Arizona Science Desk

The Significance Of Not Declaring A Public Health Emergency
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump had strong words about the opioid epidemic in the United States.
Aug. 11, 2017
Carbon Capture from Trees? It
A University of Arizona-led team has determined that trees growing in mountain valleys hold more carbon than trees on mountain peaks.
Aug. 11, 2017
 AI Robots Look For New Drugs For ALS
Artificial-intelligence robots are getting involved to find solutions for the crippling, fatal nerve disorder ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. In December, Barrow Neurological Institute found five new genes linked to ALS by using IBM's Watson supercomputer. Now, a team in England is advancing the science.
Aug. 11, 2017
Scientists Use Tobacco Plant As Cheap Zika Vaccine Factory
Tobacco might have finally found the image upgrade it’s been looking for, as scientists hope to use the plant to produce a safe and cheap Zika vaccine. If successful in humans, the plant-based approach could provide an effective solution for countries affected by the disease.
Aug. 10, 2017
Emergency Declaration First Step In Long Fight Against Opioid Crisis
The opioid crisis is gripping the country. In Arizona, overdoses are killing at least two people a day. Gov. Doug Ducey recently declared a public health emergency. Arizona isn't the only state to take this step. But what does it mean?
Aug. 10, 2017
APS Touts Its Rural Battery Storage
Arizona Public Service plans to bring battery storage to parts of rural Arizona. The public utility says it is one of the first in the country to do so.
Aug. 10, 2017
USGS Upgrades To Broadband From California To Arizona
The USGS is upgrading out-of-date earthquake monitoring sites from analog to digital broadband. The USGS has about 400 earthquake monitoring sites extending from central California into Arizona.
Aug. 10, 2017
New Project Tracks Valley Fever In Dogs
There’s lots of research in this region on valley fever, both on humans and dogs. And there’s a new project, which aims to apply an approach researchers often use on people to dogs — by tracking them over time.
Aug. 9, 2017
The Pulse: Tribes Hope Tradition Will Fight Unhealthy Tobacco Use
This year, the National Cancer Institute and World Health Organization concluded that a big price increase is one of the most effective tools for decreasing tobacco use. But there are certain communities where relatively cheap cigarettes are still easy to get.
Aug. 9, 2017
Two Guys On Your Head: The Struggle Is Real
Struggle has a way of defining us. But while we often use struggles to teach lessons and build resilience, a struggle without a purpose doesn't always yield positive results.
Aug. 9, 2017
2 At A Time: Cleanup Of Navajo Uranium Mines Slow
Many Navajo say the cleanup of more than 500 abandoned uranium mines on the reservation has been slow going. The federal government has just awarded a contract to clean up two of the mine sites.
Aug. 9, 2017
A Billion-Barrel-A-Year Problem
Central Oklahoma is still feeling aftershocks from a 4.2-magnitude quake that struck earlier this month. A key part in solving the earthquake crisis is managing the enormous amount of water that comes to the surface when oil and gas is pumped out of the ground. It's a billion-barrel-a-year problem the energy industry is working to solve.
Aug. 9, 2017
Tucson-Based Vector Launches Its First Rocket
Tucson-based Vector Space Systems had its first successful rocket launch last week. The company's long-term plan is to build a rocket factory in Pima County.
Aug. 9, 2017
The Pulse: The Biodiversity Of Heat-Loving Bacteria In Yellowstone Rivals A Rainforest
Some organisms really thrive in the heat. In the geysers of Yellowstone National Park, you find all kinds of thermophiles — bacteria, viruses, funguses — living in water hot enough to blister your skin.
Aug. 8, 2017
Metro Phoenix To See Dry Weather, High Temperatures This Week
After a wet week, the Valley should be getting a break from the Monsoon. As we dry out, the temperatures are expected to go up – with a high of 110 expected by Wednesday.
Aug. 7, 2017
U.S. Streams Like Santa Cruz River See High Endocrine Pollutant Concentrations During Low-Flow
The pipeline leak that spilled sewage into the Santa Cruz River is sealed, but another pollution problem persists – one that many other American waterways share.
Aug. 7, 2017
Scientists Will Simulate Asteroid Impact With The Real Thing
The University of Arizona this fall will lead a global exercise using an Earth-approaching asteroid to simulate how the world would respond to a space-rock impact.
Aug. 4, 2017
Arizona Lawmaker Calls On Sen. Jeff Flake To Support Higher Ozone Standards
The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved a delay on EPA standards passed during the Obama administration. The change would lower the acceptable levels for ground-level ozone to 70 parts per billion from the current standard, passed in 2008, which allowed 75 parts per billion.
Aug. 4, 2017
Guerilla Botanist And Arizona Highways Writer Explore San Francisco Peaks
In the August issue of Arizona Highways magazine, the story called "Where the Wild Orchid Grows" by Annette McGivney digs into a number of those species as she hikes with botanist Glenn Rink.
Aug. 3, 2017
Theranos Will Return $4.65 Million To Arizona Consumers
Theranos agreed to return $4.65 million to Arizona consumers, along with $200,000 in civil penalties paid to the Arizona attorney general's office.The company closed all 40 of its testing locations at Arizona Walgreens stores.
Aug. 3, 2017

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