2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38

A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Sep 15 through Sat, Sep 21, 2019

Editor's Pick

‘Four million’ join students in climate marches, building pressure on leaders

Organisers said record numbers marched in countries around the world, sending a clear message to politicians meeting in New York

Climate Strikers in New York on 09-20-19

Hundreds of thousands of young people took to the streets in New York demanding governments do more to tackle the climate crisis (Photo: Chloé Farand)

More than four million people have taken part in an unprecedented wave of climate protests across the world, organisers said, in the most powerful message to governments yet to take serious action.

The global strike was billed as the largest climate protest in history days before  world leaders gather in New York for a three-day climate action summit convened by UN secretary general António Guterres starting Saturday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly young people, some accompanied by parents, gathered in Foley Square in front of the Thurgood Marshall courthouse in downtown Manhattan in September heat, waving colourful hand-painted placards.

“Cooler is cool”, “Remember when the earth was cool” and “The earth should not be hotter than me” read some of the signs, encapsulating a sense that climate action was now utterly mainstream.

The protest marched through the streets of New York to Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan, to hear from Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The social movement she inspired in such a short amount of time culminated in a powerful message to governments that to remain relevant to young voters, their actions need to change.

Organisers 350.org said protests around the world had mobilised more than four million people in 163 countries. That number could not be independently verified.

Amazing images flooded social media, those are shared below.

‘Four million’ join students in climate marches, building pressure on leaders by Chloé Farand & Jill Russo, Climate Home News, Sep 20, 2019

Click here to access the entire article as posted on the Climate Home News website.

Articles Linked to on Facebook

Sun Sep 15, 2019

Mon Sep 16, 2019

Tue Sep 17, 2019

Wed Sep 18, 2019

Thu Sep 19, 2019

Fri Sep 20, 2019

Sat Sep 21, 2019



from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/31GVZ8m
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Sep 15 through Sat, Sep 21, 2019

Editor's Pick

‘Four million’ join students in climate marches, building pressure on leaders

Organisers said record numbers marched in countries around the world, sending a clear message to politicians meeting in New York

Climate Strikers in New York on 09-20-19

Hundreds of thousands of young people took to the streets in New York demanding governments do more to tackle the climate crisis (Photo: Chloé Farand)

More than four million people have taken part in an unprecedented wave of climate protests across the world, organisers said, in the most powerful message to governments yet to take serious action.

The global strike was billed as the largest climate protest in history days before  world leaders gather in New York for a three-day climate action summit convened by UN secretary general António Guterres starting Saturday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly young people, some accompanied by parents, gathered in Foley Square in front of the Thurgood Marshall courthouse in downtown Manhattan in September heat, waving colourful hand-painted placards.

“Cooler is cool”, “Remember when the earth was cool” and “The earth should not be hotter than me” read some of the signs, encapsulating a sense that climate action was now utterly mainstream.

The protest marched through the streets of New York to Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan, to hear from Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The social movement she inspired in such a short amount of time culminated in a powerful message to governments that to remain relevant to young voters, their actions need to change.

Organisers 350.org said protests around the world had mobilised more than four million people in 163 countries. That number could not be independently verified.

Amazing images flooded social media, those are shared below.

‘Four million’ join students in climate marches, building pressure on leaders by Chloé Farand & Jill Russo, Climate Home News, Sep 20, 2019

Click here to access the entire article as posted on the Climate Home News website.

Articles Linked to on Facebook

Sun Sep 15, 2019

Mon Sep 16, 2019

Tue Sep 17, 2019

Wed Sep 18, 2019

Thu Sep 19, 2019

Fri Sep 20, 2019

Sat Sep 21, 2019



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An astronomer contemplates the equinox

Sky chart aimed generally southward after sunset on September 22.

View larger. | This view is about 7 hours before the instant of the September 23 equinox. Image via Guy Ottewell’s blog.

Originally published at Guy Ottewell’s blog. Re-printed here with permission.

The September equinox falls on Monday September 23, 2019 at about 8 o’clock by Universal Time. That is after sunrise for Europe, but by American clocks, it’s nearer to the midnight between Sunday and Monday. So the good time to contemplate equinoxes is on Sunday evening.

The chart at top shows the view only about 7 hours before the instant of the equinox (September 23, 2019 at 07:50 UTC).

The sun is arriving at one of the two places where the ecliptic (sun’s path on our sky’s dome) crosses the celestial equator (imaginary line above Earth’s equartor). In other words, the sun is moving into the southern celestial hemisphere. At the opposite crossroads in the sky – 180 degrees away on the sky’s dome – we show an imaginary anti-sun, toward which the shadow of our Earth points.

And halfway between them is the antapex of Earth’s way, the point away from which we are moving in our orbit.

