How & Where

Fine journalism has responded to Spain's intense suffering in the pandemic. An article in El Païs considered both transmission and prevention in living rooms, bars & schools. Its graphics are very helpful, and embedded links pepper the article.

Now Seen

The undersea discovery of an ancient vessel confirms what up to now was only seen on pottery.

A 2,400-year-old merchant ship has been found on the bottom of the Black Sea pic.twitter.com/XcKXx70Iwz

— Mashable (@mashable) July 25, 2020

Relaying Truth

From a Financial Times 10 July interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci. “He imparts a message that is far from sugar-coated. …this pandemic really is ‘the big one’. Covid-19 has the worst elements of previous epidemics combined.”

About the disease processes caused by SARS-CoV-2:

“I have never seen a virus or any pathogen that has such a broad range of manifestations,” he says. “Even if it doesn’t kill you, even if it doesn’t put you in the hospital, it can make you seriously ill.”

Fauci last saw Trump in person at the White House on June 2 — and says he has not briefed the president for at least two months https://t.co/Wwrw3yRJ3H

— Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) July 11, 2020

Not Respiratory Only

The novel coronavirus was unknown until it appeared late last year. Inferences were made based on the symptoms its disease, Covid-19, manifested. Covid-19 initially manifested as a respiratory disease. Later, clotting of blood was recognized in lungs, then outside lungs. With ongoing study Covid-19 affects all organ-systems as this this brief summary reports.

‘We thought this was only a respiratory virus. Turns out, it goes after the pancreas. It goes after the heart. It goes after the liver, the brain, the kidney and other organs’: Experts are just beginning to understand the many COVID-19 health problems https://t.co/SgoiTrsW4I pic.twitter.com/XFXuxMCNTK

— Reuters (@Reuters) June 27, 2020

Meatpacking Plants: Perfect Environment?

Because Covid-19 infections at meatpacking plants are a global phenomenon people want to study their environment to see if it contributes to infections. Three aspects converge in the plants: inadequate physical distancing; cold, humid space; the space is enclosed.

There have been so many outbreaks in meat packing factories around the world that scientists are now examining whether the environment inside the plants could be part of the problem.https://t.co/64PVM51WWV

— CNN (@CNN) June 27, 2020

Conversation: Racial Injustice and Space Exploration

Former astronaut Leland Melvin conversed with Bill Nye about personal experiences—one could have changed his life so that he would not be an astronaut; about Amy Cooper, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd; as well as space exploration.

Bill Nye and former astronaut Leland Melvin talk racial injustice and space exploration (video) https://t.co/MAHjtoFe9F pic.twitter.com/9jPPB2CeK1

— SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) June 13, 2020

Faith, Science, Pandemic

Faith and science together help “to build a humane world for all human beings.” Example: the Big Bang theory (mentioned by Pope Francis in his address containing the previous quotation), stating that the universe is not static, was first put forward by a “thoroughly committed” and “exemplary priest in every way.”

Faith continues to shape other scientists. Journalist Elana Schor wrote about 3 U.S. government scientists and how faith shapes their scientific work.

New: Faith's relationship to science has faced its share of strain during the pandemic -- but for some experts leading the U.S. coronavirus response, the two have coexisted harmoniously.

A deeper look at faith's influence on 3 of those gov't scientists. https://t.co/qBKGsH4isT

— Elana Schor (@eschor) May 28, 2020

Speed Not Seen Before

Work on a vaccine for the novel corona virus causing the pandemic began. Sean Doyle is one of 45 in Atlanta and Seattle “testing it for safety.” Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the trial in the video below. A CNN Health post offered more details about Sean’s role and the “method that’s never be used in humans.”

.@drsanjaygupta explores the search for a vaccine, currently being conducted by scientists at a speed never seen before.

