As casinos reopen amid COVID-19, researchers question the safety of smoking
Some states have temporarily banned smoking in casinos to stop the spread of Covid. Nevada has not. Science suggests the virus could travel through the air on cigarette smoke.
New reservoir rules in the West could keep more winter water to combat drought
With a warming climate and changing weather patterns, it might be time to update the federal reservoir-level rules that dictate how much water can be kept in some western U.S. reservoirs during winter.
Thirsty Sierra Nevada trees offer clues to predicting water flow into reservoirs
As more winter precipitation is falling as rain instead of snow, it’s changing how much water flows into reservoirs. It turns out it might be changing how much water trees can drink, too.
Tech industry’s reliance on ‘brain-enhancing’ drugs raises questions
Is the pressure to perform in your tech job enough to have you seeking Adderall as a performance-enhancer? Read this before you do it.
‘Linguistic Profiling:’ When What You Say (and How You Say It) Can Be Held Against You
Do you speak with an accent? Do you sound like you belong to a certain race? Research on racism and implicit bias is showing that the way you speak can impact education opportunities, financial benefits, and even access to quality healthcare.
Can behavioral science help you stop touching your face to avoid COVID-19?
Humans touch their face an average of 68 times per hour. The novel coronavirus can enter the body through a person’s eyes, mouth and nose. But experts say there is an easy way to train yourself to stop touching your face.
A time for healing: Hawaii’s coral reefs rebound during COVID-19
A silver lining outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic? Coral reefs in Hawaii may be becoming healthier with fewer swimmers in the water.
Life after COVID: Will we adapt to a new normal or return to business as usual?
Will we ever hug people again? Will we keep wearing masks? Past pandemics suggest that some aspects of our lives will revert to “normal” once this pandemic eases.
Tahoe-Area firefighters struggle to keep pace with frequent fires in near-record dry season
Low moisture levels in plant life give us a clue as to why firefighters are gearing up for one of the worst fire seasons yet.
Can Virtual Reality Help You Get Over Your Fear?
Scared of spiders? Fear of heights? New research is finding that Virtual Reality could help patients overcome these fears. It works by stimulating part of the brain and exposing patients to the fear in a safe setting.
Windy, but no windfall: Why Nevada lags behind in commercial wind power
Nevada is a vast, windy state yet it ranks 33rd in the nation’s wind energy production. It turns out the temperamental gusts are part of the problem.
Despite pandemic, state incentives help boost Nevada’s ‘electric highway’
People keep buying electric vehicles, and Nevada continues to build infrastructure to support the shift away from internal-combustion transportation. The shift reduces green-house gas emission.
Nevada’s renewable energy sector faces some clouds, then — perhaps soon — sunny days
As Nevada pushes toward sourcing half its electricity from renewable energy by 2030, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some turbulence in the renewables sector.
Yucca Mountain: Faster water flow undermines project safety, UNR geologist says
More than two decades of research raises questions about whether scientific “fixes” at a proposed nuclear repository could keep groundwater safe from radioactive contamination.
Daylight On Demand: Why batteries may fuel the future of solar power in Nevada
While the COVID-19 pandemic is proving problematic for the solar industry, there’s a more fundamental challenge: the sun doesn’t always shine. Read how one power plant in Nevada was able to find an unusual way around that issue, and why others may be taking a different approach in the near future: batteries.
What it’s like running a new restaurant — with your parents — amid the COVID-19 pandemic
It’s hard enough to keep a fledgling new restaurant up and running in normal times. Imagine running one during a pandemic.
The Virus Hunters: Finding animal diseases before they infect humans
More than 60 percent human viruses originally come from animals.
For the past decade, these researchers around the globe have been working to identify risky viruses before they infect humans.
The team found a new Ebola virus in bats in Sierra Leone, and has worked with various communities to reduce exposure.
As more skiers venture into the backcountry, concerns about avalanche risk
When ski resorts shut down due to the pandemic, many people decided to hit the backcountry slopes– including lots of newbies.
But without avalanche knowledge– heck, even with training– going into the backcountry can be incredibly risky.
Keto diet helps some lose weight, but more research is needed about long-term health risks
It may come as a surprise to learn the keto diet was originally developed to treat seizures. Now some rave about it as a quick weight loss tool. But nutritionists say some early research gives cause for concern about maintaining the restrictive diet long-term.
The psychology behind the #ToiletPaperApocalypse
By Kacee Johnson If you’ve visited the grocery store in the past week, you’ve probably seen people flocking to the toilet paper aisle. Toilet paper
Galena Creek Restoration Project: Keeping Dirt Out of Your Water
Area schoolchildren helped improve the health of the Truckee River watershed by spending a week restoring an eroded area along the banks of Galena Creek, south of Reno.
Mining industry turns to drones for safer search and rescue
Drones and video games are coming together in research at the University of Nevada, Reno, to make the mining industry safer for people.
Teaching robots sarcasm could help those on the autism spectrum
Teach a machine to detect sarcasm? Oh yeah, sure. Research into the complex and nuanced perception of sass could help autistic people manage ordinary conversations with greater ease.
Scientists are using drones to help prevent wildfires
Our response to wildfires is advancing as drones help us explore an area’s fuel moisture, detect stuff in the air surrounding an active fire, and measure erosion afterward.
Rehab Redesigned: Nevada physical therapist guides knee patients toward a stronger recovery
Physical therapist Jonathan Hodges has developed a new protocol for helping people recover their strength after knee surgery.
Resplendent mountain wildflowers are gorgeous for sure. They’re also signs of environmental health.
During spring and summer, Sierra Nevada meadows burst into a breath-taking display of wildflowers. Plus, they’re good for the birds and the bees.
Invasive aquatic plants threaten Lake Tahoe’s clear waters
The plants look like seaweed, rising from the shallow areas of Lake Tahoe to the surface. But in this fresh-water, high-mountain lake with a $5-billion recreation economy, invasive plants threaten both the environment and an international tourist destination.
The Anatomy of a Broken Heart
A traumatic emotional event can cause the heart to change its shape and become less efficient. It’s called “broken heart syndrome” for a reason.
Nevada’s Biggest Little Invasive: Cheatgrass
Cheatgrass is an invasive plant that is contributing to hotter and more frequent fires in the intermountain West. And, it’s tough to eradicate.
Dee the desert tortoise gets a new home
A tortoise adoption group trains people to become custodians for long-lived but endangered desert tortoises in Nevada.
Meadow “sponges” can help store water as snowpack shrinks
A project to restore a damaged meadow in the Sierra Nevada shows the possibilities for improving an important mountain ecosystem. It can also store precious groundwater as climate change shrinks mountain snowpack, a vital source of fresh water in the American West.
Trees move uphill as Sierra Nevada climate warms
Warming Sierra Nevada temperatures mean young trees of cold-adapted species are growing at elevations hundreds of feet higher than trees counted 80 years ago — taking entire habitats with them.
Shrinking Sierra snowpack: Warming temperatures shift snow to rain, forcing water agencies to adapt
As wintertime temperatures warm in the Sierra Nevada, precipitation shifts from snow to rain. That means snowpack is shrinking — and changing the entire foundation for people’s water supply across the American West.