Near this are Jupiter and Saturn, because at this time we are rushing away from them in orbit around the sun. Earth passed between the sun and each of these planets in the summer. Jupiter appeared exactly 90° from the sun (east quadrature) on September 8, and the antapex will reach Saturn on October 7.

https://ift.tt/30gn6u4 | This 3-dimensional picture shows the planets’ orbits and their paths in the month of September, with sight-lines from Earth to the sun and planets at September 23, 2019. Image via Guy Ottewell’s blog.

The three-dimensional picture shows the heliocentric view for September, 2019, with sight-lines from Earth to the sun and planets at September 23. The viewpoint is 6 Astronomical Units (AU, or sun-Earth distances) from the sun, at a latitude of 15° north of the ecliptic (Earth-sun) plane and longitude of 45° from the vernal equinox direction (the “zero” point of the sky). We see the sun in that direction at the March equinox; the sun sees us in that direction at the September equinox.

I was out this morning at my cliff-top “dawn point” in good time to see the sunrise. After that inevitable building of suspense, the sun flashed out from the steep face of Golden Cap. It was 7:05 a.m., would have been I think 12 minutes earlier down on the geometrical horizon. I had forgotten to take in my bicycle pannier the means to make a picture, and tomorrow the clear September weather (which has allowed me some swims in the sea) may be over, so for an equinox sunrise picture I’ve had to pull the sun up into a pre-dawn one I made in a past year.

A painting of dawn over the ocean.

View larger. | Painting of an equinox sunrise by Guy Ottewell, via his blog.

Bottom line: Astronomer Guy Ottewell contemplates the September equinox, 2019.



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Sky chart aimed generally southward after sunset on September 22.

View larger. | This view is about 7 hours before the instant of the September 23 equinox. Image via Guy Ottewell’s blog.

Originally published at Guy Ottewell’s blog. Re-printed here with permission.

The September equinox falls on Monday September 23, 2019 at about 8 o’clock by Universal Time. That is after sunrise for Europe, but by American clocks, it’s nearer to the midnight between Sunday and Monday. So the good time to contemplate equinoxes is on Sunday evening.

The chart at top shows the view only about 7 hours before the instant of the equinox (September 23, 2019 at 07:50 UTC).

The sun is arriving at one of the two places where the ecliptic (sun’s path on our sky’s dome) crosses the celestial equator (imaginary line above Earth’s equartor). In other words, the sun is moving into the southern celestial hemisphere. At the opposite crossroads in the sky – 180 degrees away on the sky’s dome – we show an imaginary anti-sun, toward which the shadow of our Earth points.

And halfway between them is the antapex of Earth’s way, the point away from which we are moving in our orbit.

Near this are Jupiter and Saturn, because at this time we are rushing away from them in orbit around the sun. Earth passed between the sun and each of these planets in the summer. Jupiter appeared exactly 90° from the sun (east quadrature) on September 8, and the antapex will reach Saturn on October 7.

https://ift.tt/30gn6u4 | This 3-dimensional picture shows the planets’ orbits and their paths in the month of September, with sight-lines from Earth to the sun and planets at September 23, 2019. Image via Guy Ottewell’s blog.

The three-dimensional picture shows the heliocentric view for September, 2019, with sight-lines from Earth to the sun and planets at September 23. The viewpoint is 6 Astronomical Units (AU, or sun-Earth distances) from the sun, at a latitude of 15° north of the ecliptic (Earth-sun) plane and longitude of 45° from the vernal equinox direction (the “zero” point of the sky). We see the sun in that direction at the March equinox; the sun sees us in that direction at the September equinox.

I was out this morning at my cliff-top “dawn point” in good time to see the sunrise. After that inevitable building of suspense, the sun flashed out from the steep face of Golden Cap. It was 7:05 a.m., would have been I think 12 minutes earlier down on the geometrical horizon. I had forgotten to take in my bicycle pannier the means to make a picture, and tomorrow the clear September weather (which has allowed me some swims in the sea) may be over, so for an equinox sunrise picture I’ve had to pull the sun up into a pre-dawn one I made in a past year.

A painting of dawn over the ocean.

View larger. | Painting of an equinox sunrise by Guy Ottewell, via his blog.

Bottom line: Astronomer Guy Ottewell contemplates the September equinox, 2019.



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Are day and night equal at equinoxes?

January 1, 2015 sunset by Helio de Carvalho Vital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Shot 3 of 6.

Flattened sunset by Helio C. Vital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A flattened sunset is an effect of atmospheric refraction. Refraction also gives us a few more minutes of daylight on the equinox than we would have otherwise.

The upcoming equinox – the Northern Hemisphere’s autumn equinox and Southern Hemisphere’s spring equinox – falls at 07:50 UTC on Monday, September 23, 2019. For North American time zones, that’s September 23 at 3:50 a.m. EDT, 2:50 a.m. CDT, 1:50 a.m. MDT and 12:50 a.m. PDT. Twice a year – on the March and September equinoxes – everyone worldwide supposedly receives 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. Generally speaking, that’s true. But, precisely speaking, there is more daylight than nighttime on the day of the equinox, an additional eight or so minutes of daylight at mid-temperate latitudes. There are two reasons why we have more than 12 hours of daylight on this day of supposedly equal day and night. They are:

The sun is a disk, not a point

Atmospheric refraction

Keeping reading to understand more about why, and to learn a new word, equilux:

View larger. | Abhinav Singhai created this beautiful composite image of the sunset over the Taj Mahal.

