celestial agent of destruction.
WHO Declares Mpox Global Health Emergency. Here's What to Know
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WHO Declares Mpox Global Health Emergency. Here's What to Know
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global public health emergency on Wednesday due to an mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a number of other African countries. The move is meant to increase funds for a response to the disease and prompt governments to take action. One reason for the declaration is the emergence of a new virus strain last year, called clade 1b. It has spread rapidly in the DRC, seemingly mainly through sexual networks.
The World's Largest Iceberg Is Stuck in a Spinning Ocean Vortex
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The World's Largest Iceberg Is Stuck in a Spinning Ocean Vortex
The world’s largest iceberg, which had been drifting north from Antarctica since 2020, has come to a halt. Instead of continuing along its trajectory toward warmer waters, it’s now slowly spinning in an ocean vortex, according to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). The iceberg is trapped in a rotating cylinder of water called a Taylor column near the South Orkney Islands, located about 375 miles northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Each day, the iceberg, named A23a, rotates about 15 degrees.
Common Artificial Sweetener Linked to Increased Heart Attack Risk in Small Study
The artificial sweetener erythritol may increase people’s risk of blood clots, a small study finds, potentially putting them at an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Sugar was not observed to have the same effect.
MDMA Treatment for PTSD Fails to Secure Federal Approval
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MDMA Treatment for PTSD Fails to Secure Federal Approval
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week declined to approve the psychedelic MDMA, also known as ecstasy, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The agency has asked for an additional Phase 3 clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of the drug, according to a statement from Lykos Therapeutics, the company that had requested the approval.
Iconic 'Double Arch' Rock Formation Collapses in Utah
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Iconic 'Double Arch' Rock Formation Collapses in Utah
The “Double Arch” geologic feature, a popular tourist attraction in Utah’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, has collapsed, according to a statement from the National Park Service. No injuries were reported after the rock crumbled on Thursday. The formation, also known as the “Toilet Bowl,” “Crescent Pool” and “Hole in the Roof,” had created a circular opening above Rock Creek Bay in Lake Powell, not far from Utah’s border with Arizona.
'Dangerous' Pesticide That Could Harm Fetuses Is Pulled From the Market in Historic Move by EPA
Citing threats to fetuses, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week issued an emergency suspension of all registrations for a pesticide used on crops to control weeds. The move marks the first time in almost 40 years that the agency has used this kind of action.
Humans Could Warm Up Mars for Space Travelers by Spraying Tiny Metal Rods Into Its Atmosphere
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Humans Could Warm Up Mars for Space Travelers by Spraying Tiny Metal Rods Into Its Atmosphere
For humans to survive outdoors on Mars, the Martian climate would need to be much different from how it is today. For one thing, the planet gets far too cold to support astronauts—Mars’ median surface temperature is minus 85 degrees Fahrenheit. In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, researchers propose an engineering technique for warming up Mars: designing tiny rods from Martian dust that could trap heat in its atmosphere.
Meteorite Strikes Are the Primary Creator of the Moon's Thin Atmosphere, Study Finds
The moon has a thin atmosphere that needs constant replenishing, as its atoms often escape to space due to the weakness of lunar gravity. Scientists know that various weathering processes can send particles from the moon’s surface into its atmosphere, but what’s been less clear is which process is the dominant one.
Ancient Egyptians May Have Used Hydraulic Lift to Build Pyramid
Standing as much as hundreds of feet tall and made of stones weighing up to 100 tons, Egypt’s pyramids are a remarkable feat of ancient engineering. To this day, scientists aren’t entirely sure how they were constructed. In a study published Monday in the journal PLOS One, researchers propose that ancient people may have relied on water to build the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, Egypt. They suspect a hydraulic system may have helped lift stones from the center of the pyramid.
Static Electricity May Help Butterflies and Moths Pick Up Pollen
Butterflies and moths build up static electricity as they fly, and these charges could allow the insects to collect pollen without touching flowers, according to a new study in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. This new research is a “really cool study,” Avery Russell, a behavioral ecologist at Missouri State University who did not contribute to the findings, tells Science’s Catherine Offord.
Komodo Dragons Have Iron-Coated Teeth, Study Finds
Komodo dragons, the largest predatory lizards on Earth, have iron-coated teeth, according to a new study. Researchers also looked at other reptiles and found that tooth enamel containing iron tips may be widespread, they reported last week in the journal Nature Ecology. But the newly discovered feature was most striking in Komodo dragons—their chompers have an orange, iron-enriched coating on their serrations and tips.
Alzheimer's Blood Test Outperforms Standard Diagnostics in New Study
A blood test for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease was accurate around 90 percent of the time in a new study of people experiencing cognitive problems. Dementia specialists correctly determined whether or not participants in the study had Alzheimer’s only 73 percent of the time, while primary care physicians were 61 percent accurate, researchers reported this week in the journal JAMA. The researchers confirmed whether or not patients had Alzheimer’s using spinal tap or PET scan.
See How the Brain Responds to Psychedelic 'Magic Mushrooms'
A new study mapped large, temporary changes in brain areas related to introspection and one’s sense of self, after participants took a dose of the drug psilocybin The psychedelic drug psilocybin—the active agent in so-called magic mushrooms—causes profound, temporary changes in a network of brain areas involved in introspective thinking, according to a new study published last week in Nature that imaged the brains of people given the drug.
Amid Its Volcanic Eruption, Pompeii Was Also Rocked by an Earthquake, Study Suggests
When disaster struck Pompeii in 79 C.E., people didn’t die from just the infamous volcanic eruption—some perished in an earthquake at the same time. A study published Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science examined two people’s skeletal remains preserved at the site and found they were crushed when an earthquake caused a building to collapse.
