Pandemic Prompts Fears About Viruses And Thawing Permafrost : Goats and Soda As if the pandemic weren't enough, people are wondering whether climate change will cause pathogens buried in frozen ground to come back to life as the Arctic warms. How worried should we be?Toggle more optionsCredit: Vahram Muradyan for NPREditor's note: There has been speculation in the media and via Twitter that DNA fragments of the now-defunct 1918 flu pathogen could be preserved under the permafrost and might pose a potential threat to humans if the warming Earth continues to melt layers of frozen soil. A...…Pandemic Prompts Fears About Viruses And Thawing Permafrost : Goats and Soda As if the pandemic weren't enough, people are wondering whether climate change will cause pathogens buried in frozen ground to come back to life as the Arctic warms. How worried should we be?Toggle more optionsCredit: Vahram Muradyan for NPREditor's note: There has been speculation in the media and via Twitter that DNA fragments of the now-defunct 1918 flu pathogen could be preserved under the permafrost and might pose a potential threat to humans if the warming Earth continues to melt layers of frozen soil. A...WW…

Outbreak Expert Points To Huanan Market Origin For Pandemic, Citing New Data : Goats and Soda One of the scientists who signed a recent letter calling for more investigation of the lab-leak origin theory says new data has come to light. And that information has changed his thinking.Toggle more optionsBack in May, a group of scientists — many at the top of the virology field — shifted the debate about the origins of COVID-19. They published a letter in the journal Science saying the lab-leak theory needs to be taken more seriously by the scientific community. Given the current evidence...…Outbreak Expert Points To Huanan Market Origin For Pandemic, Citing New Data : Goats and Soda One of the scientists who signed a recent letter calling for more investigation of the lab-leak origin theory says new data has come to light. And that information has changed his thinking.Toggle more optionsBack in May, a group of scientists — many at the top of the virology field — shifted the debate about the origins of COVID-19. They published a letter in the journal Science saying the lab-leak theory needs to be taken more seriously by the scientific community. Given the current evidence...WW…

'Double Mutant' Variant In India Shouldn't Really Be Called That, Scientists Say : Goats and Soda The term is a reference to two particular mutations in SARS-CoV-2. But the variant in India could carry additional mutations.Heard onToggle more optionsIndia is in the midst of a devastating second wave of COVID-19. For the past several weeks, cases and deaths have skyrocketed. The country is more than a quarter million cases per day. The situation in India sounds remarkably similar to what has happened in Brazil, South Africa and now also Iran, says infectious disease scientist at Scripps...…'Double Mutant' Variant In India Shouldn't Really Be Called That, Scientists Say : Goats and Soda The term is a reference to two particular mutations in SARS-CoV-2. But the variant in India could carry additional mutations.Heard onToggle more optionsIndia is in the midst of a devastating second wave of COVID-19. For the past several weeks, cases and deaths have skyrocketed. The country is more than a quarter million cases per day. The situation in India sounds remarkably similar to what has happened in Brazil, South Africa and now also Iran, says infectious disease scientist at Scripps...WW…

How Do We Stop The Next Pandemic? Here's A New Strategy : Goats and Soda For decades, the U.S. has spent many millions hunting down viruses in hope of stopping a pandemic. Yet the efforts failed. A group of researchers thinks there's a better strategy for the future.Heard onToggle more optionsIn movies such as Contagion, a pandemic begins in a flash. A deadly virus spills over from an animal, like a pig, into humans and then quickly triggers an outbreak. But that's not actually what happens, says Dr. at the Duke Global Health Institute. "It's not like in the movies," he says, "where this...…How Do We Stop The Next Pandemic? Here's A New Strategy : Goats and Soda For decades, the U.S. has spent many millions hunting down viruses in hope of stopping a pandemic. Yet the efforts failed. A group of researchers thinks there's a better strategy for the future.Heard onToggle more optionsIn movies such as Contagion, a pandemic begins in a flash. A deadly virus spills over from an animal, like a pig, into humans and then quickly triggers an outbreak. But that's not actually what happens, says Dr. at the Duke Global Health Institute. "It's not like in the movies," he says, "where this...WW…

