Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Study claims common cold may help prevent flu, perhaps COVID-19

The virus most often behind the common cold is capable of preventing the flu virus from infecting airways by jump-starting the body’s immune defenses, researchers found. Now, the researchers from Yale University, want to determine if rhinovirus, the most common cold-causing virus, offers similar protective effects against COVID-19. In an analysis of more than 13,000 patients with symptoms of a respiratory infection, those who had rhinovirus were not simultaneously infected with the flu virus, even during months when both viruses were active. (The Lancet Microbe)

Rich Folks Have Hard Time Reading Expressions

Those deemed in the higher class may be envied for their luxurious cars, large homes and stylish clothes, but there is one thing they do not have – the ability to read people’s emotions. A study used a cognitive empathy test called ‘the Reading the mind in the eyes,’ which participants from higher and lower social classes were asked to determine emotional states from images of eyes. The results showed those in the lower class were better at understanding other people’s minds compared to their counterparts. Experts suggest the reason is because lower social classes tend to prioritize the needs and preferences of others, and are ultimately more empathetic. The study was conducted by a team at the University of California, Irvine. (PsyPost)

Artificial intelligence has predicted who the next James Bond could be

“The Witcher” star Henry Cavill topped a recent ranking, which was based on an analysis of on-screen character attributes of various actors. Largo.ai, a data intelligence firm, says it used its artificial intelligence software to analyze the “DNA footprint” of each actor based on attributes like character type and story elements. It compared this to the DNA footprint of Bond. Based on the results, Cavill had a 92.3% chance of becoming a more successful Bond than Daniel Craig, followed by Richard Armitage, Idris Elba, and Charlie Hunnam. Cavill was previously rejected for the role because he was “too chubby.” Daniel Craig will make his final appearance as Bond in “No Time to Die,” which is scheduled for release in the U.S. on November 20th. Daniel Craig has played Bond in five films to date. (The Next Web)

52% of young adults in the US are living with their parents

The number of American young adults living with their parents is at or near an all-time high, and the coronavirus pandemic is likely the reason, according to a new analysis. A new report by the Pew Research Center found that a majority of young adults, about 52%, lived with one or both of their parents in July. Pew’s analysis of monthly Census Bureau data notes that this is higher than any previous measurement. “Before 2020, the highest measured value was in the 1940 census at the end of the Great Depression, when 48% of young adults lived with their parents,” says the report. The peak may have been higher during the worst of the Great Depression in the 1930s, but there is no data for that period. The researchers define young adults as 18- to 29-year-olds. The number of young adults living with parents grew to 26.6 million in July, an increase of 2.6 million from February. Growth in the number of young adults living with their parents was the sharpest for the youngest adults, ages 18-24, according to the analysis. (Pew Research)

Video games help children improve literacy, communication and mental well-being, survey finds

Parents have long debated the impact of video games on children’s minds. Now, a new survey suggests that playing may actually improve their literacy, communication skills and overall mental well-being. National Literacy Trust interviewed 4,626 people between the ages of 11 and 16 from across the UK for the video games survey. More than a third (35.3%) of the children who play said they believe video games make them better readers, with the vast majority (79.4%) saying they read materials related to gaming once a month. The materials included in-game communications, reviews and books. All that reading may also be helping players improve their writing. About 3 in 5 (62.5%) young people who play video games also write something related to gaming once a month, the survey found. Many write blogs and fan fiction. The “shared cultural experience” of gaming also supports positive communication with friends and family, according to researchers. The survey found that 3 in 4 (76.3%) young people who play talk to their friends about video games, compared to only 3 in 10 (29.4%) who discuss books. In fact, 3 in 5 (69.6%) parents told researchers that communicating with family and friends as part of the games has been helpful for their children’s mental well-being. (National Literacy Trust)

This is the shocking moment a 4ft long snake is removed from a woman’s mouth

The creature had reportedly slithered into her throat as she slept in her garden in Levashi, a village in Dagestan, southern Russia. Feeling unwell, the young woman was rushed to hospital where she was put to sleep. In this disturbing footage, a doctor is heard saying ‘let’s see what this is’ before inserting a tube down her throat. As he slowly pulls the snake out another medic grabs it, but then jumps back and screams as she realizes just how long the snake is. The snake is then dropped into a medical bucket. It’s unclear if the snake was alive or dead, or how long it was trapped inside the woman. According to local reports, such incidents are unusual but older residents advise the young not to sleep outside in case a snake slithers inside their mouths. The woman patient was not identified, nor was the type of snake. (Metro UK)

A Minnesota man was cutting down trees behind his home when one that fell trapped him underneath for four days