Abhinav Singhai created this beautiful composite image of the sunset over the Taj Mahal.

The sun is a disk, not a point. Watch any sunset, and you know the sun appears in Earth’s sky as a disk.

It’s not pointlike, as stars are, and yet – by definition – most almanacs define sunrise as when the top of the sun first touches the eastern horizon. They define sunset as when the sun’s trailing limb finally touches the western horizon.

This in itself provides an extra 2 1/2 to three minutes of daylight at mid-temperate latitudes.

Atmospheric refraction raises the sun about 1/2 degree upward at sunrise and sunset. This advances the sunrise yet retards the sunset, adding several minutes of daylight at each end of the day. Image credit: Wikipedia

Atmospheric refraction actually raises the sun about 1/2 degree upward at sunrise and sunset. This advances the sunrise yet delays the sunset, adding several minutes of daylight at each end of the day. Image via Wikipedia.

Atmospheric refraction. The Earth’s atmosphere acts like a lens or prism, uplifting the sun about 1/2 degree from its true geometrical position whenever the sun nears the horizon. Coincidentally, the sun’s angular diameter spans about 1/2 degree, as well.

Therefore, atmospheric refraction advances the sunrise and delays the sunset, adding nearly another six minutes of daylight at mid-temperate latitudes.

Astronomical almanacs usually don’t give sunrise or sunset times to the second. That’s because atmospheric refraction varies somewhat, depending on air temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. Lower temperature, higher humidity and higher barometric pressure all increase atmospheric refraction.

On the day of the equinox, the center of the sun would set about 12 hours after rising – given a level horizon, as at sea, and no atmospheric refraction.

Contemplating the sunset on the Philippine island of Leyte. Photo by Abie Oquias Baybay.

Contemplating the sunset on the Philippine island of Leyte. Photo by Abie Oquias Baybay.

What is an equilux? Here’s a new word for you, equilux. The word is used to describe the day on which day and night are equal. The equilux happens a few to several days after the autumn equinox, and a few to several days before the spring equinox.

Much as earliest sunrises and latest sunsets vary with latitude, so the exact date of an equilux varies with latitude. That’s in contrast to the equinox itself, which is a whole-Earth event, happening at the same instant worldwide. At and near the equator, there is no equilux whatsoever, because the daylight period is over 12 hours long every day of the year.

Click here for the approximate date of equal day and night at your latitude.

Bottom line: There are two reasons why we have more than 12 hours of daylight on the day of the equinox. First, the sun is a disk, not a point of light. Second, the Earth’s atmosphere refracts (bends) sunlight. These factors add up to provide an additional eight or so minutes of daylight on the day of the equinox at mid-temperate latitudes.



from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2Ii1y5l
January 1, 2015 sunset by Helio de Carvalho Vital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Shot 3 of 6.

Flattened sunset by Helio C. Vital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A flattened sunset is an effect of atmospheric refraction. Refraction also gives us a few more minutes of daylight on the equinox than we would have otherwise.

The upcoming equinox – the Northern Hemisphere’s autumn equinox and Southern Hemisphere’s spring equinox – falls at 07:50 UTC on Monday, September 23, 2019. For North American time zones, that’s September 23 at 3:50 a.m. EDT, 2:50 a.m. CDT, 1:50 a.m. MDT and 12:50 a.m. PDT. Twice a year – on the March and September equinoxes – everyone worldwide supposedly receives 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. Generally speaking, that’s true. But, precisely speaking, there is more daylight than nighttime on the day of the equinox, an additional eight or so minutes of daylight at mid-temperate latitudes. There are two reasons why we have more than 12 hours of daylight on this day of supposedly equal day and night. They are:

The sun is a disk, not a point

Atmospheric refraction

Keeping reading to understand more about why, and to learn a new word, equilux:

View larger. | Abhinav Singhai created this beautiful composite image of the sunset over the Taj Mahal.

Abhinav Singhai created this beautiful composite image of the sunset over the Taj Mahal.

The sun is a disk, not a point. Watch any sunset, and you know the sun appears in Earth’s sky as a disk.

It’s not pointlike, as stars are, and yet – by definition – most almanacs define sunrise as when the top of the sun first touches the eastern horizon. They define sunset as when the sun’s trailing limb finally touches the western horizon.

This in itself provides an extra 2 1/2 to three minutes of daylight at mid-temperate latitudes.

