News
Biologists Debut Children’s Book to Bring Attention to Bee Diversity
Two scientists bring melittology to children’s lit in order to champion the importance of native bees and nurture an early sense of appreciation for the natural world.
‘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.
Bringing back the Lahontan cutthroat trout: a story about a fluke finding, genetic study and a tribe’s hard work
Lahontan cutthroat trout went locally extinct in Pyramid Lake in the 1940s. But some determined folks and genetic research have brought the fish back, restoring an important cultural and economic asset for local Paiute people.
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.
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
If you’ve visited the grocery store in the past week,
