window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"science_1946327": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1946327",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1946327",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1946325,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/08/RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/08/RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut-160x104.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 104
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/08/RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/08/RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1245
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/08/RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut-1020x661.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 661
},
"complete_open_graph": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/08/RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut-1200x778.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 778
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/08/RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut-1920x1245.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1245
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/08/RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut-800x519.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 519
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2019/08/RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut-768x498.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 498
}
},
"publishDate": 1565372070,
"modified": 1603298576,
"caption": "Tule elk graze on grass in a field at Point Reyes National Seashore Elk Preserve on April 19, 2015, in Point Reyes Station, California. ",
"description": null,
"title": "RS15482_GettyImages-470387040-qut",
"credit": "Justin Sullivan/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970276": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970276",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970276",
"found": true
},
"parent": 0,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/wd1856bandstar-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/wd1856bandstar-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/wd1856bandstar.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/wd1856bandstar-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1602601826,
"modified": 1603138088,
"caption": "An artist concept of the gas giant exoplanet WD 1856 b orbiting its tiny, compact white dwarf star. The planet's diameter is seven times greater than the white dwarf, and orbits it once every 34 hours. ",
"description": "An artist concept of the gas giant exoplanet WD 1856 b orbiting its tiny, compact white dwarf star. The planet's diameter is seven times greater than the white dwarf, and orbits it once every 34 hours. ",
"title": "wd1856bandstar",
"credit": "NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970567": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970567",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970567",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1970565,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45358_GettyImages-1228305395-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45358_GettyImages-1228305395-qut-160x88.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 88
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45358_GettyImages-1228305395-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45358_GettyImages-1228305395-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1060
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45358_GettyImages-1228305395-qut-1020x563.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 563
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45358_GettyImages-1228305395-qut-1536x848.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 848
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45358_GettyImages-1228305395-qut-800x442.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 442
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45358_GettyImages-1228305395-qut-768x424.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 424
}
},
"publishDate": 1603225959,
"modified": 1603299575,
"caption": "Health care workers and supporters hold candles at a vigil in memory of health care workers who died of COVID-19 on Sept. 1, 2020, in Alhambra, California.",
"description": null,
"title": "US-HEALTH-VIRUS-VIGIL",
"credit": "Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1994155": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1994155",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1994155",
"found": true
},
"title": "YoutTube Thumbnail2",
"publishDate": 1725555353,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 1970271,
"modified": 1725555353,
"caption": null,
"credit": null,
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 450,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 574,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 90,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 432,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 864,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-2048x1152.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1152,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-1920x1080.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Ever_See_a_Starfish_Gallop_KQED-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1440
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970453": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970453",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970453",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1970449,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45355_GettyImages-1175529784-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45355_GettyImages-1175529784-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45355_GettyImages-1175529784-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45355_GettyImages-1175529784-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45355_GettyImages-1175529784-qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45355_GettyImages-1175529784-qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45355_GettyImages-1175529784-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/RS45355_GettyImages-1175529784-qut-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1602885583,
"modified": 1607044151,
"caption": "California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols, left, and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra look on during a news conference at the California Justice Department on Sept. 18, 2019, in Sacramento, California. ",
"description": null,
"title": "RS45355_GettyImages-1175529784-qut",
"credit": "Justin Sullivan/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970424": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970424",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970424",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1970419,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-160x108.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 108
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1732
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-2048x1386.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1386
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-1020x690.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 690
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-1536x1039.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1039
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-1920x1299.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1299
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-800x541.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 541
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/California-Trump-fires-aid-768x520.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 520
}
},
"publishDate": 1602865704,
"modified": 1602877575,
"caption": "President Donald Trump looks on with California Gov. Jerry Brown and then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom as they view damage from wildfires in Paradise, California, on Nov. 17, 2018.",
"description": null,
"title": "US-POLITICS-TRUMP-fires",
"credit": "Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970370": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970370",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970370",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1970355,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-160x106.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 106
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-scaled.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1703
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-2048x1363.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1363
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-1020x679.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 679
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-1536x1022.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1022
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-1920x1278.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1278
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-800x532.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 532
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/GettyImages-1206664280-768x511.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 511
}
},
"publishDate": 1602786142,
"modified": 1602806547,
"caption": "A student walks toward Royce Hall on the campus of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, California on March 11, 2020. ",
"description": null,
"title": "GettyImages-1206664280",
"credit": "Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970392": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970392",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970392",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1970388,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-160x108.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 108
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-scaled-e1602798338426.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1294
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-2048x1380.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1380
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-1020x687.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 687
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-1536x1035.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1035
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-1920x1293.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1293
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-800x539.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 539
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/napa-earthquake-768x517.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 517
}
},
"publishDate": 1602798312,
"modified": 1602802142,
"caption": "A pedestrian walks by a mobile home that shifted off of its foundation at a mobile home park following a reported 6.0 earthquake on Aug. 24, 2014, in Napa, California.",
"description": null,
"title": "6.0 Earthquake Rattles Northern California",
"credit": "Justin Sullivan/Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970334": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970334",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970334",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1970329,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-160x106.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 106
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-scaled-e1602694940514.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1278
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-2048x1363.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1363
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-1020x679.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 679
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-1536x1022.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1022
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-1920x1278.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1278
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-800x532.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 532
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Facebook-vaccines-768x511.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 511
}
},
"publishDate": 1602694917,
"modified": 1602698571,
"caption": "Demonstrators protest a mandatory flu vaccine order for children in Boston, Massachusetts on Oct. 5, 2020. ",
"description": null,
"title": "US-vaccines-pandemic",
"credit": "Joseph Prezioso/AFP",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970292": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970292",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970292",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1970286,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/cincinnati-barber-pandemic-flu-160x106.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 106
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/cincinnati-barber-pandemic-flu-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/cincinnati-barber-pandemic-flu.jpg",
"width": 830,
"height": 550
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/cincinnati-barber-pandemic-flu-800x530.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 530
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/cincinnati-barber-pandemic-flu-768x509.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 509
}
},
"publishDate": 1602614461,
"modified": 1602622825,
"caption": "A masked barber in Cincinnati gives a customer a shave during the 1918 influenza pandemic.",
"description": null,
"title": "cincinnati-barber-pandemic-flu",
"credit": "Courtesy of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970254": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970254",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970254",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1970251,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Wilson_Milgrom_Nobel1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Wilson_Milgrom_Nobel1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Wilson_Milgrom_Nobel1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Wilson_Milgrom_Nobel1.jpg",
"width": 1500,
"height": 1001
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Wilson_Milgrom_Nobel1-1020x681.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 681
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Wilson_Milgrom_Nobel1-800x534.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 534
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Wilson_Milgrom_Nobel1-768x513.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 513
}
},
"publishDate": 1602512157,
"modified": 1602528269,
"caption": "Robert Wilson, left, and Paul Milgrom have been awarded the Nobel in economic sciences. ",
"description": null,
"title": "Wilson_Milgrom_Nobel1",
"credit": "Andrew Brodhead/Stanford News Service",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"science_1970228": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "science_1970228",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970228",
"found": true
},
"parent": 1970227,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/gettyimages-1228750358-677be24d835ce5ed3e0783f035ecc7928af8f638-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/gettyimages-1228750358-677be24d835ce5ed3e0783f035ecc7928af8f638-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 120
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/gettyimages-1228750358-677be24d835ce5ed3e0783f035ecc7928af8f638-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/gettyimages-1228750358-677be24d835ce5ed3e0783f035ecc7928af8f638.jpg",
"width": 1625,
"height": 1218
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/gettyimages-1228750358-677be24d835ce5ed3e0783f035ecc7928af8f638-1020x765.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 765
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/gettyimages-1228750358-677be24d835ce5ed3e0783f035ecc7928af8f638-1536x1151.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1151
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/gettyimages-1228750358-677be24d835ce5ed3e0783f035ecc7928af8f638-800x600.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 600
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/gettyimages-1228750358-677be24d835ce5ed3e0783f035ecc7928af8f638-768x576.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
}
},
"publishDate": 1602263266,
"modified": 1602268052,
"caption": null,
"description": "A building burns during the Glass fire in St. Helena, Calif., on Sept. 27, 2020. The National Weather Service issued heat advisories and Cal Fire issued a red flag warning for high fire risk areas of California. A wildfire with a \"dangerous rate of spread\" broke out in Napa County between Calistoga and St. Helena overnight on Sept. 27, 2020, just as the Bay Area braces for extreme wildfire conditions. ",
"title": "Some of California's most destructive wildfires aren't among the state's largest, so fire scientists advise focusing on homes instead of overall acreage.",
"credit": "Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images",
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_science_1970500": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1970500",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1970500",
"name": "Katelyn Weisbrod \u003cbr />InsideClimate News\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1970565": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1970565",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1970565",
"name": "Andrew Joseph \u003cbr />STAT",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1970419": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1970419",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1970419",
"name": "Associated Press and KQED",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1970329": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1970329",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1970329",
"name": "Erin Brodwin\u003cbr />STAT",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1970251": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1970251",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1970251",
"name": "David Keyton, Frank Jordans and Paul Wiseman \u003cbr />Associated Press\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_science_1970227": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_science_1970227",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_science_1970227",
"name": "Lauren Sommer \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"isLoading": false
},
"ben-burress": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "6180",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "6180",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ben Burress",
"firstName": "Ben",
"lastName": "Burress",
"slug": "ben-burress",
"email": "bburress@chabotspace.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": "\u003cstrong>Benjamin Burress\u003c/strong> has been a staff astronomer at Chabot Space & Science Center since July 1999. He graduated from Sonoma State University in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in physics (and minor in astronomy), after which he signed on for a two-year stint in the Peace Corps, where he taught physics and mathematics in the African nation of Cameroon. From 1989-96 he served on the crew of NASA’s Kuiper Airborne Observatory at Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. From 1996-99, he was Head Observer at the Naval Prototype Optical Interferometer program at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ.\r\n\r\nRead his \u003ca href=\"http://science.kqed.org/quest/author/ben-burress/\">previous contributions\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"http://science.kqed.org/quest/\">QUEST\u003c/a>, a project dedicated to exploring the Science of Sustainability.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8263bffa345b7e4923a0b8b9f0f6a161?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "quest",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ben Burress | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8263bffa345b7e4923a0b8b9f0f6a161?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8263bffa345b7e4923a0b8b9f0f6a161?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ben-burress"
},
"joshua-cassidy": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "6219",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "6219",
"found": true
},
"name": "Josh Cassidy",
"firstName": "Josh",
"lastName": "Cassidy",
"slug": "joshua-cassidy",
"email": "jcassidy@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"science"
],
"title": "Digital Video Producer",
"bio": "Josh is a Senior Video Producer for KQED Science, and the Lead Producer and Cinematographer for Deep Look. After receiving his BS in Wildlife Biology from Ohio University, he went on to participate in marine mammal research for NOAA, USGS and the Intersea Foundation. He also served as the president of The Pacific Cetacean Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching students K-6 about whales. Josh studied science and natural history filmmaking at San Francisco State University and Montana State University.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f2582a0801a35af53b734d56bcac2bbe?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "quest",
"roles": [
"author",
"edit_others_posts"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Josh Cassidy | KQED",
"description": "Digital Video Producer",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f2582a0801a35af53b734d56bcac2bbe?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f2582a0801a35af53b734d56bcac2bbe?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/joshua-cassidy"
},
"parcuni": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11368",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11368",
"found": true
},
"name": "Peter Arcuni",
"firstName": "Peter",
"lastName": "Arcuni",
"slug": "parcuni",
"email": "parcuni@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"science"
],
"title": "Reporter",