Atmospheric refraction raises the sun about 1/2 degree upward at sunrise and sunset. This advances the sunrise yet retards the sunset, adding several minutes of daylight at each end of the day. Image credit: Wikipedia

Atmospheric refraction actually raises the sun about 1/2 degree upward at sunrise and sunset. This advances the sunrise yet delays the sunset, adding several minutes of daylight at each end of the day. Image via Wikipedia.

Atmospheric refraction. The Earth’s atmosphere acts like a lens or prism, uplifting the sun about 1/2 degree from its true geometrical position whenever the sun nears the horizon. Coincidentally, the sun’s angular diameter spans about 1/2 degree, as well.

Therefore, atmospheric refraction advances the sunrise and delays the sunset, adding nearly another six minutes of daylight at mid-temperate latitudes.

Astronomical almanacs usually don’t give sunrise or sunset times to the second. That’s because atmospheric refraction varies somewhat, depending on air temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. Lower temperature, higher humidity and higher barometric pressure all increase atmospheric refraction.

On the day of the equinox, the center of the sun would set about 12 hours after rising – given a level horizon, as at sea, and no atmospheric refraction.

Contemplating the sunset on the Philippine island of Leyte. Photo by Abie Oquias Baybay.

Contemplating the sunset on the Philippine island of Leyte. Photo by Abie Oquias Baybay.

What is an equilux? Here’s a new word for you, equilux. The word is used to describe the day on which day and night are equal. The equilux happens a few to several days after the autumn equinox, and a few to several days before the spring equinox.

Much as earliest sunrises and latest sunsets vary with latitude, so the exact date of an equilux varies with latitude. That’s in contrast to the equinox itself, which is a whole-Earth event, happening at the same instant worldwide. At and near the equator, there is no equilux whatsoever, because the daylight period is over 12 hours long every day of the year.

Click here for the approximate date of equal day and night at your latitude.

Bottom line: There are two reasons why we have more than 12 hours of daylight on the day of the equinox. First, the sun is a disk, not a point of light. Second, the Earth’s atmosphere refracts (bends) sunlight. These factors add up to provide an additional eight or so minutes of daylight on the day of the equinox at mid-temperate latitudes.



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Year’s fastest sunsets around equinoxes

Tonight – at sunset – here’s a natural phenomenon you might never have imagined. That is, the sun actually sets faster around the time of an equinox. The fastest sunsets (and sunrises) occur at or near the equinoxes. And the slowest sunsets (and sunrises) occur at or near the solstices. This is true whether you live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.

And, by the way, when we say sunset here, we’re talking about the actual number of minutes it takes for the body of the sun to sink below the western horizon. Follow the links below to learn more:

Why does the sun set so quickly around the equinoxes?

When is the equinox?

Equinoxes and solstices, via Geosync

Equinoxes and solstices, via Geosync

Why does the sun set so quickly around the equinoxes? At every equinox, the sun pretty much rises due east and sets due west. That means – on the day of an equinox – the setting sun hits the horizon at its steepest possible angle.

Meanwhile, at a solstice, the sun is setting farthest north or farthest south of due west. The farther the sun sets from due west along the horizon, the shallower the angle of the setting sun. That means a longer duration for sunset at the solstices.

The sunset duration varies by latitude. Farther north or south on the Earth’s globe, the duration of sunset lasts longer. Closer to the equator, the duration is shorter. But let’s just consider one latitude, 40 degrees North, the latitude Denver or Philadelphia in the United States, or Beijing in China. At that latitude, on the day of equinox, the sun sets in about 2 and 3/4 minutes.

On the other hand, the solstice sun sets in roughly 3 and 1/4 minutes at 40 degrees latitude.

The lunar calendars are almost here! They’ll help you know the moon phases throughout the year.

equinox_solstice_610

When is the equinox? The September equinox will arrive on September 23, 2019 at 7:50 UTC. Although the equinox happens at the same moment worldwide, your clock times will depend on your time zone. For time zones in the continental U.S., this equinox comes on September 23 at 3:50 a.m. EDT, 2:50 a.m. CDT, 1:50 a.m. MDT or 12:50 a.m. PDT. Translate to your time zone.

Bottom line: The fastest sunsets of the year are happening now, around the time of the September equinox.

All you need to know about the upcoming equinox

Are day and night equal on the equinox?

Help support EarthSky! Visit the EarthSky store for to see the great selection of educational tools and team gear we have to offer.



from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2IjgwIi

Tonight – at sunset – here’s a natural phenomenon you might never have imagined. That is, the sun actually sets faster around the time of an equinox. The fastest sunsets (and sunrises) occur at or near the equinoxes. And the slowest sunsets (and sunrises) occur at or near the solstices. This is true whether you live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.

And, by the way, when we say sunset here, we’re talking about the actual number of minutes it takes for the body of the sun to sink below the western horizon. Follow the links below to learn more:

Why does the sun set so quickly around the equinoxes?

When is the equinox?

