Listening to the universe – black holes give us ears to gravitational waves
By Danielle Prieur Scientists detected the gravitational light waves from two colliding black holes more than a billion light-years away. That means it took more than a billion years for that light to reach detectors on Earth. Yet the timing was perfect for physicist Gabriela Gonzalez, a professor at the Louisiana State University’s Department of Physics and […]
From Ebola to Zika: How Lessons from Ebola Might Guide Zika Response
By Neil Murthy Health officials are turning to strategies learned during the Ebola pandemic to combat the burgeoning Zika virus epidemic. Dr. Ana Maria Henao-Restrepo, a medical epidemiologist from the World Health Organization, described her experience testing an experimental Ebola vaccine during the outbreak in Guinea in 2015. A Zika vaccine is still in the […]
LongYun Kung Fu troupe is here in time to celebrate Chinese New Year
By Qingwei Vivian Chen Jackie Chan’s LongYun Kung Fu Troupe came to Chicago to usher in the year of the monkey with modern dance that draws on the traditions of Kung Fu, ballet and drama. This is the troupe’s second performance in North America and their first time in the Midwest. LongYun Kung Fu Troupe […]
Preventing Zika virus in Pregnant Women Top Priority for Illinois Health Department
By Stephanie Golden Protection of pregnant women against the Zika virus, which has been linked to a major birth defect, is the No. 1 priority for the Illinois Department of Public Health, a state spokeswoman said. “The Illinois Department of Public Health is supporting guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and is […]
Secondhand smoke puts hookah bar employees at risk, new study shows.
By Chencheng Zhao Employees in hookah bars face health risks from secondhand smoke from the water pipes, New York University researchers are reporting. Environmental medicine researcher Terry Gordon and his colleagues investigated indoor air quality in some popular hookah bars in New York and the health effects of secondhand hookah smoke on the bar workers.
Wildcat gamers ask for a little respect — and club status
By Yushun Wang Getting video games recognized as a Northwestern “club sport” might be harder than reaching the Challenger tier in League of Legends. Last week James Yoon, the president of Northwestern University’s eSports group, met with the athletics department to see about upgrading from a “registered student organization” to this next level.
New Roosevelt additions expect to be in mix next season
By Abbas Haleem It’s about next year for two new Roosevelt players. There are only three games left this season for Roosevelt basketball team, and it is unlikely Thomas Cutts and Jake Asquini will play in either of them. However, teammates say the transfer players have displayed the skill needed to compete in the Chicagoland Collegiate […]
Biathlon: Mastering the heartbeat of skiing and shooting
By Erin Barney Breathe in. Exhale halfway. Hold it. Ignore pulsing temples, burning muscles, and the crack of an adjacent rifle. Focus. Pull the trigger. In a moment requiring absolute stillness, Olympic biathlete Lowell Bailey said it’s rarely quiet enough in his head to achieve the necessary Zen. He has to hit a four-and-a-half-inch target […]
Union Station faces air pollution issue, EPA says
By Danielle Prieur Passengers on trains at Chicago’s Union Station are being exposed to high levels of air pollution on Metra and Amtrak trains, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Over a two-week period in July 2015, EPA researchers used portable aerosol monitors to measure microscopic particles in the air around the train platforms […]
International wrestlers pin Rio dreams on U.S. training visit
By Tolly Taylor and Aishwarya Kumar Lakshminarayanapuram Imagine inviting someone to your house for the first time, and she beats you up. That’s what happened in January when Estonian wrestler Mae Epp bludgeoned her U.S. opponents with two technical falls and a pin at the Dave Schultz Memorial International tournament in Colorado Springs. The world […]