Science & Technology

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COVID-19 spread in American prisons

With few opportunities for social distancing and relatively low sanitary conditions, prisons and jails have become hotspots for novel coronavirus infections.

How earthquake swarms arise

A new fault simulator maps out how interactions between pressure, friction and fluids rising through a fault zone can lead to slow-motion quakes and seismic swarms.

Predicting wildfires with CAT scans

Engineers at Stanford have used X-ray CT scans, more common in hospital labs, to study how wood catches fire. They’ve now turned that knowledge into a computer simulation to predict where fires will strike and spread.

Stanford HAI —

The geographic bias in medical AI tools

Patient data from just three states trains most AI diagnostic tools. Raising questions about the validity of the algorithms for patients in other areas.

COVID-19’s mental toll on teens

The researchers identified specific patterns of brain activation that protect adolescents from experiencing COVID-19-related anxiety and depression. The safeguard even extended to teens who experienced early puberty and are more likely to suffer psychological distress.

‘Cellular compass’ guides plant stem cell division

Biologists observing the formation of leaves noticed the nuclei moved in bewildering ways. Further investigation uncovered proteins that act as compasses and motors, guiding the divisions of individual cells to create the overall pattern of the leaf.

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