"bio": "Peter reports radio and online stories for \u003cem>KQED Science\u003c/em>. His work has also appeared on the \u003cem>The California Report\u003c/em> morning show and \u003cem>KQED News\u003c/em>. His production credits include \u003cem>The California Report, The California Report Magazine\u003c/em> and KQED's local news podcast \u003cem>The Bay\u003c/em>. Other credits include NPR's \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em>, WNYC's \u003cem>Science Friday\u003c/em>, WBUR's \u003cem>Here & Now\u003c/em>, WIRED and SFGate. Peter graduated from Brown University and earned a master's degree in journalism from Stanford. He's covered everything from homelessness to wildfires, health, the environment, arts and Thanksgiving in San Quentin prison. In other lives, he played rock n roll music and studied neuroscience. You can email him at: parcuni@kqed.org",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5032f6f27199d478af34ad2e1d98732?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "peterarcuni",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Peter Arcuni | KQED",
"description": "Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5032f6f27199d478af34ad2e1d98732?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5032f6f27199d478af34ad2e1d98732?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/parcuni"
},
"kevinstark": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11608",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11608",
"found": true
},
"name": "Kevin Stark",
"firstName": "Kevin",
"lastName": "Stark",
"slug": "kevinstark",
"email": "kstark@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"science"
],
"title": "Senior Editor",
"bio": "Kevin is a senior editor for KQED Science, managing the station's health and climate desks. His journalism career began in the Pacific Northwest, and he later became a lead reporter for the San Francisco Public Press. His work has appeared in Pacific Standard magazine, the Energy News Network, the Center for Investigative Reporting's Reveal and WBEZ in Chicago. Kevin joined KQED in 2019, and has covered issues related to energy, wildfire, climate change and the environment.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1f646bf546a63d638e04ff23b52b0e79?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "starkkev",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Kevin Stark | KQED",
"description": "Senior Editor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1f646bf546a63d638e04ff23b52b0e79?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1f646bf546a63d638e04ff23b52b0e79?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/kevinstark"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"science_category_news": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_40",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "40",
"score": 10.810465
},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 42,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"title": "News",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "science",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 86
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/science?category=news",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 86
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"science_1970500": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970500",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970500",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1603237239000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1603237239,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Tule Elk Decision Looms: Pt. Reyes Could Soon Renew Ranch Leases and Thin Elk Herds",
"headTitle": "Tule Elk Decision Looms: Pt. Reyes Could Soon Renew Ranch Leases and Thin Elk Herds | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Known for its seaside bluffs and dense summer fog, Point Reyes National Seashore is a landscape of rolling coastal prairie blending into forests and marshlands, a sanctuary for hundreds of plants and animals and a destination for migrating birds and marine life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just a one-hour drive from San Francisco, the 71,000-acre peninsula serves as a haven for native California species like snowy plovers, red-legged frogs, coho salmon and tule elk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tule elk are one of the primary attractions of the park, which sees over 2 million visitors annually, and they can be easy to spot in the zones where they’re preserved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The elks’ beauty and majesty is hard to miss; one frequent visitor to the park described their strange, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SR2OTFtlUM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">high-pitched bugle\u003c/a> as “otherworldly.” Once on the brink of extinction, tule elk were reintroduced into Point Reyes in 1978. Now, hundreds of elk live in three herds throughout the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But Point Reyes is also home to about 20 ranches that have operated in the park since the mid-1800s. And the tule elk are at the center of a major battle between ranchers, who say the elk are overpopulated and disruptive to their operations, and animal and environmental activists, who think that ranching has degraded the land, leaving it to resemble a “lunar landscape,” as one activist said. The park, the activists argue, should prohibit ranching and preserve the land entirely as wilderness to protect the elk and other species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conflict between ranchers and environmentalists is not uncommon in the West, where wildlife and agriculture often collide. \u003ca href=\"https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/record-population-boom-wild-horses-raises-hackles-among-ranchers-advocates#stream/0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wild horses \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/record-population-boom-wild-horses-raises-hackles-among-ranchers-advocates#stream/0\">in \u003c/a>Utah compete with cattle for resources; black-tailed prairie dogs in Wyoming \u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd493991.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">are shot and poisoned\u003c/a> by ranchers who consider them “pests”; and wolves, reintroduced in Western states in the 1980s, are often blamed by ranchers for \u003ca href=\"https://www.hcn.org/issues/50.12/wolves-when-cattle-go-missing-in-wolf-territory-who-should-pay-the-price\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">killing\u003c/a> livestock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tule elk in Point Reyes have virtually no natural predators, so management of their population is left up to the National Park Service, which is in the process of implementing a wildlife management plan that includes killing elk in one of the three herds to control their numbers, a process known as culling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the prime considerations for how to manage the tule elk is how their numbers affect the ranchers, who sold their land to the government when the park was established in 1962. Many stayed on the land and continued ranching under renewable five-year permits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Environmental groups \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/02/10/point-reyes-lawsuit-challenges-historic-ranching-operations-at-iconic-park/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sued\u003c/a> the National Park Service in 2016 for planning to extend leases for the ranchers from five to 20 years without analyzing the environmental impact, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act. The groups reached a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/getinvolved/planning_ranch_cmp_settlement_faq.htm#CP_JUMP_5580712\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">settlement agreement\u003c/a> in 2017 that required the park service to solicit public input and amend its 1980 general management plan with an Environmental Impact Statement before issuing any 20-year leases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The park service considered six alternatives for its amended plan, ranging from eliminating ranching in the park altogether — an option favored \u003ca href=\"https://restoreptreyesseashore.org/comments-to-draft-plan/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in over 90%\u003c/a> of the 7,600 public comments submitted to the agency — to the plan the park service says it prefers, which includes extending ranchers’ leases and limiting the population of the Drakes Beach herd of elk to 120 animals to prevent them from eating cattle feed, bothering cows and causing other disturbances. If the population were to exceed 120, the park service would begin culling. At the end of 2019, there were 138 tule elk in the Drakes Beach population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Sept. 18, 2020, the park service released its \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/getinvolved/planning_gmp_amendment_feis.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">final Environmental Impact Statement\u003c/a>, officially announcing its decision to go with its preferred option. That initiated a 30-day waiting period for the park service to conduct its final consultations with other agencies. That period ends on Sunday, after which a “Record of Decision” can be issued, finalizing the amended management plan and allowing leases to be extended and culling to begin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Serengeti of Wildlife\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laura Cunningham, a wildlife biologist and California director at Western Watersheds Project, likes to picture what the Point Reyes peninsula might have been like 500 years ago: filled with huge herds of tule elk grazing on lush green coastal prairies while coho salmon swam in the creeks and pods of whales passed by off the coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I imagine it as a place of just riches of biodiversity,” she said. “It must have been just a Serengeti of wildlife.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the late 1800s, tule elk were thought to no longer exist, hunted into extinction by settlers. But in 1874, a rancher discovered a herd of fewer than 30 tule elk on his land near Bakersfield, California. The herd was preserved, and now 5,700 tule elk live in about 22 herds around the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1978, 10 tule elk were introduced into Point Reyes National Seashore, fenced in at Tomales Point on the northernmost end of the peninsula to keep them off ranches. Twenty years later, 28 elk from the Tomales Point herd were relocated to Limantour Beach, about 20 miles south of Tomales Point on the east side of Drakes Estero, a large estuary in the center of the peninsula, establishing a second, free-ranging herd. From there, several of the elk migrated to Drakes Beach, on the west side of Drakes Estero, where a third herd of tule elk in Point Reyes now live. \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970502 alignleft\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/TuleElkPointReyesCA529px_0.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"529\" height=\"740\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/TuleElkPointReyesCA529px_0.png 529w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/TuleElkPointReyesCA529px_0-160x224.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2020 Environmental Impact Statement addresses how to manage the Limantour Beach and Drakes Beach herds, including the Drakes Beach culling plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The National Park Service looked into moving the elk somewhere else before settling on a lethal solution for reducing the population, said Melanie Gunn, park service outreach coordinator for Point Reyes National Seashore. The park service considered relocating individuals from the Drakes Beach herd to somewhere outside of Point Reyes, but tule elk within the park are known to have \u003ca href=\"https://johnes.org/deer-elk/faqs/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Johne’s disease \u003c/a>— a highly contagious and fatal bacterial infection that occurs among ruminant animals. The symptoms of the disease often do not appear until several months after an animal is infected. The elk could not be relocated without risking the spread of the disease to herds outside the park. Tule elk \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/management/upload/planning_tule_elk_mp_ea_1998.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">may have\u003c/a> caught the disease from cattle in Point Reyes, and they can only be effectively tested for it after death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When culling does begin — and it will, unless the Record of Decision does not come through — it will be conducted by the National Park Service and other conservation officials to ensure that genetic diversity and sex ratio are taken into account when selecting which individual elk to kill, especially considering the entire population descended from fewer than 30 individuals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It will be specific, not random,” Gunn said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elk Trouble\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Driving through the ranching district — 22,000 acres designated as a national historic district on the National Register of Historic Places — the smell of cow feces is distinctive. In some parts of the park during mid-October, scrub grass coats the landscape in a golden brown color; in other parts, hundreds of cattle stand on muddy land devoid of much vegetation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ranchers operate in the park under one of two types of leasing agreements: a special permit that limits their tenancy to five years, or a so-called reservation of use and occupancy, which gives ranchers use of the land for up to 25 years or, in some cases, for as long as the rancher is alive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bill Niman, who operates a beef ranch with about 300 cattle at the southern end of Point Reyes, has a lease that extends for the rest of his life. The deal is similar to ownership, in that he pays property taxes and maintains his facilities, but has some restrictions; for example, he can’t sell the property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970503\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 648px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970503\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/niman-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"648\" height=\"432\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/niman-1.jpeg 648w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/niman-1-160x107.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 648px) 100vw, 648px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bill Niman operates a regenerative beef ranch of about 300 cattle in the south end of Point Reyes. \u003ccite>( Julie Kane/InsideClimate News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Niman and his wife, Nicolette Hahn Niman, a former environmental lawyer and the author of a book defending small-scale, grass-fed beef farms, practice rotational grazing on their land. The couple move their cattle from one patch of land to another to allow time for the land to rest between grazing periods. This keeps the landscape full of diverse plants and helps the soil sequester carbon, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“What we’re trying to do is mirror nature and manage the land in the way that nature would if humans were not interfering,” Niman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Located just north of Bolinas on the south end of the park, far from any tule elk herd, Hahn Niman said they don’t have an issue with elk on their ranch, thanks to park management.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But on some ranches, elk consume grass and supplemental cattle feed, like hay and alfalfa. Some ranchers have reported elk eating this supplemental food, but “it has not yet been identified as a significant or widespread problem,” the final Environmental Impact Statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And Hahn Niman said she has heard about cases of elk creating more serious disturbance, with dozens of the animals entering barns and eating cattle feed, or acting aggressively toward cows. She spoke publicly on behalf of ranchers during the 2016 lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“[Ranchers] have had a number of their heifers that have been injured or even had to be put down because they were mounted by large male tule elk,” Hahn Niman said. “It’s weird stuff like this that I didn’t understand until I talked directly with ranchers involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She emphasized that ranchers love seeing tule elk and other wildlife in the park. Ranchers, she said, wanted the park to be established, and without the ranchers, the land, so near the Bay Area, would have instead been developed into prime real estate. But without wolves and bears and hardly any mountain lions, she said, the elk have to be managed and their population needs to be controlled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“You don’t have the robust population of natural predators that once existed here; they’re almost entirely gone,” she said. “The only remaining predator really is the human.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Banned Volunteer\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diana Oppenheim volunteered for three years in Point Reyes National Seashore — a place she calls “literal magic.” She guided a monthly group that would start the day removing invasive species from the park’s sandy coastal dunes, and then led the group in a yoga class on the beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oppenheim said she was shocked when she started to hear rumors that the National Park Service was planning to cull the Drakes Beach herd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I was a very heavily involved volunteer; I was there all the time and I didn’t know this was happening,” Oppenheim said. “There was a big lack of public awareness around this issue, and I felt like if people knew, we could change the course of what was going to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She started \u003ca href=\"https://www.forelk.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ForElk.org\u003c/a> to increase awareness of the park service’s management plan, putting up tables at grocery stores and farmers markets and approaching visitors at the park. Soon, Oppenheim was organizing protests. In August 2019, the park service opened its 45-day public comment period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the momentum of the movement accelerated, Oppenheim also made her views clear on her social media accounts. The National Park Service, she said, asked her to remove all references to her working as a volunteer in Point Reyes, in order to protect the agency’s neutrality on the issue. When she refused, Oppenheim — once named the park’s “volunteer of the year” — was banned from volunteering in Point Reyes National Seashore, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“That only fueled my fire,” Oppenheim added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In late September, she and other activists in the Bay Area banded together to organize a \u003ca href=\"https://www.idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/latest-news/plan-to-kill-wild-elk-and-expand-ranching-in-ca-national-park-draws-record-300-demonstrators/\">demonstration\u003c/a>. Nearly 300 people showed up to protest the culling plan and call for the ranches to be removed from the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“They’re going to actually kill these elk that have been brought back from extinction in order to appease these ranchers,” Oppenheim said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Crucial Role\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The purpose of Point Reyes National Seashore — stated at the top of the legislation \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/management/upload/lawsandpolicies_usc16sec459c_enablingleg.pdf\">that created it \u003c/a>— is to “save and preserve, for purposes of public recreation, benefit and inspiration” the undeveloped seashore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nowhere, activists say, does it mention the preservation of ranching. In fact, said Jack Gescheidt, an activist with the \u003ca href=\"https://treespiritproject.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">TreeSpirit Project,\u003c/a> ranching is contradictory to the park’s purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“You can either have large scale dairy and cattle operations in an area, or a national park,” he said, “you can’t have both.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gunn, however, disagreed. She said the park and the ranches have coexisted since the park’s establishment in 1962, and they will continue to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2019, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/116th-congress/house-report/9/1?overview=closed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">congressional statement\u003c/a> said multigenerational ranching is important economically and ecologically in Point Reyes and is “fully consistent with Congress’s intent for the management of Point Reyes National Seashore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ranching, Gunn said, has been recognized by Congress as being “part of the fabric of Point Reyes National Seashore. It’s part of our responsibility to maintain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hahn Niman said ranching can and should coexist with all wildlife in Point Reyes through regenerative practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Ranching should be minimizing the use of chemicals and should be always attentive to mirroring natural systems,” she said, adding that ranchers should be “creating a vibrant space here for countless wild animals that are in fact living here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elk biologist Julie Phillips said that tule elk are a vital part of the Point Reyes ecosystem, and can be considered a keystone species, because plants in the ecosystem rely on them to disperse seeds and maintain the native environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phillips — who is opposed to ranching in Point Reyes — said she has observed native grasses return and landscapes restored after tule elk have been reintroduced in other areas around California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If cattle are removed from Point Reyes, Phillips said, tule elk “will help restore that degraded land, and the elk will play a critical role in bringing back native habitat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike so many species that went extinct after European settlement, tule elk got a second chance at survival. In an era where climate change is \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07042020/global-warming-ecosystem-biodiversity-rising-heat-species\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">threatening to demolish\u003c/a> Earth’s ecosystems, Oppenheim said, a biological hot spot like Point Reyes should be easy to protect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We’re facing a severe loss of biodiversity on the planet,” Oppenheim said, and preservation “should be a no brainer in some of the most protected lands of the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She added: “Point Reyes is a gem and should absolutely be protected and restored.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InsideClimate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 2563,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 8