The 59-year-old man, was rescued after the Redwood County, Minnesota Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about a person stuck underneath a tree, the department said in a Facebook post. He had been trapped since Thursday, August 27th. His son wrote in a GoFundMe that his father was on a hill in the woods behind his house in Redwood Falls, about 120 miles southwest of Minneapolis, when an oak tree that he was cutting fell on him. “In a split second due to a freak accident, both of his legs were suddenly pinned down under an immovable log and his upper torso was now semi-twisted as he sat upright on the ground,” his son wrote. “His legs were broken instantly and he was in enormous pain but, with no phone on him and because he lives alone, there was nobody to hear or see him.” The man survived by eating plants and insects and drinking his sweat and rainwater that he collected in his clothes, according to his son. “He kept his sanity by breaking down every day into hours, and each hour into 5-minute segments. As someone of a heavy faith, he prayed to himself often, and tried to distract himself from panic by meditating and inventing rhythms to follow from dawn to dusk,” the GoFundMe states. Family members had became worried when he wasn’t answering their phone calls and didn’t show up for work. His ex-wife found him on his property and contacted the sheriff’s office. It took nearly two hours for authorities to extricate him from underneath the tree. He’s now recovering in a hospital. (KARE)

Virus is splitting the economy in two

Economists have begun to sound alarm bells that economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic may only widen the gaps between different industries and segments of society. In such a “K-shaped” recovery, we’d see ever-growing divergences between businesses that have thrived amid the pandemic (tech, big box retail) and those that have floundered (small business, airlines, hospitality) and between the individuals whose economic livelihoods are tied up with these different parts of the economy. Such a recovery could exacerbate the problems associated with growing wealth inequality the U.S. faced prior to the pandemic. (Bloomberg)

Who wants to go back to the office?

Younger workers are having a harder time working from home, and it’s pushing more of them to want to return to the office. Roughly 70% of Generation Z and 69% of millennials report challenges with telework, compared to 55% of Baby Boomers, according to a recent survey. Older workers are coping and adapting better to remote work while younger generations say they’re struggling with a lack of space, more distractions, and a severely-limited inability to nurture connections and maintain a work-life balance. (Cushman & Wakefield)

Robot dogs join virus fight

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and MIT joined forces to test out the use of robotic dogs to take COVID-19 patients’ vitals. The remote-controlled robot pups, which were developed by Boston Dynamics, were equipped with four different types of cameras that can take a patient’s temperature, monitor their breathing and determine pulse rate and blood oxygen levels. Such tech can increase separation between the infected and medical professionals, which can help reduce the risk of exposure and spread. And, as an added benefit, patients seem to react positively to the canine-like bots. (Fast Company)

A California US Forest Service police dog survives second on-duty stabbing in 4 years

Four years after being stabbed on the job, a hero U.S. Forest Service police dog in California has survived a second on-duty knife attack. Both times, the pooch, named Ice, refused to release his grip on a suspect, despite his knife wounds. Recently, the 11-year-old Belgian Malinois was stabbed nine times during a raid on an illegal marijuana growing operation in the Klamath National Forest south of the Oregon border. A helicopter flew Ice to a veterinary hospital where he was treated for his wounds. The raid netted more than 5,500 marijuana plants. In 2016 Ice was critically wounded after being stabbed four times, including twice in the chest, with a five-inch blade during a similar raid in Trinity National Forest. Ice received the 2016 Law Enforcement and Investigations Director’s Award for Valor and Heroism after surviving that assault. He was also honored then as a “Top Dog” award winner in the international category by American Humane Hero Dogs, appearing in a nationally televised award ceremony in 2017. (Fox News)

Hacker delays firework show

Green Mountain Fireworks in Alburgh, Vermont hosted a drive-in display set to tunes. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned as the company says a hacker jammed the frequency, putting the show hours behind schedule. Families paid $100 per car to attend the event with the first $10,000 raised going directly to the Alburgh Family Clubhouse to help build a new childcare center at the town’s K-8 school. No word on who was responsible for the hacking, but eventually the night was lit up with fireworks. (WCAX)

Donates Fire Truck In Memory Of 4-Year-Old Boy Killed In Vehicle Accident

A family is giving back to their community in memory of their 4-year-old little boy after two years ago, along with his grandfather and aunt, were killed when their car was hit on Route 21 in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Several fire departments escorted their son on the day of his funeral. So this past weekend, the family donated a truck to the McClellandtown Volunteer Fire Company. The family contacted the volunteer department before the big announcement and said they want to do something in memory of son. The family has also funded paramedical training for members of the department. (KDKA)

Tuesday Gets Started Up With:

• Ampersand Day
• Another Look Unlimited Day
• Ants On A Log Day (Second Tuesday)
• Iguana Awareness Day
• International Literacy Day
• Miss America Pageant
• Pardon Day
• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses Day
• Pet Rock Day
• Virgin Mary Day
• World Physical Therapy Day