Equinoxes and solstices, via Geosync

Equinoxes and solstices, via Geosync

Why does the sun set so quickly around the equinoxes? At every equinox, the sun pretty much rises due east and sets due west. That means – on the day of an equinox – the setting sun hits the horizon at its steepest possible angle.

Meanwhile, at a solstice, the sun is setting farthest north or farthest south of due west. The farther the sun sets from due west along the horizon, the shallower the angle of the setting sun. That means a longer duration for sunset at the solstices.

The sunset duration varies by latitude. Farther north or south on the Earth’s globe, the duration of sunset lasts longer. Closer to the equator, the duration is shorter. But let’s just consider one latitude, 40 degrees North, the latitude Denver or Philadelphia in the United States, or Beijing in China. At that latitude, on the day of equinox, the sun sets in about 2 and 3/4 minutes.

On the other hand, the solstice sun sets in roughly 3 and 1/4 minutes at 40 degrees latitude.

The lunar calendars are almost here! They’ll help you know the moon phases throughout the year.

equinox_solstice_610

When is the equinox? The September equinox will arrive on September 23, 2019 at 7:50 UTC. Although the equinox happens at the same moment worldwide, your clock times will depend on your time zone. For time zones in the continental U.S., this equinox comes on September 23 at 3:50 a.m. EDT, 2:50 a.m. CDT, 1:50 a.m. MDT or 12:50 a.m. PDT. Translate to your time zone.

Bottom line: The fastest sunsets of the year are happening now, around the time of the September equinox.

All you need to know about the upcoming equinox

Are day and night equal on the equinox?

Help support EarthSky! Visit the EarthSky store for to see the great selection of educational tools and team gear we have to offer.



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News digest – ‘sugar tax’ success, Scottish drug decisions, smoking rates and an ‘electronic nose’

'Electronic nose'

Sugar tax success revealed in new report

Taxing sugary soft drinks has been much more effective at reducing sugar than requesting the food industry voluntarily do so, a new Public Health England report has revealed. Mail Online covered the findings, which show the average sugar content in soft drinks has fallen over 28% since 2015 – that’s 10 times more than sugary foods not hit with the tax. According to The Times(£), the report was delayed by 10 Downing Street because of Boris Johnson’s scepticism of so-called ‘sin taxes’.

UK smoking rates falling fast

Mail Online covered the latest smoking figures, which revealed the number of smokers in the UK has fallen to 6.8 million, dropping by 1 million since last year. It comes a week after news that more than a billion fewer cigarettes are being smoked each year in England.

New drugs available through NHS Scotland

The Scottish Medicines Consortium have released a fresh batch of drug decisions, which included the approval of a personalised immunotherapy treatment for some patients with an aggressive form of lymphoma. They’ve also made 2 lung cancer treatments available through NHS Scotland but rejected a third over cost concerns, as our news report explains.

Not enough NHS nurses despite rise in numbers

The number of NHS nurses has increased by 4.6% in the last 5 years, according to new figures from The Royal College of Nursing. But as BBC News reports, this rise has been ‘eclipsed’ by the increase in hospital admissions – up 12.3% in the same time period. The latest figures come a week after news that almost half of NHS specialist nurses have said their workload made it difficult to properly care for their patients.

And it’s not just nurses that are feeling the strain of an understaffed NHS. In our blog post, we spoke to Dawn Chaplin, a consultant radiographer working in the NHS.

Only a third of women aged 60-65 take part in all 3 cancer screening programmes

Between the ages of 60 and 65, women in the UK are invited to take part in breast, bowel and cervical screening. But according to a new survey of more than 3000 women, only a third of women asked took part in all 3 programmes, with 1 in 10 not taking part in any. Experts say it’s important to understand the reasons why some people decide not to take part. Mail Online has the story.

NHS using out-of-date radiotherapy machines, Times investigation reveals

An investigation by The Times(£) revealed that almost half of NHS trusts in England are using outdated machines to deliver radiotherapy. The figures, which come as a result of freedom of information requests, are particularly concerning given the NHS announced they would spend £130 million on replacing old radiotherapy machines in 2016.

No-deal Brexit could affect childhood cancer treatment

A Metro exclusive revealed the impact leaving the EU without a deal could have on the supply of some medicines. According to the Government report, 3 in 4 medicines come from the EU and some drugs will be ‘particularly vulnerable to severe delays’ in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Cancer charities said it was ‘imperative’ that Brexit does not disrupt the supply of medicines to the UK or threaten international collaboration, which is particularly important for rare and children’s cancers – something The Guardian explored last week.

Targeting DNA faults in children’s cancers

Testing for faults in the DNA of children’s cancers could open the door to more targeted treatments, according to a pilot involving over 200 children. Researchers found that half the children had faults in their DNA that could be targeted by existing cancer therapies, but very few went on to receive the targeted treatments. While it’s not guaranteed that ‘adult’ drugs would be safe and effective in children, experts say that barriers need to be removed to allow more trials to take place, as BBC News explains.

