Arizona Science Desk

Anxiety patients handled COVID-19 stress better than most. It could help everyone in the future
New research finds that while the COVID-19 pandemic caused lots of people to feel anxious, it did not have that effect on patients already getting treatment for anxiety.
May 8, 2024
Climate change will make Arizona more urban, more expensive
The effects of climate change could lead 100 million Americans to move to a different part of the country over the next 30 years. Abrahm Lustgarten writes about it in “On the Move: The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America.”
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May 7, 2024
Author David Toomey tries to figure out why animals play
As any English major knows, dream sequences are a staple of many great works of literature. Professor David Toomey teaches English at UMass Amherst, but in his latest book, Toomey examines a real-life phenomenon that’s barely been studied at all: animal dreams.
May 6, 2024
TSMC factory construction is displacing native Arizona plants. This company saves them
Native Resources International works to save native plants displaced by construction of TSMC's new plants in metro Phoenix.
May 5, 2024
Uncertainty about the future of coverage for telehealth could hamper its use
Tara Sklar is professor at the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of law, where she teaches health law. She joined The Show to talk about the state of patients’ access to telehealth in Arizona.
April 30, 2024
Study shows new way to prevent lung cancer spread
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Local researchers have been studying better ways to treat the disease. They’ve published a study with their latest findings.
April 29, 2024
Banner Urgent Care unveils Valley fever dashboard
Valley fever is up 800% in the past 20 years, according to the CDC, with over two-thirds of cases originating in Arizona. However, a new dashboard system is making it easier for Banner Urgent Care facilities to track the disease.
April 26, 2024
Analysis: Patient-therapist bond may be key to treating depression with magic mushrooms
Arizona’s advisory council on psilocybin research is soon expected to release a draft report about psychedelic-assisted therapy. Researchers at Ohio State University say a provider-patient bond may matter most when treating depression with psychedelic mushrooms.
April 24, 2024
How hot is too hot? New weather forecasting tool can help figure that out
This summer, people across the United States will have a new way to keep track of dangerous heat headed their way through a new heat warning system called HeatRisk.
April 23, 2024
Refugees in Tempe are learning to be caregivers. More immigrants could help the shortage
Most Americans 65 and older are going to need some form of long term care — either in nursing facilities or as they age in their own homes. But there’s a big shortage of long term care workers. Arizona will need to fill around 190,000 jobs in just a few years. Immigration could be a solution to this growing challenge.
April 19, 2024
How Arizona is preparing for AI-powered election misinformation
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes reflects on the security of election officials, threats posed by artificial intelligence and more.
April 17, 2024
As access to vasectomies improves, this author says men need even more birth control options
Gabrielle Blair is a mother of six and a writer whose most recent book is called “Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way To Think About Abortion.”
April 17, 2024
UN report reveals less than a quarter of the worlds e-waste is being recycled
A recent UN report details that the world is throwing away a growing amount of electronic products and recycling very little of it. This could lead to more demand for the mining of precious metals present in Arizona soil.
April 16, 2024
UA researchers helped make first Artemis III instruments
NASA has picked the first instruments to take to the moon in its first mission to bring astronauts to the surface in about 50 years, and University of Arizona researchers are playing a key role.
April 16, 2024
Dark Sky Center shines brighter future on Fountain Hills
A new attraction is coming to Arizona’s billion-dollar astro-tourism industry. Its backers hope it can bring the Valley into the space age and also breathe new life to an aging town.
April 12, 2024
How climate change could impact forests in AZ
The warming climate has all kinds of implications for all kinds of aspects of our ecosystems. New research from Northern Arizona University finds even a slight temperature increase in boreal forests can lead to less snow, which in turn leads to other changes.
April 10, 2024
Cicadapocalypse? Author says he wants people to fall in love with these derpy little bugs
Roger McMullan recently published a graphic novel called “Cicadapocalypse.” Ominous title notwithstanding, Roger’s goal is to make people fall in love with what he calls “derpy little bugs.”
April 9, 2024
Could vaccines work against substance-use disorders? Schweikert wants to find out
Arizona congressman David Schweikert recently introduced a bill to expedite the development of treatments against certain substance-use disorders.
April 8, 2024
Q&AZ: Stinknet is everywhere in Arizona. Where did it come from?
Drive around the Phoenix area — or just about anywhere in the state right now — and you’ll see tiny, yellow, globe-like flowers popping up just about anywhere. While, they might look like pretty wildflowers, they are not. They are stinknet.
April 8, 2024
TSMC gets $6.6B to expand microchip facilities in AZ
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the federal funding for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. means the company can expand on its existing plans for two facilities in Phoenix and add a third, newly announced production hub.
April 8, 2024

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