},
"modified": 1704846981,
"excerpt": "The elk are a main attraction in Point Reyes. But ranchers who share the park say the elks’ numbers create problems.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The elk are a main attraction in Point Reyes. But ranchers who share the park say the elks’ numbers create problems.",
"title": "Tule Elk Decision Looms: Pt. Reyes Could Soon Renew Ranch Leases and Thin Elk Herds | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Tule Elk Decision Looms: Pt. Reyes Could Soon Renew Ranch Leases and Thin Elk Herds",
"datePublished": "2020-10-20T16:40:39-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:21-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "tule-elk-decision-looms-pt-reyes-could-soon-renew-ranch-leases-and-thin-elk-herds",
"status": "publish",
"nprByline": "Katelyn Weisbrod \u003cbr />InsideClimate News\u003cbr>",
"sticky": false,
"source": "InsideClimate News",
"path": "/science/1970500/tule-elk-decision-looms-pt-reyes-could-soon-renew-ranch-leases-and-thin-elk-herds",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Known for its seaside bluffs and dense summer fog, Point Reyes National Seashore is a landscape of rolling coastal prairie blending into forests and marshlands, a sanctuary for hundreds of plants and animals and a destination for migrating birds and marine life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just a one-hour drive from San Francisco, the 71,000-acre peninsula serves as a haven for native California species like snowy plovers, red-legged frogs, coho salmon and tule elk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tule elk are one of the primary attractions of the park, which sees over 2 million visitors annually, and they can be easy to spot in the zones where they’re preserved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The elks’ beauty and majesty is hard to miss; one frequent visitor to the park described their strange, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SR2OTFtlUM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">high-pitched bugle\u003c/a> as “otherworldly.” Once on the brink of extinction, tule elk were reintroduced into Point Reyes in 1978. Now, hundreds of elk live in three herds throughout the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But Point Reyes is also home to about 20 ranches that have operated in the park since the mid-1800s. And the tule elk are at the center of a major battle between ranchers, who say the elk are overpopulated and disruptive to their operations, and animal and environmental activists, who think that ranching has degraded the land, leaving it to resemble a “lunar landscape,” as one activist said. The park, the activists argue, should prohibit ranching and preserve the land entirely as wilderness to protect the elk and other species.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conflict between ranchers and environmentalists is not uncommon in the West, where wildlife and agriculture often collide. \u003ca href=\"https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/record-population-boom-wild-horses-raises-hackles-among-ranchers-advocates#stream/0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wild horses \u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/record-population-boom-wild-horses-raises-hackles-among-ranchers-advocates#stream/0\">in \u003c/a>Utah compete with cattle for resources; black-tailed prairie dogs in Wyoming \u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd493991.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">are shot and poisoned\u003c/a> by ranchers who consider them “pests”; and wolves, reintroduced in Western states in the 1980s, are often blamed by ranchers for \u003ca href=\"https://www.hcn.org/issues/50.12/wolves-when-cattle-go-missing-in-wolf-territory-who-should-pay-the-price\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">killing\u003c/a> livestock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tule elk in Point Reyes have virtually no natural predators, so management of their population is left up to the National Park Service, which is in the process of implementing a wildlife management plan that includes killing elk in one of the three herds to control their numbers, a process known as culling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the prime considerations for how to manage the tule elk is how their numbers affect the ranchers, who sold their land to the government when the park was established in 1962. Many stayed on the land and continued ranching under renewable five-year permits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Environmental groups \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/02/10/point-reyes-lawsuit-challenges-historic-ranching-operations-at-iconic-park/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sued\u003c/a> the National Park Service in 2016 for planning to extend leases for the ranchers from five to 20 years without analyzing the environmental impact, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act. The groups reached a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/getinvolved/planning_ranch_cmp_settlement_faq.htm#CP_JUMP_5580712\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">settlement agreement\u003c/a> in 2017 that required the park service to solicit public input and amend its 1980 general management plan with an Environmental Impact Statement before issuing any 20-year leases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The park service considered six alternatives for its amended plan, ranging from eliminating ranching in the park altogether — an option favored \u003ca href=\"https://restoreptreyesseashore.org/comments-to-draft-plan/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in over 90%\u003c/a> of the 7,600 public comments submitted to the agency — to the plan the park service says it prefers, which includes extending ranchers’ leases and limiting the population of the Drakes Beach herd of elk to 120 animals to prevent them from eating cattle feed, bothering cows and causing other disturbances. If the population were to exceed 120, the park service would begin culling. At the end of 2019, there were 138 tule elk in the Drakes Beach population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Sept. 18, 2020, the park service released its \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/getinvolved/planning_gmp_amendment_feis.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">final Environmental Impact Statement\u003c/a>, officially announcing its decision to go with its preferred option. That initiated a 30-day waiting period for the park service to conduct its final consultations with other agencies. That period ends on Sunday, after which a “Record of Decision” can be issued, finalizing the amended management plan and allowing leases to be extended and culling to begin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Serengeti of Wildlife\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laura Cunningham, a wildlife biologist and California director at Western Watersheds Project, likes to picture what the Point Reyes peninsula might have been like 500 years ago: filled with huge herds of tule elk grazing on lush green coastal prairies while coho salmon swam in the creeks and pods of whales passed by off the coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I imagine it as a place of just riches of biodiversity,” she said. “It must have been just a Serengeti of wildlife.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the late 1800s, tule elk were thought to no longer exist, hunted into extinction by settlers. But in 1874, a rancher discovered a herd of fewer than 30 tule elk on his land near Bakersfield, California. The herd was preserved, and now 5,700 tule elk live in about 22 herds around the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1978, 10 tule elk were introduced into Point Reyes National Seashore, fenced in at Tomales Point on the northernmost end of the peninsula to keep them off ranches. Twenty years later, 28 elk from the Tomales Point herd were relocated to Limantour Beach, about 20 miles south of Tomales Point on the east side of Drakes Estero, a large estuary in the center of the peninsula, establishing a second, free-ranging herd. From there, several of the elk migrated to Drakes Beach, on the west side of Drakes Estero, where a third herd of tule elk in Point Reyes now live. \u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970502 alignleft\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/TuleElkPointReyesCA529px_0.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"529\" height=\"740\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/TuleElkPointReyesCA529px_0.png 529w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/TuleElkPointReyesCA529px_0-160x224.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2020 Environmental Impact Statement addresses how to manage the Limantour Beach and Drakes Beach herds, including the Drakes Beach culling plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The National Park Service looked into moving the elk somewhere else before settling on a lethal solution for reducing the population, said Melanie Gunn, park service outreach coordinator for Point Reyes National Seashore. The park service considered relocating individuals from the Drakes Beach herd to somewhere outside of Point Reyes, but tule elk within the park are known to have \u003ca href=\"https://johnes.org/deer-elk/faqs/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Johne’s disease \u003c/a>— a highly contagious and fatal bacterial infection that occurs among ruminant animals. The symptoms of the disease often do not appear until several months after an animal is infected. The elk could not be relocated without risking the spread of the disease to herds outside the park. Tule elk \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/management/upload/planning_tule_elk_mp_ea_1998.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">may have\u003c/a> caught the disease from cattle in Point Reyes, and they can only be effectively tested for it after death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When culling does begin — and it will, unless the Record of Decision does not come through — it will be conducted by the National Park Service and other conservation officials to ensure that genetic diversity and sex ratio are taken into account when selecting which individual elk to kill, especially considering the entire population descended from fewer than 30 individuals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It will be specific, not random,” Gunn said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elk Trouble\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Driving through the ranching district — 22,000 acres designated as a national historic district on the National Register of Historic Places — the smell of cow feces is distinctive. In some parts of the park during mid-October, scrub grass coats the landscape in a golden brown color; in other parts, hundreds of cattle stand on muddy land devoid of much vegetation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ranchers operate in the park under one of two types of leasing agreements: a special permit that limits their tenancy to five years, or a so-called reservation of use and occupancy, which gives ranchers use of the land for up to 25 years or, in some cases, for as long as the rancher is alive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bill Niman, who operates a beef ranch with about 300 cattle at the southern end of Point Reyes, has a lease that extends for the rest of his life. The deal is similar to ownership, in that he pays property taxes and maintains his facilities, but has some restrictions; for example, he can’t sell the property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970503\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 648px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970503\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/niman-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"648\" height=\"432\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/niman-1.jpeg 648w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/niman-1-160x107.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 648px) 100vw, 648px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bill Niman operates a regenerative beef ranch of about 300 cattle in the south end of Point Reyes. \u003ccite>( Julie Kane/InsideClimate News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Niman and his wife, Nicolette Hahn Niman, a former environmental lawyer and the author of a book defending small-scale, grass-fed beef farms, practice rotational grazing on their land. The couple move their cattle from one patch of land to another to allow time for the land to rest between grazing periods. This keeps the landscape full of diverse plants and helps the soil sequester carbon, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“What we’re trying to do is mirror nature and manage the land in the way that nature would if humans were not interfering,” Niman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Located just north of Bolinas on the south end of the park, far from any tule elk herd, Hahn Niman said they don’t have an issue with elk on their ranch, thanks to park management.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But on some ranches, elk consume grass and supplemental cattle feed, like hay and alfalfa. Some ranchers have reported elk eating this supplemental food, but “it has not yet been identified as a significant or widespread problem,” the final Environmental Impact Statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And Hahn Niman said she has heard about cases of elk creating more serious disturbance, with dozens of the animals entering barns and eating cattle feed, or acting aggressively toward cows. She spoke publicly on behalf of ranchers during the 2016 lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“[Ranchers] have had a number of their heifers that have been injured or even had to be put down because they were mounted by large male tule elk,” Hahn Niman said. “It’s weird stuff like this that I didn’t understand until I talked directly with ranchers involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She emphasized that ranchers love seeing tule elk and other wildlife in the park. Ranchers, she said, wanted the park to be established, and without the ranchers, the land, so near the Bay Area, would have instead been developed into prime real estate. But without wolves and bears and hardly any mountain lions, she said, the elk have to be managed and their population needs to be controlled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“You don’t have the robust population of natural predators that once existed here; they’re almost entirely gone,” she said. “The only remaining predator really is the human.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Banned Volunteer\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Diana Oppenheim volunteered for three years in Point Reyes National Seashore — a place she calls “literal magic.” She guided a monthly group that would start the day removing invasive species from the park’s sandy coastal dunes, and then led the group in a yoga class on the beach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oppenheim said she was shocked when she started to hear rumors that the National Park Service was planning to cull the Drakes Beach herd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I was a very heavily involved volunteer; I was there all the time and I didn’t know this was happening,” Oppenheim said. “There was a big lack of public awareness around this issue, and I felt like if people knew, we could change the course of what was going to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She started \u003ca href=\"https://www.forelk.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ForElk.org\u003c/a> to increase awareness of the park service’s management plan, putting up tables at grocery stores and farmers markets and approaching visitors at the park. Soon, Oppenheim was organizing protests. In August 2019, the park service opened its 45-day public comment period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the momentum of the movement accelerated, Oppenheim also made her views clear on her social media accounts. The National Park Service, she said, asked her to remove all references to her working as a volunteer in Point Reyes, in order to protect the agency’s neutrality on the issue. When she refused, Oppenheim — once named the park’s “volunteer of the year” — was banned from volunteering in Point Reyes National Seashore, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“That only fueled my fire,” Oppenheim added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In late September, she and other activists in the Bay Area banded together to organize a \u003ca href=\"https://www.idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/latest-news/plan-to-kill-wild-elk-and-expand-ranching-in-ca-national-park-draws-record-300-demonstrators/\">demonstration\u003c/a>. Nearly 300 people showed up to protest the culling plan and call for the ranches to be removed from the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“They’re going to actually kill these elk that have been brought back from extinction in order to appease these ranchers,” Oppenheim said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Crucial Role\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The purpose of Point Reyes National Seashore — stated at the top of the legislation \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pore/learn/management/upload/lawsandpolicies_usc16sec459c_enablingleg.pdf\">that created it \u003c/a>— is to “save and preserve, for purposes of public recreation, benefit and inspiration” the undeveloped seashore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nowhere, activists say, does it mention the preservation of ranching. In fact, said Jack Gescheidt, an activist with the \u003ca href=\"https://treespiritproject.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">TreeSpirit Project,\u003c/a> ranching is contradictory to the park’s purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“You can either have large scale dairy and cattle operations in an area, or a national park,” he said, “you can’t have both.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gunn, however, disagreed. She said the park and the ranches have coexisted since the park’s establishment in 1962, and they will continue to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2019, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/116th-congress/house-report/9/1?overview=closed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">congressional statement\u003c/a> said multigenerational ranching is important economically and ecologically in Point Reyes and is “fully consistent with Congress’s intent for the management of Point Reyes National Seashore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ranching, Gunn said, has been recognized by Congress as being “part of the fabric of Point Reyes National Seashore. It’s part of our responsibility to maintain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hahn Niman said ranching can and should coexist with all wildlife in Point Reyes through regenerative practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Ranching should be minimizing the use of chemicals and should be always attentive to mirroring natural systems,” she said, adding that ranchers should be “creating a vibrant space here for countless wild animals that are in fact living here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elk biologist Julie Phillips said that tule elk are a vital part of the Point Reyes ecosystem, and can be considered a keystone species, because plants in the ecosystem rely on them to disperse seeds and maintain the native environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phillips — who is opposed to ranching in Point Reyes — said she has observed native grasses return and landscapes restored after tule elk have been reintroduced in other areas around California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If cattle are removed from Point Reyes, Phillips said, tule elk “will help restore that degraded land, and the elk will play a critical role in bringing back native habitat.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike so many species that went extinct after European settlement, tule elk got a second chance at survival. In an era where climate change is \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07042020/global-warming-ecosystem-biodiversity-rising-heat-species\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">threatening to demolish\u003c/a> Earth’s ecosystems, Oppenheim said, a biological hot spot like Point Reyes should be easy to protect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We’re facing a severe loss of biodiversity on the planet,” Oppenheim said, and preservation “should be a no brainer in some of the most protected lands of the world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She added: “Point Reyes is a gem and should absolutely be protected and restored.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InsideClimate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970500/tule-elk-decision-looms-pt-reyes-could-soon-renew-ranch-leases-and-thin-elk-herds",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1970500"
