NewsPronto

 

The Conversation

The secret Maoist Chinese operation that conquered malaria – and won a Nobel

  • Written by The Conversation
image1964 poster: 'Prevent Malaria and Take Care of People's Health.'Painted by Wu Hao 吴昊

At the height of the Cultural Revolution, Project 523 – a covert operation launched by the Chinese government and headed by a young Chinese medical researcher by the name of Tu Youyou – discovered what has been the most powerful and...

Read more: The secret Maoist Chinese operation that conquered malaria – and won a Nobel

Why women aren't getting long-acting contraception when they need it most

  • Written by The Conversation
imageMother and baby via www.shutterstock.com.

Why are 50% of pregnancies unintended in the US? Why are poor women more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy? One reason is that women can’t get the kind of birth control they want, when they need it.

One of the key times women need reliable contraception is soon after they give birth. More than half...

Read more: Why women aren't getting long-acting contraception when they need it most

With a shaky legal foundation, are daily fantasy sports a billion-dollar house of cards?

  • Written by The Conversation
imageDraftKings will sponsor professional poker players like Ken Weimer – indicative, perhaps, of the demographic they're courting.World Poker Tour/flickr , CC BY-NC

You can’t escape it. Advertising for Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is everywhere.

Put in some cash. Create a team – or multiple teams – on any given day. Root for your...

Read more: With a shaky legal foundation, are daily fantasy sports a billion-dollar house of cards?

Why new US ozone standards aren't enough to protect health and the environment

  • Written by The Conversation
imageGround-level ozone levels in US lag other countries' guidelines for air quality. urbanfeel/flickr, CC BY-ND

On October 1, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced new standards for ground-level ozone. Much of the discussion around the new regulations has centered either on whether they are protective enough of health or on how much...

Read more: Why new US ozone standards aren't enough to protect health and the environment

Combating 'neglected' diseases using nature's apothecary

  • Written by The Conversation
imageIndonesian schoolchildren show off the mark they've just taken anti-filariasis medication, a drug that prevents just one of the world's 'neglected' diseases.CDC Global, CC BY

The 2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology recognized three researchers who made pioneering contributions to the treatment of parasitic diseases, which affect tens of...

Read more: Combating 'neglected' diseases using nature's apothecary

Is the 2015 Nobel Prize a turning point for traditional Chinese medicine?

  • Written by The Conversation
imageNever before has a Nobel gone to an expert in traditional Chinese medicine. bomb_bao/flickr, CC BY-SA

I’m sure I’m not the only one surprised by the announcement that half of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has gone to a researcher who spent her entire career researching traditional Chinese medicine. Based at the Chinese...

Read more: Is the 2015 Nobel Prize a turning point for traditional Chinese medicine?

Who you gonna trust: how power affects our faith in others

  • Written by The Conversation
imageWhy do we trust people with power (other than politicians)?Reuters

One of the ongoing themes of the current presidential campaign is that Americans are becoming increasingly distrustful of those who walk the corridors of power – Exhibit A being the Republican presidential primary, in which three of the top four candidates are outsiders of...

Read more: Who you gonna trust: how power affects our faith in others

A somber message on World Teachers' Day 2015: our teachers are at risk

  • Written by The Conversation
imageThe work of teachers is not valued as much as other professions.BES Photos, CC BY-NC-SA

What is among the first actions that brutal totalitarian regimes take upon assuming power? They imprison, exile or “disappear” teachers.

Dictators employ such harsh tactics because of the role teachers play in society. Teachers provide not only a...

Read more: A somber message on World Teachers' Day 2015: our teachers are at risk

More Articles ...

  1. What fewer women in STEM means for their mental health
  2. Permafrost-eating bacteria: a new twist on thawing Arctic and global warming
  3. From Sophocles to Sherlock: economics, literature and the detective story
  4. The Umpqua, Oregon shootings: portrait of the killer as a young man
  5. What public health researchers want you to know about gun control
  6. The University of Texas faculty are watching Oregon uneasily
  7. How do libraries get away with banning books?
  8. Jobs market is stuck in neutral – it's time candidates talk about how to fix it
  9. Plain cigarette packaging: healthier citizens, sicker state finances?
  10. The Martian: a space epic that explores ordinary human decency
  11. Is 'The Slants' racist? Court ruling on band name could upend trademark law
  12. Could Iran continue its nuclear program in Syria?
  13. Corporate climate scientists: advocates for science or protectors of status quo?
  14. I'm a librarian who banned a book. Here's why.
  15. The problem with rating people on the new app Peeple
  16. Do brain interventions to treat disease change the essence of who we are?
  17. A genetic test could predict future troubles for kidney donors – why not use it?
  18. Children who understand emotions become more attentive over time
  19. Does nature have value beyond what it provides humans?
  20. Forget the antioxidant pills; just stick with veggies
  21. Homeschooled children do not grow up to be more religious
  22. Chip-enabled cards may curb fraud, but consumers will be picking up the tab
  23. How close are we to actually becoming Martians?
  24. Free speech is no excuse for Muslim-baiting
  25. Mining for metals in society's waste
  26. Shell's abandoned well and the myth of the Arctic oil land grab
  27. What happens when you try to read Moby Dick on your smartphone?
  28. Pakistani drone strikes should worry Obama
  29. The not-so-invisible damage from VW diesel cheat: $100 million in health costs
  30. Is cyberbullying all that goes 'over the line' when kids are online?
  31. Banks will help ensure Iran keeps promises on nukes
  32. Why do female comedians disappear after dark?
  33. Safer chemicals would benefit both consumers and workers
  34. Should older Americans live in places segregated from the young?
  35. Beer behemoths struggle to fend off craft brew craze
  36. The pope, the premier, the president – and the retreat of globalization
  37. Despite Shell's about-face, interest in Arctic oil grows
  38. Antibiotic overuse might be why so many people have allergies
  39. For the Islamic State, music is the 'alcohol of the soul'
  40. Graduate education is a mess. Shouldn't universities fix it?
  41. Jesuits as science missionaries for the Catholic Church
  42. How could VW be so dumb? Blame the unethical culture endemic in business
  43. Volkswagen scandal will send costly ripples through auto industry
  44. VW needs massive marketing campaign to regain consumer trust – and survive
  45. Boehner resigns: scholars see trouble ahead for GOP
  46. Testing ancient human hearing via fossilized ear bones
  47. Pope Francis goes to Washington – but speaks past the politicians
  48. In too many ways, America's poorest communities are just like prison
  49. The risk of UN's Sustainable Development Goals: too many goals, too little focus
  50. To cut costs, college students are buying less food and even going hungry