Arizona Science Desk
An Arizona lawmaker wants to make Pluto, the much maligned dwarf planet, the official planet of the state. The International Astronomical Union demoted the solar system’s once-ninth planet in 2006.
Jan. 16, 2024
1,927 Arizonans died from opioid use in 2022. That’s more than four times the number of opioid deaths reported in the state a decade earlier. But it is about a 5% drop from the previous year.
Jan. 16, 2024
Scientists can now extract genetic information about bobcats from their paw prints. The DNA can offer clues about the animals’ ancestry and even their microbes – vital information for monitoring one of Arizona’s most common predators.
Jan. 16, 2024
NASA’s privately built Peregrine lander, which carries a cargo of human remains that drew criticism from the president of the Navajo Nation, is now set to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
Jan. 15, 2024
New NIH-supported research links small reductions in blood levels of lead among Native Americans to significant cardiovascular benefits. The study offers hope for lower blood pressure and reduced risk of certain heart diseases.
Jan. 15, 2024
Respiratory viruses are still circulating widely in Arizona. The Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed 3,094 influenza cases last week – that's more than double what’s expected for this time of year.
Jan. 11, 2024
More than 25 million people in the U.S. have limited English proficiency – a hindrance to accessing effective healthcare. Now, cancer-communication researchers are working to lower that barrier using Spanish-speaking chatbots.
Jan. 11, 2024
NASA’s privately built Peregrine lander, which carries a cargo of human remains that drew criticism from the president of the Navajo Nation, is now unable to land on the moon’s surface. Just hours after launch, a failure in the craft’s propulsion system depleted its propellant and sent it tumbling.
Jan. 10, 2024
NASA has launched its mission to place the first-ever commercially built lander on the moon. But long before the mission ran into post-launch difficulties, protests by the Navajo Nation and others over a secondary cargo of cremated remains had taken some of the shine off of the moment. Who’s right, who’s wrong and who’s to blame?
Jan. 9, 2024
A conversation with Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes about the use of artificial intelligence to curb AI-manufactured threats to the integrity of the 2024 vote.
Jan. 8, 2024
If a telescope was on your wish list this holiday season, but the presents you received didn’t include one, some Arizona astronomers can help. Phoenix Astronomical Society will offer a tour of Monday evening’s sky at the Night Sky Tour in Glendale.
Jan. 8, 2024
The Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing is partnering with University of Arizona on the Hearing Healthcare Assistance Project, which provides free hearing health care for eligible people ages 21 and older who lack insurance. The project began at ASU in 2021 and expanded to NAU in 2023.
Jan. 8, 2024
Planting native, desert-acclimated wildflowers and leaving out water stations for bees in the summer are just some of tips attendees learned at the Arizona Honeybee Festival.
Jan. 7, 2024
Respiratory illnesses like the flu continue to be high or very high across 38 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Frank LoVecchio of Valleywise Health says getting vaccinated can dramatically decrease the chance of hospitalization.
Jan. 7, 2024
The funding comes as a part of CHIPS and Sciences Act, expanding semiconductor manufacturing investments in the United States.
Jan. 4, 2024
Next week, NASA will respond to a Navajo Nation request to delay a moon launch that could carry cremated human remains. The ashes come from private companies known for offering memorial services in space.
Jan. 3, 2024
The need to be bigger, faster, stronger, and still bigger, comes with a complicated relationship with food as offensive lineman strive to hit a certain weight.
Jan. 2, 2024
A new study that corrects the underreporting of cancer among American Indian/Alaska Native populations shows the non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native population, known as AI/AN, has the second highest incidence of melanoma
Jan. 2, 2024
Valleywise Health has opened a new First-Episode Center in Mesa. The treatment and support facility will help people experiencing psychosis or other serious mental health issues.
Jan. 1, 2024
The first week of the new year will see near normal temperatures in Arizona through Wednesday, followed by cooling and possible rain heading into the weekend.
Jan. 1, 2024