],
"categories": [
"science_2874",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_4122"
],
"featImg": "science_1946327",
"label": "source_science_1970500"
},
"science_1970273": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970273",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970273",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1603235025000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1603235025,
"format": "standard",
"title": "NASA Spacecraft Spots a Massive, Ancient Planet With a Knack for Survival",
"headTitle": "NASA Spacecraft Spots a Massive, Ancient Planet With a Knack for Survival | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A NASA satellite known as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/about-tess\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">TESS\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> may have discovered a massive extrasolar planet twice as old as any planet in our solar system. While astronomers need to conduct more observations to confirm the planet exists, this \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7746\">gas giant world\u003c/a>, named WD 1856 b and located 80 light years away in the constellation Draco, appears to be 14 times more massive than Jupiter, and around 10 billion years old. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">WD 1856 b\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’s size and age are not what make it most fascinating to scientists. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970221\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970221 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An illustration of NASA’s TESS spacecraft, featuring its four large, shielded cameras that will survey the entire sky during its prime mission in search of nearby extrasolar planets. NASA launched TESS in 2018, and plan to search for exoplanets orbiting 200,000 stars near our solar system. \u003ccite>(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Meaney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The planet orbits a type of object called a white dwarf, the tiny and dense remnant core of a dead star, and that orbit is so close in that WD 1856 b completes it in a mere 34 hours (compared to 365 days for Earth to orbit our sun). \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scientists want to know how the planet escaped the tumultuous death throes of its star, a process that destroys all nearby planets. They are also puzzled by how it has survived the powerful gravitational forces of a white dwarf star at close range, which should tear it to shreds. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How Does a White Dwarf Star Form?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During its lifetime, the star that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/dwarfs2.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">became this white dwarf \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">was probably not unlike our sun in size and mass. It may also have nurtured its own family of planets.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when a sun-sized star begins to run out of fuel, it goes through some drastic changes. Its core, sputtering on fumes and losing the power of nuclear fusion that kept it stable for billions of years, begins to collapse and heats up intensely as gravity squeezes it into a small, dense, compact object not much larger than a planet like Earth.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meanwhile, the escalating temperature of the white-hot core inflates the outer layers of the star like a balloon. The gases cool as they spread out, and the once sun-like star becomes a “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.schoolsobservatory.org/learn/astro/stars/cycle/redgiant\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">red giant\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">,\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">” hundreds of times larger and engulfing any planets orbiting too close. When our sun goes through this phase, some 5 to 7 billion years in the future, its outer layers will expand beyond the orbits of Mercury and Venus, and possibly even Earth.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970210\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970210\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Helix-Hubble.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Helix-Hubble.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Helix-Hubble-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Helix-Hubble-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Helix nebula, the expanding cloud of gases cast off by a star that has ended the red giant phase after running out of fuel. A so-called “planetary” nebula, named for the round, planet-like shape it presents. At the center is found the tiny dot of the demised star’s remnant core, now a collapsed object called a white dwarf. This is a composite of images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Mosaic Camera on the National Science Foundation’s 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. \u003ccite>(NASA/NOAO/ESA/M. Meixner-STScI/T.A. Rector-NRAO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As the red giant phase of the star’s demise draws to a close, its outer layers of gas blow off into space as an ever-expanding cloud, becoming a beautiful object called a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.noao.edu/jacoby/pn_gallery.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">planetary nebula\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>This Planet Might Have Migrated\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scientists believe that WD 1856 b must have been farther away from its star to begin with, only moving to its present position after the star’s red giant phase was over.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The idea that planets and smaller bodies can migrate from one place to another within a star system can help explain details of a planet’s composition that are not consistent with its current location —indicators that it formed in a different location under different conditions. The theory of planetary migration may solve \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://blog.planethunters.org/2014/05/09/the-role-of-planetary-migration-in-the-evolution-of-the-solar-system/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">planetary puzzles in our solar system\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as well as in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/kepler-223-system-clues-to-planetary-migration\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">other star systems\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970223\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970223 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-800x409.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-800x409.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-1020x522.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-160x82.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-768x393.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist concept of a red giant star that has turned up the heat on one of its nearby planets. When our sun becomes a red giant in a few billion years, it will likely expand beyond Mercury and Venus, destroying them, and burn the Earth’s surface to a hellish crisp — possibly even enveloping our planet as well. \u003ccite>(ESO/L. Calçada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With several possibilities to choose from, scientists think WD 1856 b moved to its current location through gravitational interactions between it and one or more other gas giant planets, which have yet to be discovered.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Why Wasn’t This Exoplanet Ripped to Shreds?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another puzzling question is how WD 1856 b has remained intact so close to the small, but massive white dwarf, rather than being \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/white-dwarf-may-have-shredded-passing-planet.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ripped to shreds by gravitational tidal forces\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Tidal force” is the difference in gravitational pull that one body exerts on the near and the far sides of another body.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earth experiences “tides” because the gravitational pull of the moon (and, to a lesser degree, the sun) is stronger on the side of Earth facing the moon than on the far side, exerting a gentle stretching action that pulls at Earth and the ocean’s waters along that direction. At a quarter of a million miles, the moon’s modest gravity draws the ocean’s waters several feet above the norm. We experience this as the rise and fall of the tides, as Earth’s surface rotates through the swell.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the equivalent mass of a sun-sized star packed into a ball only a bit larger than Earth, the white dwarf’s gravity grows immensely powerful at close range, and the tidal forces on any nearby planet become enormous. In the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://science.howstuffworks.com/white-dwarfs-shred-planets.htm\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">tidal tearing action of a white dwarf star,\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">if a planet is too close, it will literally be stretched apart and shredded to pieces. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970222\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970222 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist illustration of a white dwarf star surrounded by a disk of debris from objects (planets, the asteroid in the foreground) that wander too close and are ripped apart by gravitational tidal forces. \u003ccite>(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Scott Wiessinger)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Observations of other white dwarf systems have sometimes revealed encircling disks of dust, possible evidence of planets that have wandered too close and been stretched to smithereens. The rings of Saturn, it is believed, were formed when a small moon got too close to Saturn and was broken apart by the tidal forces of the planet’s gravity.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However WD 1856 b is managing to keep it together, it seems that this “lucky” world has dodged two epic obliterations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1131,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 22
},
"modified": 1704846983,
"excerpt": "NASA has spotted an exoplanet twice as old as Earth and 14 times more massive than Jupiter. But there's something even weirder about this planet.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "NASA has spotted an exoplanet twice as old as Earth and 14 times more massive than Jupiter. But there's something even weirder about this planet.",
"title": "NASA Spacecraft Spots a Massive, Ancient Planet With a Knack for Survival | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "NASA Spacecraft Spots a Massive, Ancient Planet With a Knack for Survival",
"datePublished": "2020-10-20T16:03:45-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:23-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "nasa-spacecraft-spots-a-massive-ancient-planet-with-a-knack-for-survival",
"status": "publish",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Astronomy",
"path": "/science/1970273/nasa-spacecraft-spots-a-massive-ancient-planet-with-a-knack-for-survival",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A NASA satellite known as \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/content/about-tess\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">TESS\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> may have discovered a massive extrasolar planet twice as old as any planet in our solar system. While astronomers need to conduct more observations to confirm the planet exists, this \u003ca href=\"https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7746\">gas giant world\u003c/a>, named WD 1856 b and located 80 light years away in the constellation Draco, appears to be 14 times more massive than Jupiter, and around 10 billion years old. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">WD 1856 b\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">’s size and age are not what make it most fascinating to scientists. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970221\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970221 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/tess_starfield_still-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An illustration of NASA’s TESS spacecraft, featuring its four large, shielded cameras that will survey the entire sky during its prime mission in search of nearby extrasolar planets. NASA launched TESS in 2018, and plan to search for exoplanets orbiting 200,000 stars near our solar system. \u003ccite>(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Meaney)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The planet orbits a type of object called a white dwarf, the tiny and dense remnant core of a dead star, and that orbit is so close in that WD 1856 b completes it in a mere 34 hours (compared to 365 days for Earth to orbit our sun). \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scientists want to know how the planet escaped the tumultuous death throes of its star, a process that destroys all nearby planets. They are also puzzled by how it has survived the powerful gravitational forces of a white dwarf star at close range, which should tear it to shreds. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How Does a White Dwarf Star Form?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During its lifetime, the star that \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/dwarfs2.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">became this white dwarf \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">was probably not unlike our sun in size and mass. It may also have nurtured its own family of planets.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But when a sun-sized star begins to run out of fuel, it goes through some drastic changes. Its core, sputtering on fumes and losing the power of nuclear fusion that kept it stable for billions of years, begins to collapse and heats up intensely as gravity squeezes it into a small, dense, compact object not much larger than a planet like Earth.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Meanwhile, the escalating temperature of the white-hot core inflates the outer layers of the star like a balloon. The gases cool as they spread out, and the once sun-like star becomes a “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.schoolsobservatory.org/learn/astro/stars/cycle/redgiant\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">red giant\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">,\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">” hundreds of times larger and engulfing any planets orbiting too close. When our sun goes through this phase, some 5 to 7 billion years in the future, its outer layers will expand beyond the orbits of Mercury and Venus, and possibly even Earth.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970210\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970210\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Helix-Hubble.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Helix-Hubble.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Helix-Hubble-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/Helix-Hubble-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Helix nebula, the expanding cloud of gases cast off by a star that has ended the red giant phase after running out of fuel. A so-called “planetary” nebula, named for the round, planet-like shape it presents. At the center is found the tiny dot of the demised star’s remnant core, now a collapsed object called a white dwarf. This is a composite of images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Mosaic Camera on the National Science Foundation’s 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. \u003ccite>(NASA/NOAO/ESA/M. Meixner-STScI/T.A. Rector-NRAO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As the red giant phase of the star’s demise draws to a close, its outer layers of gas blow off into space as an ever-expanding cloud, becoming a beautiful object called a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.noao.edu/jacoby/pn_gallery.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">planetary nebula\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>This Planet Might Have Migrated\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scientists believe that WD 1856 b must have been farther away from its star to begin with, only moving to its present position after the star’s red giant phase was over.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The idea that planets and smaller bodies can migrate from one place to another within a star system can help explain details of a planet’s composition that are not consistent with its current location —indicators that it formed in a different location under different conditions. The theory of planetary migration may solve \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://blog.planethunters.org/2014/05/09/the-role-of-planetary-migration-in-the-evolution-of-the-solar-system/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">planetary puzzles in our solar system\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as well as in \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/kepler-223-system-clues-to-planetary-migration\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">other star systems\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970223\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970223 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-800x409.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-800x409.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-1020x522.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-160x82.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280-768x393.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/1349_CoRoT-7b1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist concept of a red giant star that has turned up the heat on one of its nearby planets. When our sun becomes a red giant in a few billion years, it will likely expand beyond Mercury and Venus, destroying them, and burn the Earth’s surface to a hellish crisp — possibly even enveloping our planet as well. \u003ccite>(ESO/L. Calçada)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With several possibilities to choose from, scientists think WD 1856 b moved to its current location through gravitational interactions between it and one or more other gas giant planets, which have yet to be discovered.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Why Wasn’t This Exoplanet Ripped to Shreds?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another puzzling question is how WD 1856 b has remained intact so close to the small, but massive white dwarf, rather than being \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/white-dwarf-may-have-shredded-passing-planet.html\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">ripped to shreds by gravitational tidal forces\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Tidal force” is the difference in gravitational pull that one body exerts on the near and the far sides of another body.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earth experiences “tides” because the gravitational pull of the moon (and, to a lesser degree, the sun) is stronger on the side of Earth facing the moon than on the far side, exerting a gentle stretching action that pulls at Earth and the ocean’s waters along that direction. At a quarter of a million miles, the moon’s modest gravity draws the ocean’s waters several feet above the norm. We experience this as the rise and fall of the tides, as Earth’s surface rotates through the swell.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the equivalent mass of a sun-sized star packed into a ball only a bit larger than Earth, the white dwarf’s gravity grows immensely powerful at close range, and the tidal forces on any nearby planet become enormous. In the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://science.howstuffworks.com/white-dwarfs-shred-planets.htm\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">tidal tearing action of a white dwarf star,\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">if a planet is too close, it will literally be stretched apart and shredded to pieces. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970222\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970222 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/white_dwarf_disk_final-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist illustration of a white dwarf star surrounded by a disk of debris from objects (planets, the asteroid in the foreground) that wander too close and are ripped apart by gravitational tidal forces. \u003ccite>(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Scott Wiessinger)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Observations of other white dwarf systems have sometimes revealed encircling disks of dust, possible evidence of planets that have wandered too close and been stretched to smithereens. The rings of Saturn, it is believed, were formed when a small moon got too close to Saturn and was broken apart by the tidal forces of the planet’s gravity.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">However WD 1856 b is managing to keep it together, it seems that this “lucky” world has dodged two epic obliterations.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970273/nasa-spacecraft-spots-a-massive-ancient-planet-with-a-knack-for-survival",
"authors": [
"6180"
],
"categories": [
"science_28",
"science_40"
],
"tags": [
"science_1073",
"science_4414"
],
"featImg": "science_1970276",
"label": "source_science_1970273"
},
