Health & Science – Page 8 – TheMinotVoice.com

Future of Farming: Fargo claims first automated farm, hoping for support environment that goes with it

by: Josh Wolsky | May 4, 2019

What does the future of farming look like? If you’re in the camp that believes the march of technology is unstoppable, than you’re probably willing to bet on automation. Testing that automation in a literal field is a first step to wider introduction. Check out this story from Inforum to see how Fargo is moving

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

This is what you’ll find in the dark spots of the Minot sky — if you look closely for a long time

by: Josh Wolsky | May 4, 2019

We know the universe is big, but we’re consistently challenged by contemplating the full scope of what ‘big’ really means. Here’s a helper image. The image below shows an estimated 265,000 galaxies. Some dating back to more than 13.3 billion years ago — back when the universe was young. And while those numbers are impressive

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Zebra mussel larva found in source of Winnipeg’s drinking water

by: Josh Wolsky | May 1, 2019

Zebra mussels wreak havoc. On boats, on water systems, on environments that they’re new to. And they’re coming. The North Dakota took steps this session to act more aggressively in coming years, here’s yet another sign that their action was prudent.

Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press

Biologists alarmed by rate of dolphin deaths near Mississippi River

by: Josh Wolsky | May 1, 2019

Does our environment speak to us when things are going astray? According to biologists in Louisiana, yes. And the message that’s being sent is as sad as it is gruesome — dolphins dying at alarming rates. Check out this canary in the coal mine story from the mouth of the Mississippi River. And why does

Read & Share sourced from: 4WWL

Lake Sakakawea remains one of the best walleye waters

by: Doug Leier | May 1, 2019

You often hear veteran anglers and biologists refer to the current status of North Dakota’s fisheries as “the good old days.” Of course, that’s a general reference and each individual water is unique. Some are doing better than others and at the moment one of those “better” waters is Lake Sakakawea. North Dakota Game and

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Teen Suicide Spiked After Debut Of Netflix’s ’13 Reasons Why,’ Study Says

by: Josh Wolsky | April 30, 2019

Television watching is vastly different today than it was even 10 years ago. Binge-watching and the viral-like consumption of content are major differences. And in the one case of one popular Netflix show from a few years ago with suicide story-line, researchers identified a spike in teen suicide following the release. While the researchers are

Read & Share sourced from: NPR

More cities recognizing value in restoring rivers

by: Josh Wolsky | April 29, 2019

What have we learned about past river management practices across the country? Mostly, we weren’t very good at it, and the things we did to help ourselves in the past have expensive consequences today. In Minot, we’re just waking up to the reality created by our past attempts at flood protection. Locally, we call them

Read & Share sourced from: Associated Press

Temperatures up, snow melting earlier in Western U.S.

by: Josh Wolsky | April 29, 2019

In the story below, you’ll read about North Dakota’s recently lower grades on air quality. The culprit is Western fires. If you follow this link through to the Washington Post, you’ll read that temperatures in the Western U.S. average 2 degrees warmer and snow melts a month earlier than 50 years ago. One result: more

Read & Share sourced from: The Washington Post

North Dakota gets low grades for air quality, Western fires the culprit

by: Josh Wolsky | April 29, 2019

When we think about North Dakota’s environment, most of us are pretty proud. But when it comes to air quality, our self-inflated perspective may be full of contaminated air — especially when the Western fires are burning. Get the full story from the Bismarck Tribune.

Read & Share sourced from: Bismarck Tribune

Brain injury research, treatment taking giant steps forward in ND

by: Josh Wolsky | April 29, 2019

The treatment is called hyperbaric oxygen therapy. A legislatively approved pilot program got $300,000 in funding. The hope: prove the treatment so it becomes eligible for insurance reimbursements. Get the full story from inForum.

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

U.S. scientist urges action to save Lake Winnipeg

by: Josh Wolsky | April 29, 2019

Did you know it’s possible to kill a lake? It is; it happened to Lake Erie. And a scientist who studied that catastrophe sees a similar pattern repeating with Lake Winnipeg. Why does it matter in Minot? The culprit is nutrient loading — particularly phosphorous. If you’ve noticed algae blooms in Minot’s river, you know

Read & Share sourced from: Winnipeg Free Press

Hey Minot, care about the plastic problem?

by: Josh Wolsky | April 19, 2019

Once you see it, you’ll see it everywhere. I’m talking about plastic. Particularly single-use plastic and especially plastic bags. This time of year is especially troublesome because we’re forced to look at what’s been hiding under the snow all winter. And if you’re among those who can’t unsee it and think we should do something

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US facial recognition will cover nearly everyone departing a U.S. airport

by: Josh Wolsky | April 18, 2019

The rollout is already started, but completion is expected to take about four more years, At that point, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expects to capture facial recognition data on ~97% of all departing passengers. The goal is to keep track of who is coming and going and one benefit of that is a

Read & Share sourced from: The Verge

The new digital divide is between people who opt out of algorithms and everyone else

by: Josh Wolsky | April 18, 2019

From computers to cars to online dating, odds are high that more of your life is influenced by artificial intelligence and learning algorithms than you realize. These algorithms are why Facebook occasionally freaks you out. You’ve probably experienced this, it’s when your news feed seems to know what you’re thinking or what you want. Perhaps

Read & Share sourced from: Quartz

Is Music Good for Your Health?

by: Josh Wolsky | April 17, 2019

If you’re wondering, the answer is yes. And the evidence is both anecdotal and clinical, but if you want more details, check out this column from NDSU Extension food and nutrition specialist Julie Garden-Robinson.

Read & Share sourced from: NDSU Extension Service

The robots are marching, and they can pull a truck, too

by: Josh Wolsky | April 17, 2019

While this story is not exclusive to Minot, it helps remind us that we’re not immune to the march of technology. And this company — Boston Dynamics — has been the subject of past publishing here on The Minot Voice. If you go back and watch those old videos, you’ll get a sense of how

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