World

Han: We May Finish COVID-19 Pandemic With Less Fatality This Summer By Raising Curve

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Proposal on how to avoid fall resurgence of the COVID-19 health crisis. Chart courtesy of Dr. Cliff Han

By DR. CLIFF HAN
Los Alamos

With all the talk of flattening the coronavirus pandemic curve of infections, we can also ask the question another way: When should we raise the curve?

This accompanying chart is one we’re all used to by now: showing the number of newly infected people during the course of a pandemic. The CDC is currently trying to flatten the curve with preventive measures so that the pandemic will not overwhelm the healthcare system. But, if the priority is saving lives, then actually Read More

Swab Squad Deployed In Los Alamos And Globally

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Los Alamos ‘Swab Squad’ technician Andrew Warson takes a sample of a keypad on a gas pump at the Smith Fuel Center Wednesday morning on Trinity Dr., assisted by technician Amanda MacDonald, left, and Dr. Prisca Tiassé. Smith’s Fuel Center Supervisor Adelia Bowers, center, watches the procedure and explained that she and her crew wipe down the contact areas of the pumps every hour that the Center is open to promote a healthy shopping experience. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com

A squad of volunteers was deployed Monday Read More

Skolnik: Prepare Now For The Next Pandemic

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By RICHARD SKOLNIK
Los Alamos

Infectious diseases have emerged throughout history and will continue to do so. In fact, almost all public health professionals believe that diseases will emerge more frequently and possibly with even greater intensity than before, because of population growth, the spread of people into areas in which animals are living, and climate change.

If you don’t believe this, just think about West Nile virus, Zika, Chikungunya, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Ebola in West Africa, and our present coronavirus, for Read More

Udall Calls On White House To Withdraw Nancy Beck Nomination Following Opposition By Republican Senators

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U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

From the Office of U.S. Sen. Tom Udall:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) issued the following statement today calling on the White House to withdraw the nomination of Nancy Beck to serve as the chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), after two Republican senators indicated that they would oppose her nomination:

“Nancy Beck is the absolute wrong choice to be the nation’s top consumer watchdog, and that is now a bipartisan conclusion. It is becoming clear that Dr. Beck’s nomination faces a likely impossible path in the Senate because she is too extreme Read More

COVID-19 Emergency Laws Spell Disaster For Press Freedom

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Since COVID-19 was declared a worldwide pandemic, attacks on press freedom have proliferated. Courtesy/RSF

RSF News:

COVID-19 was declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) March 11, since then it has been used as a pretext by governments to put constitutional guarantees on hold.

Now that relative calm appears to be in prospect, it is imperative that these exceptional measures be lifted.

Faced with the unprecedented epidemic, many governments have targeted those whose job is to inform the public. Emboldened by the emergency, the spread of repression has been translated Read More

State Recognizes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

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STATE News:

…COVID-19 isolation raises risk of investment fraud targeting seniors 

SANTA FE — In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, today, the Securities Division of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department reminds financial professionals and the public that heightened isolation and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic have created a perfect storm for senior financial exploitation.

“Social isolation has long been one of the leading factors contributing to the financial exploitation of older investors, and the unprecedented quarantines to protect Read More

Europe 2020 Postponed; Remaining Coffee For Sale

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Europe 2019 included 45 travelers from Los Alamos – 39 graduates and six chaperones in front of the always-busy Piazza del Duomo June 20, 2019 in Milan. Courtesy photo

COMMUNITY News:

Today, June 14th, 31 graduated seniors should be boarding an airplane to fly to France for their 11-day educational tour of Europe so they can expand their horizons and celebrate their end of high school. 

However, like many whose summer travel plans have changed, Europe 2020’s travelers will not be able to travel abroad with their peers for their special trip to Paris, the Alps, Munich, and Vienna.  

On March Read More

Three Former CIA Agents Discuss US Vulnerability June 25

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CIR News:

Santa Fe Council on International Relations presents a discussion by three former CIA agents.

Doug Wise, Marc Polymeropolous and Emile Nakhleh will discuss ­­“How might foreign intelligence services best exploit the current situation in the United States?”

The online Zoom presentation is 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25 followed by Q&A.

The cost is $10 and advance registration is required at www.sfcir.org or call (505).982.4931.
 Read More

NOAA, Schmidt Ocean Institute Team To Explore; Map Ocean

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ROV SuBastian returning to R/V Falkor from a dive on the Rawaki seamount in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. Schmidt Ocean Institute partnered with NOAA on a mission from 2015-2017 to explore deepwater areas of U.S. marine protected areas in the central and western Pacific. Courtesy/Schmidt Ocean Institute

NOAA News:

NOAA today announced it will formalize and expand its longstanding partnership with Schmidt Ocean Institute to explore, characterize and map the deep ocean and boost public understanding of the global ocean.

“We are living through a technological revolution that has opened Read More

LANL – Artificial Brains May Need Sleep, Too

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Intelligent machines of the future may need to sleep as much as we do. Courtesy/LANL

LANL News:

No one can say whether androids will dream of electric sheep, but they will almost certainly need periods of rest that offer benefits similar to those that sleep provides to living brains, according to new research from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“We study spiking neural networks, which are systems that learn much as living brains do,” LANL computer scientist Yijing Watkins said. “We were fascinated by the prospect of training a neuromorphic processor in a manner analogous to how humans and other Read More