"science_1970565": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970565",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970565",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1603230559000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1603230559,
"format": "standard",
"title": "CDC Reports Nearly 300,000 'Excess Deaths' in the U.S. Amid Pandemic",
"headTitle": "CDC Reports Nearly 300,000 ‘Excess Deaths’ in the U.S. Amid Pandemic | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"big-cap-wrap\">\u003cspan class=\"big-cap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/span>hen there’s a public health crisis or disaster like the coronavirus pandemic, experts know that the official death tally is going to be an undercount by some extent. Some people who die might never have been tested for the disease, for example, and if people die at home without receiving medical care, they might not make it into the confirmed data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To address that, researchers often look to what are called excess deaths — the number of deaths overall during a particular period of time compared to how many people die during the stretch in a normal year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, in the most \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6942e2.htm?s_cid=mm6942e2_w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">updated count to date\u003c/a>, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that nearly 300,000 more people in the United States died from late January to early October this year compared to the average number of people who died in recent years. Just two-thirds of those deaths were counted as COVID-19 fatalities, highlighting how the official U.S. death count — now standing at about 220,000 — is not fully inclusive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be exact, the researchers reported that 299,028 more people died from Jan. 26 to Oct. 3 this year than on average during the same stretch from 2015 to 2019. Excess deaths also occurred at higher rates among Latinx, Asian, American Indian, and Black people than among white people, mirroring the disparities in official U.S. COVID-19 death counts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most likely, the excess deaths account for some otherwise untallied COVID-19 deaths — those who may have died without being tested or who died at home and whose deaths were not counted as caused by the coronavirus. But the 300,000 number probably also includes people who died because they were scared to seek out medical care because of the pandemic or had their care interrupted, and because of other causes. One limitation of the study, the researchers noted, was that the U.S. population is growing and getting older, so more deaths might have occurred in 2020 versus recent years without a pandemic, making a direct comparison harder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deaths among white people in 2020 were just 11.9% higher than average years, a much lower increase than deaths among Latinx people (53.6% higher than average), Asian people (36.6% higher), Black people (32.9% higher), and American Indians and Alaska Natives (28.9% higher). “These disproportionate increases among certain racial and ethnic groups are consistent with noted disparities in COVID-19 mortality,” the researchers wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were also differences among different age groups, with the largest increase occurring among people age 25 to 44, who saw excess deaths that were 26.5% higher than average. People 45 to 64 had 14.4% more deaths, while those 65 to 74 had 24.1% more deaths. Deaths among people 75 to 84 were 21.5% higher and 14.7% higher for people 85 and above. Deaths this year for people under 25, however, were 2% below average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://www.statnews.com/2020/08/10/winter-is-coming-as-flu-season-nears-americas-window-of-opportunity-to-beat-back-covid-19-is-narrowing/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">STAT\u003c/a>, an online publication of Boston Globe Media that covers health, medicine, and scientific discovery.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 528,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 10
},
"modified": 1704846985,
"excerpt": "The federal researchers found the highest rates were among people of color. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The federal researchers found the highest rates were among people of color. ",
"title": "CDC Reports Nearly 300,000 'Excess Deaths' in the U.S. Amid Pandemic | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "CDC Reports Nearly 300,000 'Excess Deaths' in the U.S. Amid Pandemic",
"datePublished": "2020-10-20T14:49:19-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:25-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "cdc-reports-nearly-300000-excess-deaths-in-the-u-s-amid-pandemic",
"status": "publish",
"nprByline": "Andrew Joseph \u003cbr />STAT",
"sticky": false,
"source": "STAT",
"path": "/science/1970565/cdc-reports-nearly-300000-excess-deaths-in-the-u-s-amid-pandemic",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"big-cap-wrap\">\u003cspan class=\"big-cap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/span>hen there’s a public health crisis or disaster like the coronavirus pandemic, experts know that the official death tally is going to be an undercount by some extent. Some people who die might never have been tested for the disease, for example, and if people die at home without receiving medical care, they might not make it into the confirmed data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To address that, researchers often look to what are called excess deaths — the number of deaths overall during a particular period of time compared to how many people die during the stretch in a normal year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, in the most \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6942e2.htm?s_cid=mm6942e2_w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">updated count to date\u003c/a>, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that nearly 300,000 more people in the United States died from late January to early October this year compared to the average number of people who died in recent years. Just two-thirds of those deaths were counted as COVID-19 fatalities, highlighting how the official U.S. death count — now standing at about 220,000 — is not fully inclusive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be exact, the researchers reported that 299,028 more people died from Jan. 26 to Oct. 3 this year than on average during the same stretch from 2015 to 2019. Excess deaths also occurred at higher rates among Latinx, Asian, American Indian, and Black people than among white people, mirroring the disparities in official U.S. COVID-19 death counts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most likely, the excess deaths account for some otherwise untallied COVID-19 deaths — those who may have died without being tested or who died at home and whose deaths were not counted as caused by the coronavirus. But the 300,000 number probably also includes people who died because they were scared to seek out medical care because of the pandemic or had their care interrupted, and because of other causes. One limitation of the study, the researchers noted, was that the U.S. population is growing and getting older, so more deaths might have occurred in 2020 versus recent years without a pandemic, making a direct comparison harder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deaths among white people in 2020 were just 11.9% higher than average years, a much lower increase than deaths among Latinx people (53.6% higher than average), Asian people (36.6% higher), Black people (32.9% higher), and American Indians and Alaska Natives (28.9% higher). “These disproportionate increases among certain racial and ethnic groups are consistent with noted disparities in COVID-19 mortality,” the researchers wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were also differences among different age groups, with the largest increase occurring among people age 25 to 44, who saw excess deaths that were 26.5% higher than average. People 45 to 64 had 14.4% more deaths, while those 65 to 74 had 24.1% more deaths. Deaths among people 75 to 84 were 21.5% higher and 14.7% higher for people 85 and above. Deaths this year for people under 25, however, were 2% below average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://www.statnews.com/2020/08/10/winter-is-coming-as-flu-season-nears-americas-window-of-opportunity-to-beat-back-covid-19-is-narrowing/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">STAT\u003c/a>, an online publication of Boston Globe Media that covers health, medicine, and scientific discovery.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970565/cdc-reports-nearly-300000-excess-deaths-in-the-u-s-amid-pandemic",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1970565"
],
"categories": [
"science_39",
"science_3890",
"science_40"
],
"tags": [
"science_4329"
],
"featImg": "science_1970567",
"label": "source_science_1970565"
},
"science_1970271": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970271",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970271",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1603198843000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "starfish-gallop-with-hundreds-of-tubular-feet",
"title": "Ever Seen a Starfish Gallop?",
"publishDate": 1603198843,
"format": "video",
"headTitle": "Ever Seen a Starfish Gallop? | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 1935,
"site": "science"
},
"content": "\u003cp>[dl_subscribe]On an extended research visit to a friend’s lab in Tokyo, marine biologists \u003ca href=\"https://www.bowdoin.edu/profiles/faculty/ajohnson/index.html\">Amy Johnson\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.bowdoin.edu/profiles/faculty/oellers/index.html\">Olaf Ellers\u003c/a> witnessed something they’d never seen before. The starfish in Tatsuo Motokawa’s lab weren’t content slowly gliding across the floor of their tank, they bounced and galloped, zooming around their enclosure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For one of the most familiar animals in the sea, this was a new behavior, never before described in the scientific literature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was an absolute epiphany,” said Johnson who studies how sea stars move and teaches marine biology along with Ellers at Bowdoin College in Maine. “That moment we first saw them go faster by bouncing completely transformed everything we were planning to do with our research.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, Johnson and Ellers have worked to change the way we understand these animals, who have successfully made a home on this planet for at least 450 million years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of this mission, the two scientists joined a bicoastal collaboration that may one day lead to robots that could move around like starfish to search shipwrecks, clean oceangoing vessels and explore the seafloor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970340\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Luidia_bounce.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970340 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Luidia_bounce.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Starfish only bounce like this if they’re in a hurry.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Has Five Arms and Hundreds of Feet?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starfish, also called sea stars, are one of the most recognizable and familiar animals in the sea. But most people have never seen them do anything more than clamp down on a rock, motionless, as they wait out a low tide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starfish are actually voracious predators that scour the seafloors of oceans all around the world searching for prey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most sea stars have five arms, though some have more — up to 25 in some species. On the undersides of the arms are hundreds, sometimes thousands, of tiny tube feet called podia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The long slender tube feet are hollow and full of water, like miniature water balloons. Each tube foot is connected to its own tiny sac called an ampulla, that sits inside the body of the starfish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the starfish squeezes the ampulla it extends the tube foot in the direction it wants to go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_water_vascular_system_animation.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970344\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_water_vascular_system_animation.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The starfish’s tube feet and ampullae are connected to a series of internal canals called the water vascular system, which carefully controls water pressure to power the feet. \u003ccite>(Teodros Hailye/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A disc at the far end of the tube foot secretes a glue that sticks to whatever surface the starfish is moving across. Then muscles that run along the length of the tube contract, squeezing water back into the ampulla and shortening the tube foot. All those tiny tube feet contracting is what drags the starfish along.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970345\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_tube_feet_ampullae_animation.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970345\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_tube_feet_ampullae_animation.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">During their usual crawling gate, starfish tube feet extend, connect to the substrate and then contract to slowly drag the starfish forward.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Normally, they either sit around or they glide very slowly,” Ellers said. “If you want to see them bounce, you have to get them excited about something.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson and Ellers use tasty mussels to coax the starfish in their lab to gallop. In the wild, starfish might also gallop to flee predators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two researchers record videos from different angles of starfish moving across an aquarium in order to keep track of their numerous tube feet. By painstakingly studying the footage and using computer-assisted motion tracking of the tube feet, the pair has been able to identify the two distinct ways that starfish move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When starfish are in a hurry, their tube feet don’t just move faster. Instead of just elongating and contracting as they do during their regular crawl, the tube feet lengthen and stiffen in the middle of the step.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like running compared to walking,” said Johnson. “They kind of vault themselves forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970347\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_bounce_animation.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970347\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_bounce_animation.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Starfish only bounce when enough tube feet stiffen at the same time. \u003ccite>(Teodros Hailye/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When enough tube feet step and stiffen at the same time, it lifts the starfish up slightly as the tube feet vault over themselves. That’s what causes the bounce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how do each of the hundreds of tube feet know when it’s their turn to go?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alright, Who’s in Charge Around Here?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead of having a central brain that tells each foot when to move, starfish leave most of the decision-making to the individual feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each tube foot is able to use smell, taste and touch to understand the world around it. The long delicate tube feet at the tips of the arms are particularly sensitive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970349\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_bat_star_sensory_tube_feet.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970349 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_bat_star_sensory_tube_feet.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sensory tube feet at the tips of the starfish’s arms are extra sensitive, but provide little power toward locomotion. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s up to each one of the tube feet to figure out which way to go and how to get there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a group of neighboring tube feet start heading in the same direction they eventually get the entire arm headed in the same direction. Any of the starfish’s arms can take the lead at any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think tube feet are amazing,” said \u003ca href=\"https://viterbi.usc.edu/directory/faculty/Kanso/Eva\">Eva Kanso\u003c/a>, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Southern California where she studies the physics of animal movement. “Every single one of them is both a sensor and an actuator that does the work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Being a tube foot, you don’t need to know what other tube feet are doing to decide whether you need to extend or contract or whether you need to attach or detach.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kanso had been working with biologist Matt McHenry at UC Irvine to develop a mathematical model of the way starfish control their tube feet, when she learned about Johnson and Ellers’ work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDEAbeScVjE&w=560&h=315]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kanso’s model matches the movement of the sea stars filmed by Johnson and Ellers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Biology has evolved a beautiful way of acting on the environment, and in robotics systems we’re still clumsy in how we do the actuation,” said Kanso, who hopes her model will lead to the development of soft-bodied underwater robots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So we teamed up,” Kanso said, “to try to understand how does the nervous system actually control the movements and how does this bounce mode come about.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the sea star needed to know what everything each one of its tube foot is doing, it’s a lot of information to keep track of,” said Kanso. And without a brain, there’s no way for the starfish to keep track. “So it seems that every single one of those tube feet has some autonomy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that only explains the starfish’s crawling gate. How do they manage to time up their tube feet during the bouncing gallop that Johnson and Ellers filmed?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2019.0700\">The team of researchers have found\u003c/a> the bounce occurs when a few tube feet happen to match up their steps and the feet around them find it easier to move when their neighbors move since they’re all connected to the same flexible starfish. Pretty soon, more tube feet feel the push and pull, and fall in line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The pattern emerges from noise,” said Kanso. “It kind of reminds me of how sometimes if people applaud after a show for a long time the claps start to synch up.” No one individual is setting the pace. Researchers call that an emergent pattern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s similar to a classic physics demonstration using analog metronomes. First, place several metronomes on a board and put the board on top of two cylinders. Set each metronome to its own beat. Because the board is on top of the cylinders it has a bit of give while staying rigid. After a short time the metronomes that were once randomly timed start to match each other’s beat. No one metronome is setting the tempo. It’s an emergent pattern just like the bounce of the starfish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58lGKREubo&w=560&h=315]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>An Afternoon at the Edge of the Sea\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So where can you go to see a sea star yourself?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s amazing about tide pools is that they’re unavailable most of the time, so they’re kind of like a little secret that only some people know about,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.cabrillo.edu/salsa/listing.php?staffId=1712\">Allison Gong\u003c/a>, a professor at Cabrillo College who also teaches UC Santa Cruz students about tide pool animals . This episode of Deep Look would not have been possible without her contribution of time and knowledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Gong’s favorite tide pool denizens are sea stars. “We humans have the bias that the way we do things is the best way to do things. But there is an incredible beauty and elegance in simplicity, which is not appreciated by most people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fact that sea stars haven’t changed their basic body plan for a few hundred million years just means that it’s an outstanding plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So the fact that these animals with no brain live life the way they do, finding food, like finding a place to live, and avoiding being eaten by predators. They do everything we do, but they have different tools to use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gong has a few suggestions for visitors to the tide pools. Always go with someone else. The rocks can be very slippery and you don’t want to be alone if you take a spill. And don’t turn your back on the ocean. Rogue waves can sneak up on an unwary visitor. Also watch where you step and avoid damaging the life that calls the intertidal zone home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lastly, Gong recommends taking your time and exercising patience. “Just find a good spot and sit there quietly for fifteen minutes and watch everything that happens. Because when you do, all the little animals get used to your presence and they start doing their thing instead of just hiding, waiting for you to leave.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "They may look cute and colorful, but starfish are actually voracious predators. To sniff out and capture their prey, they rely on hundreds of water-propelled tube feet, each with a fiercely independent streak. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1738893232,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 47,