Researchers trial shorter radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer

Scientists in London are testing if delivering radiotherapy in higher doses could cut treatment time without reducing benefits. And early results, picked up by The Sun, look promising. Men who were treated with stereotactic radiotherapy, which is given over 1 or 2 weeks, experienced similar side effects to those treated with conventional radiotherapy for 4-8 weeks. But it’s not a done deal yet – the next step is to evaluate if the treatment is as effective as standard radiotherapy, as well as monitoring long-term side effects.

Faulty BRCA2 gene increases risk of prostate cancer

The BRCA2 gene fault is better known for its link to breast and ovarian cancer in women, but it’s also associated with increased prostate cancer risk. And new study results found the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, a blood test that measures PSA levels, was more likely to pick out more serious forms of prostate cancer in men who carry a faulty version of BRCA2 than those who don’t. But the study wasn’t able to look at whether PSA testing reduced the number of people who died from prostate cancer, which is needed to prove the value of screening. Previous studies have shown that PSA test isn’t a reliable way to screen for prostate cancer in the general population, as our blog post explains. The Telegraph has this one.

Awareness of HPV-cancer link low amongst US adults

Around 7 in 10 adults in the US are unaware that the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes oral, anal and penile cancers. The Sun picked up the latest survey results, which found awareness was slightly higher amongst women than men. HPV infection is most frequently linked to cervical cancer, but the virus can also cause vaginal, penile and anal cancers and increase the risk of some mouth and throat cancers.

And finally

Mail Online covered an ‘electronic nose’ that could help predict who might respond to some immunotherapy drugs used to treat lung cancer. Treatments that target the immune system are becoming increasingly important in lung cancer treatment, but they don’t work for everyone, so scientists are working to find new and better ways to predict who is most likely to benefit. The ‘eNose’, which sniffs out chemicals found in the breath, has had promising early results, but researchers now need to put it to the test against more established techniques.

Katie 



from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/32Tf7jE
'Electronic nose'

Sugar tax success revealed in new report

Taxing sugary soft drinks has been much more effective at reducing sugar than requesting the food industry voluntarily do so, a new Public Health England report has revealed. Mail Online covered the findings, which show the average sugar content in soft drinks has fallen over 28% since 2015 – that’s 10 times more than sugary foods not hit with the tax. According to The Times(£), the report was delayed by 10 Downing Street because of Boris Johnson’s scepticism of so-called ‘sin taxes’.

UK smoking rates falling fast

Mail Online covered the latest smoking figures, which revealed the number of smokers in the UK has fallen to 6.8 million, dropping by 1 million since last year. It comes a week after news that more than a billion fewer cigarettes are being smoked each year in England.

New drugs available through NHS Scotland

The Scottish Medicines Consortium have released a fresh batch of drug decisions, which included the approval of a personalised immunotherapy treatment for some patients with an aggressive form of lymphoma. They’ve also made 2 lung cancer treatments available through NHS Scotland but rejected a third over cost concerns, as our news report explains.

Not enough NHS nurses despite rise in numbers

The number of NHS nurses has increased by 4.6% in the last 5 years, according to new figures from The Royal College of Nursing. But as BBC News reports, this rise has been ‘eclipsed’ by the increase in hospital admissions – up 12.3% in the same time period. The latest figures come a week after news that almost half of NHS specialist nurses have said their workload made it difficult to properly care for their patients.

And it’s not just nurses that are feeling the strain of an understaffed NHS. In our blog post, we spoke to Dawn Chaplin, a consultant radiographer working in the NHS.

Only a third of women aged 60-65 take part in all 3 cancer screening programmes

Between the ages of 60 and 65, women in the UK are invited to take part in breast, bowel and cervical screening. But according to a new survey of more than 3000 women, only a third of women asked took part in all 3 programmes, with 1 in 10 not taking part in any. Experts say it’s important to understand the reasons why some people decide not to take part. Mail Online has the story.

NHS using out-of-date radiotherapy machines, Times investigation reveals

An investigation by The Times(£) revealed that almost half of NHS trusts in England are using outdated machines to deliver radiotherapy. The figures, which come as a result of freedom of information requests, are particularly concerning given the NHS announced they would spend £130 million on replacing old radiotherapy machines in 2016.

No-deal Brexit could affect childhood cancer treatment

A Metro exclusive revealed the impact leaving the EU without a deal could have on the supply of some medicines. According to the Government report, 3 in 4 medicines come from the EU and some drugs will be ‘particularly vulnerable to severe delays’ in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Cancer charities said it was ‘imperative’ that Brexit does not disrupt the supply of medicines to the UK or threaten international collaboration, which is particularly important for rare and children’s cancers – something The Guardian explored last week.

Targeting DNA faults in children’s cancers

Testing for faults in the DNA of children’s cancers could open the door to more targeted treatments, according to a pilot involving over 200 children. Researchers found that half the children had faults in their DNA that could be targeted by existing cancer therapies, but very few went on to receive the targeted treatments. While it’s not guaranteed that ‘adult’ drugs would be safe and effective in children, experts say that barriers need to be removed to allow more trials to take place, as BBC News explains.

