Jamie writes:
I thought y’all would appreciate this story about a unique conviction over some old-fashioned “gain-of-function” work.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/01/sheep-cloning-montana-hunting-prison
18C and sunny at the Fred Hutch in Seattle. Come out and do another podcast sometime soon!
Jamie
[ad: I either picked or added a news link to this case in an earlier episode a few months back.]
Matt writes:
TWiV crew,
Well, this story is relevant to many of the Microbe TV programs. There appears to be some unknown and uncontrolled factor in agar that occasionally ruins experiments.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2024/09/agar-lab-experiments/680019
Apologies for sending a paywalled article. Here’s a link to the paper in Science that they reference. https://www.science.org/content/article/bad-agar-killing-lab-yeast-around-world-where-it-coming
Best regards,
Matt
Portland, currently 65F/18C and cloudy
John writes:
Drs TWiV:
Not that I think you haven’t seen this already, with the storm currently S of Cuba. Per the Pensacola News Journal: https://www.pnj.com/story/weather/hurricanes/2024/09/23/florida-declares-state-of-emergency-tropical-cyclone-nine-hurricane-helene/75350690007/ :
Excerpts:
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 41 of Florida’s 67 counties Monday afternoon as the state braces for a potential Thursday landfall of a Category 2 or Category 3 Hurricane Helene………
DeSantis based his decision on atmospheric and oceanic data that shows “highly conducive environmental conditions are forecast to organize and develop Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine () into a tropical depression or tropical storm …”
How many people in FL might be alive today if he paid the same attention to what virologists have to say?
Weather here in Greater Braddock has cooled into the 70s with rain approaching from the SW.
Joh
Anthony writes:
Howdy is a contraction of “How do you do?” “Jez fine. An’you?”, is a reply that I heard.
FWIW
AO
Anthony writes:
I’ve wondered if fur farms harvest bats and/or use road kill as food.
I also wonder what sort of PPE is used by the people removing the hides. My guess is none or not much. That means respiratory droplets and blood to blood transmission.
FWIW
Anthony Olszewski
@TrueInfections@mstdn.science
Sarah writes:
Big fan of the show here in Cape Town, would love to hear TWiV’ers about this issue:
There has been reports of aggressive and unusual behavior in seals around our coast for several years, but it seems like only recently has rabies been identified as it was previously described only once in a marine mammal, somewhere in Norway I believe?
Spiraling thoughts of a rabid orca sure are a good time! Surfing and ocean-related tourism are big parts of our lives down here so, break out the crystal balls, please.
Thank you all!
Sarah
Vr: here’s another article https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/scientists-south-africa-identified-outbreak-rabies-seals-113866374#:~:text=Authorities%20in%20South%20Africa%20first,had%20already%20collected%20since%202021.
Blaine writes:
Hello TWIV professors:
Thank you for presenting the work of scientists with years of study and experience to counter the inventions of people whose experience is in blogging and podcasting. I have made use of your knowledge in many discussions with people whose views stem from the blogs, etc. I don’t think I convince them, but those people never trouble me with the bloggers’ stories again.
Regarding the discussion in Episode 1131 on renaming the little tiny particles we breathe, cough, and sneeze out–formerly known as “aerosols”–and all the confusion stemming therefrom. I would like to submit a Listener’s Pick of the following article from the NIH.
Particle sizes of infectious aerosols: implications for infection …
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC7380927
It was published in 2020 and references studies back to 2004 on transmission of tuberculosis, and includes cystic fibrosis and influenza. The data includes how infectious the aerosols are. It was probably one of the bases for the 2-meter spacing and mask specifications at the time.
I am an engineer and thus have worked with aerosols for a long time. The term “aerosol” actually refers to the gas medium and the particles in it as a system. There are a lot of studies of inorganic aerosols (in air) of everything from forest fire smoke to Sahara Desert dust to acid solution droplets.
Unfortunately, when you ask an engineer to control aerosol particulates the first question you’ll be asked is, “What size are the particles?” Particles over 50 micrometers (um) can be removed by a surgical mask. 10 um – 50 um are controlled by an N95 mesh. Below 10 um you need to wear an Air Purifying Respirator (APR), one of those big rubber things with the replaceable filter cartridges. For gases you need a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) pack. Over my career I have worn them all which is why masking up for Covid was no big deal for me.
I’m not sure why there needs to be new nomenclature for particles in air, but it won’t affect the physical requirements for control of the spread of a respiratory virus.
Keep up the good work,
Blaine
Laura writes:
Dear Twiv Team,
I’m sending this listener pick, which I think Alan in particular might enjoy.
Thank you for all you do. I’m a devoted listener and recently retired professor whose career focused quite a bit on communicating science and tech to non-expert audiences.
Sincerely,
Laura Gurak
“The Science of Public Communication” (from the Chronicle of Higher Ed; should not be paywalled just to get the summary):
Peer-reviewed article by Ben Rein, mentioned in the above:
https://www.benrein.com/_files/ugd/5eb122_906609988f894c3ba895f5cbfd0be110.pdf
https://www.benrein.com/publications
—
————-
Laura J. Gurak, Ph.D.
Professor emerita
Department of Writing Studies, College of Liberal Arts,
University of Minnesota