"wordCount": 1723
},
"headData": {
"title": "Ever Seen a Starfish Gallop? | KQED",
"description": "They may look cute and colorful, but starfish are actually voracious predators. To sniff out and capture their prey, they rely on hundreds of water-propelled tube feet, each with a fiercely independent streak. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Ever Seen a Starfish Gallop?",
"datePublished": "2020-10-20T06:00:43-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-02-06T17:53:52-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"videoEmbed": "https://youtu.be/9rxf_2EgwfE",
"pbsMediaId": "3049891423",
"sticky": false,
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/science/1970271/starfish-gallop-with-hundreds-of-tubular-feet",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "dl_subscribe",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On an extended research visit to a friend’s lab in Tokyo, marine biologists \u003ca href=\"https://www.bowdoin.edu/profiles/faculty/ajohnson/index.html\">Amy Johnson\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.bowdoin.edu/profiles/faculty/oellers/index.html\">Olaf Ellers\u003c/a> witnessed something they’d never seen before. The starfish in Tatsuo Motokawa’s lab weren’t content slowly gliding across the floor of their tank, they bounced and galloped, zooming around their enclosure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For one of the most familiar animals in the sea, this was a new behavior, never before described in the scientific literature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was an absolute epiphany,” said Johnson who studies how sea stars move and teaches marine biology along with Ellers at Bowdoin College in Maine. “That moment we first saw them go faster by bouncing completely transformed everything we were planning to do with our research.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, Johnson and Ellers have worked to change the way we understand these animals, who have successfully made a home on this planet for at least 450 million years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of this mission, the two scientists joined a bicoastal collaboration that may one day lead to robots that could move around like starfish to search shipwrecks, clean oceangoing vessels and explore the seafloor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970340\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Luidia_bounce.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970340 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_Luidia_bounce.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Starfish only bounce like this if they’re in a hurry.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What Has Five Arms and Hundreds of Feet?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starfish, also called sea stars, are one of the most recognizable and familiar animals in the sea. But most people have never seen them do anything more than clamp down on a rock, motionless, as they wait out a low tide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starfish are actually voracious predators that scour the seafloors of oceans all around the world searching for prey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most sea stars have five arms, though some have more — up to 25 in some species. On the undersides of the arms are hundreds, sometimes thousands, of tiny tube feet called podia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The long slender tube feet are hollow and full of water, like miniature water balloons. Each tube foot is connected to its own tiny sac called an ampulla, that sits inside the body of the starfish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the starfish squeezes the ampulla it extends the tube foot in the direction it wants to go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_water_vascular_system_animation.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970344\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_water_vascular_system_animation.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The starfish’s tube feet and ampullae are connected to a series of internal canals called the water vascular system, which carefully controls water pressure to power the feet. \u003ccite>(Teodros Hailye/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A disc at the far end of the tube foot secretes a glue that sticks to whatever surface the starfish is moving across. Then muscles that run along the length of the tube contract, squeezing water back into the ampulla and shortening the tube foot. All those tiny tube feet contracting is what drags the starfish along.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970345\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_tube_feet_ampullae_animation.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970345\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_tube_feet_ampullae_animation.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">During their usual crawling gate, starfish tube feet extend, connect to the substrate and then contract to slowly drag the starfish forward.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Normally, they either sit around or they glide very slowly,” Ellers said. “If you want to see them bounce, you have to get them excited about something.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnson and Ellers use tasty mussels to coax the starfish in their lab to gallop. In the wild, starfish might also gallop to flee predators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two researchers record videos from different angles of starfish moving across an aquarium in order to keep track of their numerous tube feet. By painstakingly studying the footage and using computer-assisted motion tracking of the tube feet, the pair has been able to identify the two distinct ways that starfish move.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When starfish are in a hurry, their tube feet don’t just move faster. Instead of just elongating and contracting as they do during their regular crawl, the tube feet lengthen and stiffen in the middle of the step.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like running compared to walking,” said Johnson. “They kind of vault themselves forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970347\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_bounce_animation.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1970347\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_bounce_animation.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Starfish only bounce when enough tube feet stiffen at the same time. \u003ccite>(Teodros Hailye/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When enough tube feet step and stiffen at the same time, it lifts the starfish up slightly as the tube feet vault over themselves. That’s what causes the bounce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But how do each of the hundreds of tube feet know when it’s their turn to go?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alright, Who’s in Charge Around Here?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead of having a central brain that tells each foot when to move, starfish leave most of the decision-making to the individual feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each tube foot is able to use smell, taste and touch to understand the world around it. The long delicate tube feet at the tips of the arms are particularly sensitive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970349\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_bat_star_sensory_tube_feet.gif\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970349 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/10/DL718_bat_star_sensory_tube_feet.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sensory tube feet at the tips of the starfish’s arms are extra sensitive, but provide little power toward locomotion. \u003ccite>(Josh Cassidy/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s up to each one of the tube feet to figure out which way to go and how to get there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a group of neighboring tube feet start heading in the same direction they eventually get the entire arm headed in the same direction. Any of the starfish’s arms can take the lead at any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think tube feet are amazing,” said \u003ca href=\"https://viterbi.usc.edu/directory/faculty/Kanso/Eva\">Eva Kanso\u003c/a>, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Southern California where she studies the physics of animal movement. “Every single one of them is both a sensor and an actuator that does the work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Being a tube foot, you don’t need to know what other tube feet are doing to decide whether you need to extend or contract or whether you need to attach or detach.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kanso had been working with biologist Matt McHenry at UC Irvine to develop a mathematical model of the way starfish control their tube feet, when she learned about Johnson and Ellers’ work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/lDEAbeScVjE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/lDEAbeScVjE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kanso’s model matches the movement of the sea stars filmed by Johnson and Ellers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Biology has evolved a beautiful way of acting on the environment, and in robotics systems we’re still clumsy in how we do the actuation,” said Kanso, who hopes her model will lead to the development of soft-bodied underwater robots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So we teamed up,” Kanso said, “to try to understand how does the nervous system actually control the movements and how does this bounce mode come about.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the sea star needed to know what everything each one of its tube foot is doing, it’s a lot of information to keep track of,” said Kanso. And without a brain, there’s no way for the starfish to keep track. “So it seems that every single one of those tube feet has some autonomy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that only explains the starfish’s crawling gate. How do they manage to time up their tube feet during the bouncing gallop that Johnson and Ellers filmed?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2019.0700\">The team of researchers have found\u003c/a> the bounce occurs when a few tube feet happen to match up their steps and the feet around them find it easier to move when their neighbors move since they’re all connected to the same flexible starfish. Pretty soon, more tube feet feel the push and pull, and fall in line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The pattern emerges from noise,” said Kanso. “It kind of reminds me of how sometimes if people applaud after a show for a long time the claps start to synch up.” No one individual is setting the pace. Researchers call that an emergent pattern.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s similar to a classic physics demonstration using analog metronomes. First, place several metronomes on a board and put the board on top of two cylinders. Set each metronome to its own beat. Because the board is on top of the cylinders it has a bit of give while staying rigid. After a short time the metronomes that were once randomly timed start to match each other’s beat. No one metronome is setting the tempo. It’s an emergent pattern just like the bounce of the starfish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/T58lGKREubo'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/T58lGKREubo'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>An Afternoon at the Edge of the Sea\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So where can you go to see a sea star yourself?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s amazing about tide pools is that they’re unavailable most of the time, so they’re kind of like a little secret that only some people know about,” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.cabrillo.edu/salsa/listing.php?staffId=1712\">Allison Gong\u003c/a>, a professor at Cabrillo College who also teaches UC Santa Cruz students about tide pool animals . This episode of Deep Look would not have been possible without her contribution of time and knowledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Gong’s favorite tide pool denizens are sea stars. “We humans have the bias that the way we do things is the best way to do things. But there is an incredible beauty and elegance in simplicity, which is not appreciated by most people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fact that sea stars haven’t changed their basic body plan for a few hundred million years just means that it’s an outstanding plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So the fact that these animals with no brain live life the way they do, finding food, like finding a place to live, and avoiding being eaten by predators. They do everything we do, but they have different tools to use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gong has a few suggestions for visitors to the tide pools. Always go with someone else. The rocks can be very slippery and you don’t want to be alone if you take a spill. And don’t turn your back on the ocean. Rogue waves can sneak up on an unwary visitor. Also watch where you step and avoid damaging the life that calls the intertidal zone home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lastly, Gong recommends taking your time and exercising patience. “Just find a good spot and sit there quietly for fifteen minutes and watch everything that happens. Because when you do, all the little animals get used to your presence and they start doing their thing instead of just hiding, waiting for you to leave.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970271/starfish-gallop-with-hundreds-of-tubular-feet",
"authors": [
"6219"
],
"series": [
"science_1935"
],
"categories": [
"science_2874",
"science_30",
"science_40",
"science_4450",
"science_86"
],
"featImg": "science_1994155",
"label": "science_1935"
},
"science_1970449": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970449",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970449",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1603140159000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1603140159,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Nichols: Devastating Wildfires Strengthened Support for Ambitious Climate Agenda",
"headTitle": "Nichols: Devastating Wildfires Strengthened Support for Ambitious Climate Agenda | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp class=\"p1\">Mary Nichols, California’s top air regulator and longtime climate crusader, says the state’s record-breaking wildfire year has strengthened political support to move away from fossil fuels and gasoline engines.[pullquote align='right' citation='Mary Nichols']‘Recruiting people who are opposed to addressing human-caused climate change is probably the single biggest scandal [of Trump’s EPA].’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Nichols says wildfires that ripped across the state in August and September were what compelled Gov. Gavin Newsom to issue two sweeping executive actions on climate change: a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1969807/california-to-halt-sales-of-new-gas-cars-by-2035\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">ban\u003c/span>\u003c/a> on the sale of new gasoline cars by 2035 and an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11841850/gov-gavin-newsom-calls-for-protecting-30-of-state-land\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">order\u003c/span>\u003c/a> to conserve 30% of state land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">“It’s been a really bad summer and fire season is not over yet,” she said in wide-ranging comments offered in a livestreaming address to American University’s Center for Environmental Policy and the American Lung Association. The topic of the speech was the future of clean air policy and California’s role in addressing pollution and climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The chair of the powerful state Air Resources Board, Nichols, who is retiring this year, said Californians “see and smell and feel” wildfire smoke “constantly” when the fires are active.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s terrible, depressing, ugly, and it is literally sapping productivity,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The one thing that it has done, in addition to solidifying people’s support for moving away from fossil fuels and combustion of all kinds,” Nichols said, “is help make the connection in people’s minds between natural resources policies and our direct controls over emissions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">She said a major lesson of this year is California needs to “be all in on eliminating all the sources of pollution” and improve “the ability of our natural environment to be able to store and sequester carbon, as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Nichols outlined what, in her view, should be the top priorities for the federal Environmental Protection Agency should Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump and ascend to the presidency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">“The rejection of science and scientists has to be reversed,” she said. “That’s fundamental to everything else, all the programs. The dismissal of people with impeccable credentials who appear to have only committed the sin of being in favor of enforcing the laws.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Nichols also said that she believes California will prevail against the Trump administration, either in courts of law or courts of or public opinion, in disputes over clean cars and the state’s ability to set its own tailpipe emission rules.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Early this year, California sued the Trump administration after it \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2019/09/18/761815991/white-house-to-revoke-waiver-allowing-california-to-set-its-own-emissions-standa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">revoked\u003c/span>\u003c/a> a waiver allowing the state to set clean car rules that are more stringent than federal standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Court battles aside, California’s thriving industry is a powerful signal to other states that the business of electric vehicles can be a boon for the economy and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Electric vehicles are now one of the state’s top exports. “Not almonds or grapes or any other agricultural produce, as you might think,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Surprisingly, perhaps, Nichols said she doesn’t assume Amy Coney Barrett, a right-leaning judge whose confirmation vote is scheduled for Thursday by a Republican-controlled Senate, will automatically rule against laws that protect the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">She pointed out that Justice Antonin Scalia sometimes ruled in favor of more robust environmental polices. “It’s not because he was a liberal, because obviously he was not,” she said. “But he was a believer in reading the statutes and also in science.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Last week during Barrett’s confirmation hearing, Sen. Kamala Harris, the California Democrat running for vice president, asked the Supreme Court nominee if she believed that climate change “is happening and is threatening the air we breathe and the water we drink.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Barrett declined to offer her views on the matter, describing it as a “very contentious matter of public debate.” \u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The existence of climate change is not contentious, in fact. Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals \u003ca href=\"https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">show\u003c/span>\u003c/a> that 97% or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree that global warming is a result of human activity.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 726,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 5
},
"modified": 1704846988,
"excerpt": "The chair of the Air Resources Board says California needs to “be all in on eliminating all the sources of pollution.”",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The chair of the Air Resources Board says California needs to “be all in on eliminating all the sources of pollution.”",
"title": "Nichols: Devastating Wildfires Strengthened Support for Ambitious Climate Agenda | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Nichols: Devastating Wildfires Strengthened Support for Ambitious Climate Agenda",
"datePublished": "2020-10-19T13:42:39-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:28-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "nichols-devastating-wildfires-strengthened-support-for-ambitious-climate-agenda",
"status": "publish",
"audioUrl": "https:// https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/cd366159-8cc6-4d7c-a49c-ac550125edaa/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Climate Change",
"path": "/science/1970449/nichols-devastating-wildfires-strengthened-support-for-ambitious-climate-agenda",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"p1\">Mary Nichols, California’s top air regulator and longtime climate crusader, says the state’s record-breaking wildfire year has strengthened political support to move away from fossil fuels and gasoline engines.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘Recruiting people who are opposed to addressing human-caused climate change is probably the single biggest scandal [of Trump’s EPA].’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"align": "right",