“Anything new will have unknowns and risks,” he says. https://t.co/CDLfp7eVxj pic.twitter.com/GwESqbj0Wf

— CNN (@CNN) April 25, 2020

Seasonal? As Yet Unknown

The Southern Hemisphere is preparing to enter winter. The question is posed: is the virus that caused the pandemic seasonal? Jill Langlois noted in The National Geographic:

Seasonality is hard to determine with germs, in part because there are no genetic signals for this trait. Also, this coronavirus strain, known officially as SARS-CoV-2, is so new that there’s not yet enough data to say anything conclusive.

In addition “by vaccinating as many people as possible against influenza, medical professionals hope they’ll be able to more quickly identify coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in patients who have symptoms common to both viruses.”

Is the coronavirus seasonal? That’s still unknown—but a grave concern for Brazil, with the Southern Hemisphere’s worst coronavirus toll https://t.co/cj0cY2xR4Q

— National Geographic (@NatGeo) April 20, 2020

Container Facilities Could Help

Every hospital risks being overwhelmed in treating Covid-19 patients. Yet some regions have very small hospitals or none. Adapting shipping containers could help.

99%

Three hundred undersea cables transmit nearly all internet data. Business Insider produced a two-minute video depicting the routes of the cables and their stopping points. A standout stat: laying a single cable “takes several months & costs hundreds of million dollars.”

No Longer a Parlor Paper Pastime

The Japanese art of paper folding, origami, has entered the manufacturing world. From that world it is bound for outer space. CSM Staff member, Charlie Wood, describes the promises origami offers and the stubborn obstacle it faces: “‘child’s toy thing’…bias.” 

___________________

Wiki-image by Anpamore of origami camera CC BY-SA 3.0

Threat to Faith?

Seven new exoplanets, NASA announced, are not that distant from Earth. Could they support life? Even life akin to ours or more developed? If they do support life what does it mean for Catholics? Could the church “handle” the possibility? Crux posted a thoughtful response today.

___________________

Wiki-image Nursery of new stars PD-US

“Modern Warfare Destroys Your Brain”

The effects of explosive blasts has long been considered more psychological than physical. Keen minds have challenged that. Many scoffed at their insights even as late as the last decade of last century. Now a growing number of health professionals take seriously the physical effects—because of this evidence. 

___________________

Wiki-image of Exploding ordnance PD-USGov

100 Lifters

Think crowds of people. The thought often conjures actions not helpful, harmful or worse. In a district of London, England, a crowd formed and saved a person. The BBC correspondent offered insight to crowd formation and action in describing this good news.

___________________

Wiki-image of double decker bus by sv1ambo CC BY 2.0

That's How Many?

It is written, “As numerous as the stars of heaven.” What kind of number might that be? Each dot in the picture is a galaxy numbering billions of stars. “All the indications are that these galaxies are busy crashing into one another, and forming large quantities of stars as a result of these violent encounters.” More from the ESA.

_________________________________________________________________________

SPIRE-Herschel image of Lockman Hole Copyright 2000 – 2011 © European Space Agency. All rights reserved.

Now Known Planet-wide

Chris Hadfield commanded the International Space Station (ISS) until its return yesterday. He also commanded the attention of young people the world over. To them and others, who followed him from below, he made life in space better known. Al Jazeera’s Tarek Bazley gave this video report.

___________________________________________

Wiki-image of the ISS reflected in helmet PD-USGov.

“Inevitable March Toward Disaster”

The NYT reported what has long been feared and denied. Humans continue to increase levels of CO₂ in the world. “The moment is approach-ing when no measurement of the ambient air anywhere on earth, in any season, will produce a reading below 400 [parts per million].” 

______________________________________________________________________________

Wiki-image prepared by Robert A. Rohde for Global Warming Art of CO₂ variations CC BY-SA 3.0.

Holy Glowing! Ratman

Alcatraz Island has rats. Some entomology students from UC Davis were checking the population, when one student spied this “greenish glow.”

________________________________________________

Wiki-image of aircraft and bioluminescence public domain. 

Amplified for Life

M.I.T. Professor William T. Freeman and his team have amplified colors so that what can be measured can now be seen with unaided vision. “What’s really new about this research,” Professor Freeman said, “is that we’re visualizing the tiny motions...that the computer vision community has been able to measure...for some time.”