Pandemic Origins Report From WHO Has Surprising Nuggets In Its 300 Pages : Goats and Soda There is a lot of information packed into the 300-page report on the origins of the pandemic released this week. Here are three key points that haven't received a great deal of media attention.This week, the World Health Organization finally released its long-awaited report about its investigation into how and where the COVID-19 pandemic began. Although the main conclusions were roughly what the agency had already reported to the media, deep inside the 300-page paper there are tantalizing nuggets of...…Pandemic Origins Report From WHO Has Surprising Nuggets In Its 300 Pages : Goats and Soda There is a lot of information packed into the 300-page report on the origins of the pandemic released this week. Here are three key points that haven't received a great deal of media attention.This week, the World Health Organization finally released its long-awaited report about its investigation into how and where the COVID-19 pandemic began. Although the main conclusions were roughly what the agency had already reported to the media, deep inside the 300-page paper there are tantalizing nuggets of...WW…

Next Pandemic: Scientists Worry That Another Coronavirus Will Spill Over : Goats and Soda Researchers worry another coronavirus will spill over from a bat or some other creature. They're hunting for sources — and finding evidence that a new pandemic could be around the corner.Toggle more optionsWhen the pandemic began last year, scientists went looking for the origins of the coronavirus. Right away, they made a huge discovery. It looked like the virus jumped from a bat into humans. Now, scientists are worried that another coronavirus will strike again, from either a bat or some other...…Next Pandemic: Scientists Worry That Another Coronavirus Will Spill Over : Goats and Soda Researchers worry another coronavirus will spill over from a bat or some other creature. They're hunting for sources — and finding evidence that a new pandemic could be around the corner.Toggle more optionsWhen the pandemic began last year, scientists went looking for the origins of the coronavirus. Right away, they made a huge discovery. It looked like the virus jumped from a bat into humans. Now, scientists are worried that another coronavirus will strike again, from either a bat or some other...WW…

Understanding Where Coronaviruses Come From And How They Enter Humans All it took was one coronavirus to turn the world upside down. But how many more are out there, lurking in animals? And what's the chance they could jump into people and trigger another outbreak?Heard onToggle more optionsAll it took was one coronavirus to turn the world upside down. But how many more are out there, lurking in animals? And what's the chance they could jump into people and trigger another outbreak?A MARTINEZ, HOST:When the COVID-19 pandemic began last year, scientists went looking for the origins of the...…Understanding Where Coronaviruses Come From And How They Enter Humans All it took was one coronavirus to turn the world upside down. But how many more are out there, lurking in animals? And what's the chance they could jump into people and trigger another outbreak?Heard onToggle more optionsAll it took was one coronavirus to turn the world upside down. But how many more are out there, lurking in animals? And what's the chance they could jump into people and trigger another outbreak?A MARTINEZ, HOST:When the COVID-19 pandemic began last year, scientists went looking for the origins of the...WW…

Wildlife Farms In China Likely Source Of Pandemic, Say WHO Investigators : Goats and Soda Peter Daszak of the investigative team sent to Wuhan says the farms were probably where the coronavirus first jumped from bats to another animal before infecting humans.Heard onMichaeleen DoucleffToggle more optionsA member of the World Health Organization investigative team says wildlife farms in southern China are the most likely source of the COVID-19 pandemic. China shut down those wildlife farms in February 2020, says , a disease ecologist with EcoHealth Alliance and a member of the WHO delegation...…Wildlife Farms In China Likely Source Of Pandemic, Say WHO Investigators : Goats and Soda Peter Daszak of the investigative team sent to Wuhan says the farms were probably where the coronavirus first jumped from bats to another animal before infecting humans.Heard onMichaeleen DoucleffToggle more optionsA member of the World Health Organization investigative team says wildlife farms in southern China are the most likely source of the COVID-19 pandemic. China shut down those wildlife farms in February 2020, says , a disease ecologist with EcoHealth Alliance and a member of the WHO delegation...WW…

2 Key Ways Parents Can Raise Kids Who Are Eager To Do Chores : Goats and Soda In some cultures, kids roll their eyes when asked to do chores. In others, they'll pitch in without even being asked. Researchers have identified two key practices to raise helpful children.Toggle more optionsIt was a simple experiment. Lucia Alcala, a psychologist, built a tiny model grocery store with aisles and different items that she could put on a family's dining room table. She and her colleagues brought the model store to 43 family's homes along California's Central Coast. Each family had a pair of...…2 Key Ways Parents Can Raise Kids Who Are Eager To Do Chores : Goats and Soda In some cultures, kids roll their eyes when asked to do chores. In others, they'll pitch in without even being asked. Researchers have identified two key practices to raise helpful children.Toggle more optionsIt was a simple experiment. Lucia Alcala, a psychologist, built a tiny model grocery store with aisles and different items that she could put on a family's dining room table. She and her colleagues brought the model store to 43 family's homes along California's Central Coast. Each family had a pair of...WW…