"citation": "Mary Nichols",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Nichols says wildfires that ripped across the state in August and September were what compelled Gov. Gavin Newsom to issue two sweeping executive actions on climate change: a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1969807/california-to-halt-sales-of-new-gas-cars-by-2035\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">ban\u003c/span>\u003c/a> on the sale of new gasoline cars by 2035 and an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11841850/gov-gavin-newsom-calls-for-protecting-30-of-state-land\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">order\u003c/span>\u003c/a> to conserve 30% of state land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">“It’s been a really bad summer and fire season is not over yet,” she said in wide-ranging comments offered in a livestreaming address to American University’s Center for Environmental Policy and the American Lung Association. The topic of the speech was the future of clean air policy and California’s role in addressing pollution and climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The chair of the powerful state Air Resources Board, Nichols, who is retiring this year, said Californians “see and smell and feel” wildfire smoke “constantly” when the fires are active.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s terrible, depressing, ugly, and it is literally sapping productivity,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The one thing that it has done, in addition to solidifying people’s support for moving away from fossil fuels and combustion of all kinds,” Nichols said, “is help make the connection in people’s minds between natural resources policies and our direct controls over emissions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">She said a major lesson of this year is California needs to “be all in on eliminating all the sources of pollution” and improve “the ability of our natural environment to be able to store and sequester carbon, as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Nichols outlined what, in her view, should be the top priorities for the federal Environmental Protection Agency should Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump and ascend to the presidency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">“The rejection of science and scientists has to be reversed,” she said. “That’s fundamental to everything else, all the programs. The dismissal of people with impeccable credentials who appear to have only committed the sin of being in favor of enforcing the laws.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Nichols also said that she believes California will prevail against the Trump administration, either in courts of law or courts of or public opinion, in disputes over clean cars and the state’s ability to set its own tailpipe emission rules.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Early this year, California sued the Trump administration after it \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2019/09/18/761815991/white-house-to-revoke-waiver-allowing-california-to-set-its-own-emissions-standa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">revoked\u003c/span>\u003c/a> a waiver allowing the state to set clean car rules that are more stringent than federal standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Court battles aside, California’s thriving industry is a powerful signal to other states that the business of electric vehicles can be a boon for the economy and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Electric vehicles are now one of the state’s top exports. “Not almonds or grapes or any other agricultural produce, as you might think,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Surprisingly, perhaps, Nichols said she doesn’t assume Amy Coney Barrett, a right-leaning judge whose confirmation vote is scheduled for Thursday by a Republican-controlled Senate, will automatically rule against laws that protect the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">She pointed out that Justice Antonin Scalia sometimes ruled in favor of more robust environmental polices. “It’s not because he was a liberal, because obviously he was not,” she said. “But he was a believer in reading the statutes and also in science.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Last week during Barrett’s confirmation hearing, Sen. Kamala Harris, the California Democrat running for vice president, asked the Supreme Court nominee if she believed that climate change “is happening and is threatening the air we breathe and the water we drink.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Barrett declined to offer her views on the matter, describing it as a “very contentious matter of public debate.” \u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The existence of climate change is not contentious, in fact. Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals \u003ca href=\"https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">show\u003c/span>\u003c/a> that 97% or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree that global warming is a result of human activity.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970449/nichols-devastating-wildfires-strengthened-support-for-ambitious-climate-agenda",
"authors": [
"11608"
],
"categories": [
"science_31",
"science_33",
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_182",
"science_134",
"science_4414"
],
"featImg": "science_1970453",
"label": "source_science_1970449"
},
"science_1970419": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970419",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970419",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1602866301000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1602866301,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Trump Administration Reverses Course and Approves California Wildfire Relief",
"headTitle": "Trump Administration Reverses Course and Approves California Wildfire Relief | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday afternoon that President Trump has approved California’s latest request for federal wildfire aid, reversing a Federal Emergency Management Agency decision this week to deny the funds, which could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1317197526529830912\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:3d49057e-e09e-4c50-afcb-ded70df9c857\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">request\u003c/a> for disaster relief is aimed at cleaning up the damage from six recent wildfires among the siege of deadly and destructive blazes that have scorched the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>White House spokesperson Judd Deere said in an email that Newsom and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, “presented a convincing case and additional on-the-ground perspective for reconsideration, leading the President to approve the declaration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Congressman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, for one, was skeptical of the administration’s narrative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/JaredHuffman/status/1317225642438520832\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom had formally submitted a letter to the White House on Sept. 28 asking for a major disaster declaration. The request asked for aid to address damage caused by fires in San Diego, San Bernardino, Fresno, Madera, Mendocino, Los Angeles and Siskiyou counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Friday, Deere, addressing the denial, said that California had already received the funds that it was entitled to for recent wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This summer, President Trump quickly approved wildfire relief for the State of California that was supported by damage estimates. In fact, this week the President made additional disaster assistance available to California by authorizing an increase in the level of Federal funding to 100% for debris removal and emergency protective measures undertaken as a result of the wildfires, beginning August 14, 2020, and continuing,” Deere said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more recent and separate California submission was not supported by the relevant data that States must provide for approval and the President concurred with the FEMA Administrator’s recommendation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Federal Emergency Management Agency told \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/trump-california-fire-disaster-assistance/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CNN\u003c/a> that damage assessments “determined that the early September fires were not of such severity and magnitude to exceed the combined capabilities of the state, affected local governments, voluntary agencies and other responding federal agencies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“FEMA approved four Fire Management Assistance Grants in five counties for wildfires included in the state’s disaster request, allowing reimbursement to state, local governments and other eligible agencies for 75 percent of firefighting, evacuation and sheltering costs,” FEMA said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the administration reversed course, Brian Ferguson, from the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said California planned to appeal the decision, and that the state was “very much in the middle” of the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the denial of California’s request came to light Friday morning, Rep. Tom McClintock, who represents parts of Madera and Fresno counties, tweeted that McCarthy had communicated to him that President Trump had “committed to reverse FEMA’s decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/RepMcClintock/status/1317164052221620225\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denials Rare\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The request for aid sent under Newsom’s signature and addressed to Trump and FEMA Regional Administrator Robert J. Fenton Jr. references “countless miles of hazardous trees” on Los Angeles County roads from the Bobcat Fire; “significant damage” to parks in San Bernardino County as a result of the El Dorado Fire; and other infrastructure costs associated with roadways, bridges and buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the reversal of FEMA’s decision, Republican state Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno said there was no time to waste on bureaucratic finger-pointing and lauded the state Office of Emergency Services for pushing ahead with funding from a California disaster law in which the state will pay 75%, and counties 25%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Obviously, the problem is our clock is ticking and time is running out, and we’re going to see rain pretty soon, snow pretty soon,” he said in an online briefing. “If we don’t get into those areas quickly we’re going to miss this window and we’re going to end up seeing mudslides where this toxic debris goes into the San Joaquin River watershed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal major disaster declarations allow for cost-sharing for damage, cleanup and rebuilding between the state and federal governments. They also activate relief programs led by FEMA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Denials of relief are rare and Newsom has previously praised the Trump administration for approving aid related to the fires and California’s struggles with the coronavirus pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No major new fires were reported statewide early Friday, but warnings of dangerously hot, dry and gusty conditions that can fan fires were expected to remain in effect until the evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Numerous studies have linked bigger wildfires in America to climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas. Scientists have said climate change has made California much drier, meaning trees and other plants are more flammable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of Northern California residents remained without electricity Friday after a utility cut off service to prevent powerful winds from damaging equipment and sparking wildfires amid a fall heat wave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Power restorations began Thursday afternoon and by evening, Pacific Gas and Electric said about 30,000 customers were still in the dark — down from about 45,000 the previous night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All electricity was expected to be restored by late Friday after the second round of hot, dry gusts this week moved through the region and raised the risk of fires, PG&E said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has been a disastrous wildfire season in California, with more than 8,500 blazes burning more than 6,400 square miles (16,000 square kilometers) since the start of the year. Thirty-one people have died and some 9,200 buildings have been destroyed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, winds in the Sierra Nevada foothills and San Francisco Bay Area topped 55 mph (89 kph), and humidity levels plummeted, making for critical fire conditions, said Scott Strenfel, the utility’s senior meteorologist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fuels are drying out, and they’re just very susceptible to any fire ignition, just given these levels of dryness that we’re seeing,” Strenfel said Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E began cutting power Wednesday evening as the first wind event began. Many in the wine country north of San Francisco said they feel drained by what seems like a never-ending wildfire season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kathleen Collins has had to evacuate her home in the mountains of Napa County four times over the past five years because of fires. This summer, she lived in a motel for two weeks after leaving her home when a massive cluster of fires reached her tiny community of Pope Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s all very stressful. People are not happy, but there’s not much they can do about it,” said Collins, assistant manager at Silverado Ace Hardware store in Calistoga, the town of 5,000 people who were allowed to return home just last week after the Glass Fire forced them out in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The blaze that ravaged areas of Napa and Sonoma counties was contained Wednesday after destroying more than 1,500 homes and other buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People have been buying generators, electrical cords, flashlights, batteries, gas cans and other supplies to help them deal with the latest outage, expected to last through Friday evening, Collins said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The utility better targeted outages this time after it was criticized in 2019 for cutting power to about 800,000 customers and leaving about 2 million people in the dark for days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of this year’s fires have occurred since mid-August, when an unusual siege of thousands of lightning strikes ignited huge blazes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The causes of two fires that broke out in September remain under investigation. PG&E equipment is being examined in connection with the Zogg Fire in Northern California and Southern California Edison equipment is under scrutiny in the Bobcat Fire near Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smoke from the huge Creek Fire burning since Sept. 4 in the central part of the state was still affecting air quality as far south as Los Angeles, the National Weather Service said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The weather service issued heat advisories through Friday, with temperatures expected to reach triple digits in many parts of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Southern California, a brush fire Thursday near the city of Redlands triggered a small evacuation as it grew to more than 170 acres (69 hectares). It was about 50% contained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Jon Brooks contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1410,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 40
},
"modified": 1704846990,
"excerpt": "The request for disaster relief is aimed at cleaning up the damage from six recent wildfires in San Diego, San Bernardino, Fresno, Madera, Mendocino, Los Angeles and Siskiyou counties.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The request for disaster relief is aimed at cleaning up the damage from six recent wildfires in San Diego, San Bernardino, Fresno, Madera, Mendocino, Los Angeles and Siskiyou counties.",
"title": "Trump Administration Reverses Course and Approves California Wildfire Relief | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Trump Administration Reverses Course and Approves California Wildfire Relief",
"datePublished": "2020-10-16T09:38:21-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:30-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "trump-administration-denies-more-disaster-relief-for-california-wildfires",
"status": "publish",
"nprByline": "Associated Press and KQED",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Wildfires",
"path": "/science/1970419/trump-administration-denies-more-disaster-relief-for-california-wildfires",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday afternoon that President Trump has approved California’s latest request for federal wildfire aid, reversing a Federal Emergency Management Agency decision this week to deny the funds, which could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1317197526529830912"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:3d49057e-e09e-4c50-afcb-ded70df9c857\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">request\u003c/a> for disaster relief is aimed at cleaning up the damage from six recent wildfires among the siege of deadly and destructive blazes that have scorched the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>White House spokesperson Judd Deere said in an email that Newsom and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, “presented a convincing case and additional on-the-ground perspective for reconsideration, leading the President to approve the declaration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Congressman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, for one, was skeptical of the administration’s narrative.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1317225642438520832"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Newsom had formally submitted a letter to the White House on Sept. 28 asking for a major disaster declaration. The request asked for aid to address damage caused by fires in San Diego, San Bernardino, Fresno, Madera, Mendocino, Los Angeles and Siskiyou counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Friday, Deere, addressing the denial, said that California had already received the funds that it was entitled to for recent wildfires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This summer, President Trump quickly approved wildfire relief for the State of California that was supported by damage estimates. In fact, this week the President made additional disaster assistance available to California by authorizing an increase in the level of Federal funding to 100% for debris removal and emergency protective measures undertaken as a result of the wildfires, beginning August 14, 2020, and continuing,” Deere said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more recent and separate California submission was not supported by the relevant data that States must provide for approval and the President concurred with the FEMA Administrator’s recommendation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Federal Emergency Management Agency told \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/trump-california-fire-disaster-assistance/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CNN\u003c/a> that damage assessments “determined that the early September fires were not of such severity and magnitude to exceed the combined capabilities of the state, affected local governments, voluntary agencies and other responding federal agencies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“FEMA approved four Fire Management Assistance Grants in five counties for wildfires included in the state’s disaster request, allowing reimbursement to state, local governments and other eligible agencies for 75 percent of firefighting, evacuation and sheltering costs,” FEMA said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the administration reversed course, Brian Ferguson, from the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said California planned to appeal the decision, and that the state was “very much in the middle” of the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the denial of California’s request came to light Friday morning, Rep. Tom McClintock, who represents parts of Madera and Fresno counties, tweeted that McCarthy had communicated to him that President Trump had “committed to reverse FEMA’s decision.