Researchers trial shorter radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer

Scientists in London are testing if delivering radiotherapy in higher doses could cut treatment time without reducing benefits. And early results, picked up by The Sun, look promising. Men who were treated with stereotactic radiotherapy, which is given over 1 or 2 weeks, experienced similar side effects to those treated with conventional radiotherapy for 4-8 weeks. But it’s not a done deal yet – the next step is to evaluate if the treatment is as effective as standard radiotherapy, as well as monitoring long-term side effects.

Faulty BRCA2 gene increases risk of prostate cancer

The BRCA2 gene fault is better known for its link to breast and ovarian cancer in women, but it’s also associated with increased prostate cancer risk. And new study results found the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, a blood test that measures PSA levels, was more likely to pick out more serious forms of prostate cancer in men who carry a faulty version of BRCA2 than those who don’t. But the study wasn’t able to look at whether PSA testing reduced the number of people who died from prostate cancer, which is needed to prove the value of screening. Previous studies have shown that PSA test isn’t a reliable way to screen for prostate cancer in the general population, as our blog post explains. The Telegraph has this one.

Awareness of HPV-cancer link low amongst US adults

Around 7 in 10 adults in the US are unaware that the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes oral, anal and penile cancers. The Sun picked up the latest survey results, which found awareness was slightly higher amongst women than men. HPV infection is most frequently linked to cervical cancer, but the virus can also cause vaginal, penile and anal cancers and increase the risk of some mouth and throat cancers.

And finally

Mail Online covered an ‘electronic nose’ that could help predict who might respond to some immunotherapy drugs used to treat lung cancer. Treatments that target the immune system are becoming increasingly important in lung cancer treatment, but they don’t work for everyone, so scientists are working to find new and better ways to predict who is most likely to benefit. The ‘eNose’, which sniffs out chemicals found in the breath, has had promising early results, but researchers now need to put it to the test against more established techniques.

Katie 



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Today in science: Happy birthday Albert J. Myer

Map of US with land contours in brown and weather features such as barometric pressure and wind.

A historical weather map for September 1, 1872, produced by the US Signal Service. Image via NOAA Photo Library.

Today, September 20, marks the birthday of General Albert J. Myer (1828–1880), who helped to establish the United States’ National Weather Service. The National Weather Service is the U.S. federal government agency responsible for issuing weather forecasts and dangerous weather alerts such as hurricane warnings. These efforts have saved countless lives over the years.

Portrait of General Myer.

General Albert J. Myer, Chief Signal Officer, US Army. Image via Library of Congress/Wikipedia.

General Myer was born in Newburgh, New York, on September 20, 1828. He and his family moved to Western New York in 1934, and he received a Doctor of Medicine degree from Buffalo Medical College in 1851, where he studied sign language. Later, he joined the U.S. Army in 1854 and helped to devise a system for communicating across long distances known as wig-wag signaling. In such signaling, a person moves a flag around in a coded manner, and this method was used widely on both sides in the Civil War. Thereafter, the U.S. Army established the Signal Corps and appointed Myer as the Chief Signal Officer. In 1867, President Andrew Johnson nominated Myer to the rank of Brigadier General, and his appointment was approved by the U.S. Senate in 1868.

The U.S. Weather Bureau was established by an act of Congress in 1870 to formalize the process of using signaling technology to warn ships on the Great Lakes and at sea of the approach of dangerous storms, among other activities. The bureau was first assigned to the Signal Corps under the command of General Myer. In 1890, the bureau was made into a civilian organization, and the name was changed to the National Weather Service in 1970.

General Myer’s work in meteorology was also instrumental in the establishment of many weather stations throughout the world, which were critical to the later formation of the World Meteorological Organization.

Photo of Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Walden-Myer Mausoleum, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY. Image via Bigblok43/Wikimedia Commons.

General Myer died on August 24, 1880, at the age of 51 in Buffalo, New York. An obituary for General Myer was published in Nature, one of the world’s oldest and highly regarded science journals. He is buried in a beautiful mausoleum in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, New York, along with his wife Catherine Walden and other family members. Catherine was the daughter of Buffalo Mayor Ebenezer Walden, and Catherine and Albert had six children. The cemetery is open to visitors 7 days a week and is favorite spot for local birdwatchers.

Thanks to the folks at the WNY Chapter of the American Meteorological Society, who introduced me to this fascinating figure.

Bottom line: Father of the National Weather Service, General Albert J. Myer, was born on September 20, 1828.



from EarthSky https://ift.tt/32Y5IHH
Map of US with land contours in brown and weather features such as barometric pressure and wind.

A historical weather map for September 1, 1872, produced by the US Signal Service. Image via NOAA Photo Library.