California Faces a Brutal Wildfire Season, With More Land Burned to Date Than in Recent Years
California is in the midst of a particularly intense wildfire season that has so far burned almost a quarter-million acres across the state, the equivalent of more than 370 square miles of land. “We are not just in a fire season, but we are in a fire year,” Joe Tyler, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), said at a news conference, per Janie Har and Rio Yamat of the Associated Press (AP).
Scientists Find an Underground Cave on the Moon That Could Shelter Future Explorers
Radar data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) points to the presence of a cave beneath the moon’s surface. Such caves could serve as shelters for future human explorers, since they could protect astronauts from the moon’s hazardous surface environment, researchers report Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. The cave leads from a pit in the Sea of Tranquility, where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first walked on the moon in 1969.
Spacesuit Prototype Turns Pee Into Drinking Water
Researchers are working to develop a system for extracting drinkable water from urine that astronauts could use during spacewalks. Though the system as a whole still needs to be tested on people, astronauts could one day use it to improve their hygiene and performance during extravehicular activity, the researchers reported last week in the journal Frontiers in Space Technologies.
EPA Reaches $241 Million Settlement With Marathon Oil
The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice have announced a settlement with Marathon Oil requiring the company to pay a penalty of $64.5 million for Clean Air Act violations on Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The company will also have to invest in compliance measures totalling an estimated $177 million.
Astronomers Spot Rare, Mid-Sized Black Hole in Our Galaxy
The black hole, if confirmed, is in the star cluster Omega Centauri, about 17,700 light-years away, and it could hold lessons about how such structures are formed While all black holes are massive from a human perspective, they actually come in a wide range of sizes. But these sizes usually fall at either end of a spectrum—either relatively small or absolutely enormous.
Gut Microbes Could Help Diagnose Autism, Study Suggests
A new study has found a link between certain gut microbes and autism in children. The findings suggest that analyzing the gut microbiome could one day aid in diagnosing autism, potentially making the process much quicker and more straightforward, researchers reported Monday in the journal Nature Microbiology.
New Bionic Leg and Surgical Procedure Allow People to Walk With More Control After Amputations
In a clinical trial, researchers enabled people with prosthetic legs to walk at the same speed as people without leg amputations. The experimental surgery involves reconnecting muscles in the person’s leg, which allows them to produce electrical signals that trigger the prosthetic limb’s motion. The procedure may help people with leg amputations adapt to walking at varied speeds and moving on a range of terrains. The findings were published July 1 in the journal Nature Medicine.
Researchers study differences in attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines between women and men in Africa
While many studies over the past several years have examined people's access to and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines, few studies in sub-Saharan Africa have looked at whether there were differences in vaccination rates and intention between men and women.
General Motors to Pay $146 Million For Excess Emissions
General Motors (G.M.) faces steep penalties after an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation found that nearly six million of its vehicles were emitting excess carbon dioxide. The company will pay $145.8 million in penalties and lose 50 million metric tons of greenhouse gas credits. Automakers have to test vehicles after one and four years on the road to make sure they still meet emissions standards.
Indonesian Cave Painting Is Oldest-Known Visual Storytelling
A cave painting on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi of human-like figures interacting with a pig may be the earliest known example of visual storytelling. In research published July 3 in the journal Nature, researchers used a new dating technique to determine that the painting is at least 51,200 years old. The findings suggest that the use of images to tell stories about relationships between humans and animals developed earlier in the region than previously thought.
Carpenter Ants Perform Life-Saving Amputations to Treat Leg Injuries
Researchers have observed Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus) biting off the injured legs of their nestmates. By removing their companions’ legs, the ants significantly improved their chances of survival, researchers reported Tuesday in the journal Current Biology. These surgeries are the first known example of non-human animals performing amputations to improve a fellow animal’s odds of recovering, the authors say.
Charlotte the 'Pregnant Virgin' Stingray Dies After Diagnosis of Reproductive Disease
Charlotte the stingray, whose mysterious pregnancy grabbed headlines earlier this year and earned her a legion of online fans, has died, according to the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO, the facility where Charlotte lived. The ray’s death comes roughly one month after the aquarium, located in Hendersonville, North Carolina, announced that Charlotte had a reproductive disease.
Two Pandas Arrive at the San Diego Zoo, the First to Enter the U.S. in 21 Years
For months, the only pandas in the country had been in Atlanta. Next, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., are expected to also receive pandas this year A pair of giant pandas arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China last Thursday, marking the first time in 21 years that giant pandas have entered the United States.
Volcanic Ash Preserved Trilobite Fossils in Surprising Detail at 'Prehistoric Pompeii'
The specimens date to more than 500 million years ago and provide new insights into trilobite anatomy, revealing previously unseen features Scientists have uncovered intricately preserved fossils of trilobites that are providing new insights into the extinct invertebrates’ anatomy. The animals had been buried in modern-day Morocco after volcanic ash blanketed them underwater more than 500 million years ago.
Neanderthal Child May Have Had Down Syndrome, Fossil Suggests
An analysis of an inner ear fossil from a young Neanderthal discovered in Spain suggests the child may have had Down syndrome. The child lived until at least 6 years old and would have needed continuous care, so their mother may have accepted help from other members of the social group in raising the child, the authors write Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. The findings are evidence that Neanderthals participated in social behavior benefiting others, like caregiving and co-parenting.
Researchers Make a Smiling Robotic Face From Living Skin
Using living skin, scientists have made a robotic face that can stretch its features into a smile. In a new paper published Tuesday in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, researchers describe a novel method for attaching the lab-engineered skin to the robot’s face. The findings not only mark an advancement in robot facial technology—they could also have implications for the cosmetics industry and orthopedic surgery.
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