Today, September 20, marks the birthday of General Albert J. Myer (1828–1880), who helped to establish the United States’ National Weather Service. The National Weather Service is the U.S. federal government agency responsible for issuing weather forecasts and dangerous weather alerts such as hurricane warnings. These efforts have saved countless lives over the years.

Portrait of General Myer.

General Albert J. Myer, Chief Signal Officer, US Army. Image via Library of Congress/Wikipedia.

General Myer was born in Newburgh, New York, on September 20, 1828. He and his family moved to Western New York in 1934, and he received a Doctor of Medicine degree from Buffalo Medical College in 1851, where he studied sign language. Later, he joined the U.S. Army in 1854 and helped to devise a system for communicating across long distances known as wig-wag signaling. In such signaling, a person moves a flag around in a coded manner, and this method was used widely on both sides in the Civil War. Thereafter, the U.S. Army established the Signal Corps and appointed Myer as the Chief Signal Officer. In 1867, President Andrew Johnson nominated Myer to the rank of Brigadier General, and his appointment was approved by the U.S. Senate in 1868.

The U.S. Weather Bureau was established by an act of Congress in 1870 to formalize the process of using signaling technology to warn ships on the Great Lakes and at sea of the approach of dangerous storms, among other activities. The bureau was first assigned to the Signal Corps under the command of General Myer. In 1890, the bureau was made into a civilian organization, and the name was changed to the National Weather Service in 1970.

General Myer’s work in meteorology was also instrumental in the establishment of many weather stations throughout the world, which were critical to the later formation of the World Meteorological Organization.

Photo of Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Walden-Myer Mausoleum, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY. Image via Bigblok43/Wikimedia Commons.

General Myer died on August 24, 1880, at the age of 51 in Buffalo, New York. An obituary for General Myer was published in Nature, one of the world’s oldest and highly regarded science journals. He is buried in a beautiful mausoleum in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, New York, along with his wife Catherine Walden and other family members. Catherine was the daughter of Buffalo Mayor Ebenezer Walden, and Catherine and Albert had six children. The cemetery is open to visitors 7 days a week and is favorite spot for local birdwatchers.

Thanks to the folks at the WNY Chapter of the American Meteorological Society, who introduced me to this fascinating figure.

Bottom line: Father of the National Weather Service, General Albert J. Myer, was born on September 20, 1828.



from EarthSky https://ift.tt/32Y5IHH
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The Consensus Handbook: download and translations

CHB-EN-ThumbPublished in March 2018, The Consensus Handbook summarizes research into how opponents of climate action have cast doubt on consensus, why that matters, and how we (including journalists) can respond. It provides answers to questions like these:

  • Why has manufacturing doubt about the scientific consensus been such a priority for opponents of climate action?
  • What kind of strategies have they employed?
  • Most importantly, how should science-based climate communicators respond?

To answer these questions, Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) researchers John Cook and Ed Maibach in collaboration with Sander van der Linden from Cambridge and Stephan Lewandowsky from Bristol University developed The Consensus Handbook. This concise, practical booklet examines how opponents of climate action have been attempting to misinform the public and policy makers about the consensus for decades, and it explains why. Drawing on numerous scientific studies, the handbook also recommends how to respond to this misinformation campaign by effectively communicating the extent of the scientific consensus, and it provides guidance to climate scientists who are invited to "debate" about climate change.

tuh_button

Translations

The Consensus Handbook has been translated into the following language:

German

Download
CHB-DE-Thumb

        

Note to other translators:

If you'd like to translate The Consensus Handbook into another language, please contact us by selecting "Enquiry about translations" from the contact form's dropdown menu. We'll then get in touch with additional information.



from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2M5nd1M

CHB-EN-ThumbPublished in March 2018, The Consensus Handbook summarizes research into how opponents of climate action have cast doubt on consensus, why that matters, and how we (including journalists) can respond. It provides answers to questions like these:

  • Why has manufacturing doubt about the scientific consensus been such a priority for opponents of climate action?
  • What kind of strategies have they employed?
  • Most importantly, how should science-based climate communicators respond?

To answer these questions, Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) researchers John Cook and Ed Maibach in collaboration with Sander van der Linden from Cambridge and Stephan Lewandowsky from Bristol University developed The Consensus Handbook. This concise, practical booklet examines how opponents of climate action have been attempting to misinform the public and policy makers about the consensus for decades, and it explains why. Drawing on numerous scientific studies, the handbook also recommends how to respond to this misinformation campaign by effectively communicating the extent of the scientific consensus, and it provides guidance to climate scientists who are invited to "debate" about climate change.

tuh_button

Translations

The Consensus Handbook has been translated into the following language:

German

Download
CHB-DE-Thumb

        

Note to other translators:

If you'd like to translate The Consensus Handbook into another language, please contact us by selecting "Enquiry about translations" from the contact form's dropdown menu. We'll then get in touch with additional information.



from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2M5nd1M
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