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1317164052221620225"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Denials Rare\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The request for aid sent under Newsom’s signature and addressed to Trump and FEMA Regional Administrator Robert J. Fenton Jr. references “countless miles of hazardous trees” on Los Angeles County roads from the Bobcat Fire; “significant damage” to parks in San Bernardino County as a result of the El Dorado Fire; and other infrastructure costs associated with roadways, bridges and buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the reversal of FEMA’s decision, Republican state Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno said there was no time to waste on bureaucratic finger-pointing and lauded the state Office of Emergency Services for pushing ahead with funding from a California disaster law in which the state will pay 75%, and counties 25%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Obviously, the problem is our clock is ticking and time is running out, and we’re going to see rain pretty soon, snow pretty soon,” he said in an online briefing. “If we don’t get into those areas quickly we’re going to miss this window and we’re going to end up seeing mudslides where this toxic debris goes into the San Joaquin River watershed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal major disaster declarations allow for cost-sharing for damage, cleanup and rebuilding between the state and federal governments. They also activate relief programs led by FEMA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Denials of relief are rare and Newsom has previously praised the Trump administration for approving aid related to the fires and California’s struggles with the coronavirus pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No major new fires were reported statewide early Friday, but warnings of dangerously hot, dry and gusty conditions that can fan fires were expected to remain in effect until the evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Numerous studies have linked bigger wildfires in America to climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas. Scientists have said climate change has made California much drier, meaning trees and other plants are more flammable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of Northern California residents remained without electricity Friday after a utility cut off service to prevent powerful winds from damaging equipment and sparking wildfires amid a fall heat wave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Power restorations began Thursday afternoon and by evening, Pacific Gas and Electric said about 30,000 customers were still in the dark — down from about 45,000 the previous night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All electricity was expected to be restored by late Friday after the second round of hot, dry gusts this week moved through the region and raised the risk of fires, PG&E said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has been a disastrous wildfire season in California, with more than 8,500 blazes burning more than 6,400 square miles (16,000 square kilometers) since the start of the year. Thirty-one people have died and some 9,200 buildings have been destroyed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, winds in the Sierra Nevada foothills and San Francisco Bay Area topped 55 mph (89 kph), and humidity levels plummeted, making for critical fire conditions, said Scott Strenfel, the utility’s senior meteorologist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fuels are drying out, and they’re just very susceptible to any fire ignition, just given these levels of dryness that we’re seeing,” Strenfel said Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E began cutting power Wednesday evening as the first wind event began. Many in the wine country north of San Francisco said they feel drained by what seems like a never-ending wildfire season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kathleen Collins has had to evacuate her home in the mountains of Napa County four times over the past five years because of fires. This summer, she lived in a motel for two weeks after leaving her home when a massive cluster of fires reached her tiny community of Pope Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s all very stressful. People are not happy, but there’s not much they can do about it,” said Collins, assistant manager at Silverado Ace Hardware store in Calistoga, the town of 5,000 people who were allowed to return home just last week after the Glass Fire forced them out in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The blaze that ravaged areas of Napa and Sonoma counties was contained Wednesday after destroying more than 1,500 homes and other buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People have been buying generators, electrical cords, flashlights, batteries, gas cans and other supplies to help them deal with the latest outage, expected to last through Friday evening, Collins said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The utility better targeted outages this time after it was criticized in 2019 for cutting power to about 800,000 customers and leaving about 2 million people in the dark for days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most of this year’s fires have occurred since mid-August, when an unusual siege of thousands of lightning strikes ignited huge blazes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The causes of two fires that broke out in September remain under investigation. PG&E equipment is being examined in connection with the Zogg Fire in Northern California and Southern California Edison equipment is under scrutiny in the Bobcat Fire near Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smoke from the huge Creek Fire burning since Sept. 4 in the central part of the state was still affecting air quality as far south as Los Angeles, the National Weather Service said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The weather service issued heat advisories through Friday, with temperatures expected to reach triple digits in many parts of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Southern California, a brush fire Thursday near the city of Redlands triggered a small evacuation as it grew to more than 170 acres (69 hectares). It was about 50% contained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Jon Brooks contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970419/trump-administration-denies-more-disaster-relief-for-california-wildfires",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1970419"
],
"categories": [
"science_40",
"science_4450",
"science_3730"
],
"tags": [
"science_113"
],
"featImg": "science_1970424",
"label": "source_science_1970419"
},
"science_1970355": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970355",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970355",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1602804020000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1602804020,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Prop. 16 Supporters Hope to Diversify STEM With End to California Affirmative Action Ban",
"headTitle": "Prop. 16 Supporters Hope to Diversify STEM With End to California Affirmative Action Ban | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>As a freshman at UC Davis last year, Saishruti Adusumilli got hooked on coding after excelling in an introductory course. So she mapped out a plan to tack on a computer science major while also working toward a political science degree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first step: more computer courses. But as she rose into more sophisticated classes, she began to feel “an almost crippling level of self-doubt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970367\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970367 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-800x976.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"976\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-800x976.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-1020x1244.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-160x195.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-768x937.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n.jpg 1143w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo provided by Saishruti Adusumilli.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I started questioning whether I was smart enough — or I was the type of smart — to succeed in a subject like computer science,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The anxiety was unusual; weird, actually. As a high school student, Adusumilli co-founded a \u003ca href=\"http://www.ladkilove.org/\">nonprofit\u003c/a> to spread awareness about mistreatment of girls in India, delivering a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_03pM5dzaZk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">TEDx Talk\u003c/a> on the subject. In political science courses, she felt confident and self-assured, even when discussing unfamiliar topics. So what was the difference for computer science?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually she realized that unlike in her social science courses, all of the computer science professors and most of her classmates were male. The self-doubt stemmed from not seeing other women in the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s this undeniable benefit to seeing people that look like you in higher education,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adusumilli’s experience is one reason she supports Proposition 16, a repeal of California’s nearly 25-year-old ban on affirmative action. She hopes scrapping the law would help bring more women and people of color into computer science courses like those at UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians passed the 1996 ban in the form of \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_209,_Affirmative_Action_Initiative_(1996)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Proposition 209\u003c/a>, with 55% of the vote. The measure made it illegal for universities, public sector employers and governments to consider race, sex or ethnicity when selecting job and school candidates. A repeal would overturn that ban, though it would not require affirmative action programs to be reinstated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since its passage, the law has withstood a dizzying number of court challenges, and with Proposition 16, affirmative action supporters may have their best opportunity for repeal since it went into effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Racial Reckoning in STEM\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, the scientific community \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1965749/u-s-reckoning-over-racism-spreads-to-science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">joined\u003c/a> the wider movement against racial bias, with many prominent journals and institutions acknowledging that people of color are woefully underrepresented in the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STEM-field bachelor’s degrees awarded to Black students, for example, are \u003ca href=\"https://undark.org/2020/09/11/after-years-of-gains-black-stem-representation-is-falling-why/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">falling\u003c/a> nationwide. Meanwhile, federal \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/indicator_reg.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statistics\u003c/a> show that women receive higher percentages of undergraduate degrees overall, but \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/images/figures/figure-reg-2.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">significantly lower\u003c/a> percentages of those in STEM areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adusumilli and other supporters of Proposition 16 say the return of affirmative action programs could help diversify UC in general and STEM classes, in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UC Board of Regents has unanimously \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-board-regents-endorses-aca-5-repeal-prop-209\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">endorsed\u003c/a> the repeal of Proposition 209, saying the affirmative action ban “challenged the university’s ardent efforts to be equitable and inclusive as it seeks to attract the best and brightest students from all backgrounds, while ensuring equal opportunity for all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is UC has been unable to reflect California’s full diversity in its student body,” the board wrote in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enrollment \u003ca href=\"https://accountability.universityofcalifornia.edu/2020/chapters/chapter-7.html#7.1.1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statistics\u003c/a> seem to bear that out. For the past two decades, they show Latino, Black and Native American students as underrepresented across the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gap has closed in recent years, especially for Latino students, but the latest diversity \u003ca href=\"https://accountability.universityofcalifornia.edu/2020/chapters/chapter-7.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">report\u003c/a> shows the disparity is pronounced in STEM disciplines, and increasingly so for graduate departments and faculty positions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Syreeta Nolan, a senior at UC San Diego, studies cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. She supports Proposition 16 and says many Black students like herself don’t feel like they have a “clear pathway in STEM.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like Proposition 16 will create a quota that needs to be filled,” Nolan said. “But there’s thought and proactive recruiting of Black students. That needs to be allowed to diversify the college environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lilly Irani studies the impact of computer algorithms on people, and as a faculty researcher in the UC San Diego communications department, she teaches both STEM and non-STEM classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lack of diversity in STEM subjects is noticeable, she says, and many of her computer science students seem to share a particular set of life experiences, so that they “are less likely to have a job outside of school and are not able to reflect on real-world issues like housing affordability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A supporter of Proposition 16, she believes rolling back the ban could help seed the technology industry with a wider array of perspectives than it currently includes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ban’s Impact on STEM\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents of Proposition 16 \u003ci>—\u003c/i> meaning supporters of Proposition 209 \u003ci>—\u003c/i> point to the fact that the number and graduation rates of Black and Latino students who enroll in the University of California system have grown since affirmative action was banned in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ward Connerly, the president of \u003ca href=\"https://californiansforequalrights.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Californians for Equal Rights\u003c/a>, a nonprofit organization committed to “defending Proposition 209,” wrote in an opinion \u003ca href=\"https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/09/prop-16-threatens-californias-commitment-to-equality-ward-connerly/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">article\u003c/a> in the Orange County Register that Proposition 16 “threatens California’s commitment to equity” and would “delete that commitment to equality from the California Constitution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Connerly, a former UC Board of Regents member who along with Republican Gov. Pete Wilson led the campaign to pass Proposition 209 in 1996, argues, a quarter-century later, that affirmative action isn’t needed. In some instances, he says, it could actually hurt students from underrepresented groups, who might struggle at elite schools which admit them based on nonacademic factors, a concept that relies on the so-called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/04/13/study-finds-public-universities-lose-minority-students-when-they-ban\">mismatch\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/04/13/study-finds-public-universities-lose-minority-students-when-they-ban\">theory\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a recently released \u003ca href=\"https://cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/affirmative-action-mismatch-and-economic-mobility-after-california%E2%80%99s-proposition-209\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study\u003c/a> from a UC Berkeley Ph.D. student, published by the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education, found that underrepresented students were no more or less successful in chemistry, biology, physics or computer science at less selective schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After \u003ca href=\"https://news.berkeley.edu/story_jump/end-of-affirmative-action-at-uc-hurt-black-latinx-students-study-finds/\">examining\u003c/a> decades of student transcripts preceding and following Proposition 209, the researcher, Zachary Bleemer, found that the ban widened the gap of underrepresented ethnicities in the UC system and led to lower wages among early-career minorities in STEM fields.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t support affirmative action because you think it might not help targeted Black and Hispanic students, this study should make you rethink your beliefs,” Bleemer said in a press release. (He declined to be interviewed for this story, saying he wanted the work to speak for itself.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Mickey-Pabello, a sociologist who studies education at Harvard University, called Bleemer’s work convincing. Other, national \u003ca href=\"https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/151649/dmhurdle_1.pdf?sequence=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">studies\u003c/a> have found that affirmative action bans impacted minority students in STEM more than in other disciplines, which Mickey-Pabello calls the “STEM penalty.” His own research suggests these impacts only appear to grow stronger over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The binary nature of the debate — “affirmative action: yes, or affirmative action: no” — isn’t helping students, says Esteban Aucejo, an economist at Arizona State University who has studied the issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, affirmative action policies are increasing the choice-set of minority students,” he said. “From a policy perspective, it is about implementation. How can we make this work for everyone? Can we do something to make these policies better?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nolan, the UC San Diego senior, agrees, and she argues that more proactive matriculation policies could even be expanded to include students who live with disabilities. “Affirmative action needs a revision itself,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lagging in Polls\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vote on what has traditionally been a polarizing issue comes at a time of racial reckoning following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody in May. And California is much more diverse and liberal than it was decades ago, when Proposition 209 was easily passed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, a Public Policy Institute of California poll released in September \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11840639/many-californians-hesitant-to-end-states-affirmative-action-ban-poll-shows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">found\u003c/a> just 31% of likely voters in support of and 47% against Proposition 16, with 22% undecided. Even in the liberal Bay Area, the percentage of likely voters saying they want to overturn the ban was only 40%. Another poll released around the same time, from \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4cd2r446\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Berkeley IGS\u003c/a>, found the measure losing 33% to 41%, with 26% undecided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Yes on 16 campaign says the wording of the 1996 affirmative action ban is confusing voters. That language stated that California “cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin,” something that Proposition 16 promises to overturn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Watching a focus group with Black voters from Los Angeles, they all said, ‘No we will not vote for this,’ as it was read to them,” Eva Paterson, a co-chair of the Yes campaign, told \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/whats-prop-16-what-is-ca-propostion-california-2020-polls/6439595/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">abc7 News\u003c/a> in San Francisco. “Then when we explained that it was in favor of affirmative action and equal opportunity, and they all went, ‘Well, of course we’ll vote for this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Washington Post \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/divided-californians-will-vote-again-on-affirmative-action/2020/09/27/b18408c4-fdc2-11ea-9ceb-061d646d9c67_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">points out\u003c/a> that the \u003ca href=\"https://voteyesonprop16.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vote Yes \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://californiansforequalrights.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vote No\u003c/a> websites use nearly the same slogans: Proponents say “Fight Discrimination” and “Equal Opportunities for All;” opponents highlight “Keep Discrimination Illegal” and “Equal Opportunity for All.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both sides can see if the measure has made any headway when the Public Policy Institute of California releases a new poll on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adusumilli, the UC Davis computer science major, said an environment of intolerance in the country makes the time ripe to overturn the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think anybody can look at the events of the past few months — or even the past few years with Black Lives Matter, the treatment of immigrants in our current administration — and say that we have developed sufficient immunity to the virus of prejudice and discrimination as a society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1666,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 44
},
"modified": 1704846992,
"excerpt": "The latest University of California diversity report shows a particularly pronounced disparity among different ethnicities in STEM disciplines, and a widening gap in graduate departments and faculty positions. \r\n\r\n ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The latest University of California diversity report shows a particularly pronounced disparity among different ethnicities in STEM disciplines, and a widening gap in graduate departments and faculty positions. \r\n\r\n ",
"title": "Prop. 16 Supporters Hope to Diversify STEM With End to California Affirmative Action Ban | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Prop. 16 Supporters Hope to Diversify STEM With End to California Affirmative Action Ban",
"datePublished": "2020-10-15T16:20:20-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:32-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "prop-16-supporters-hope-to-diversify-stem-with-end-to-california-affirmative-action-ban",
"status": "publish",
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/205d8cd7-ab4e-4531-9b2a-ac590133e830/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Election 2020",
"path": "/science/1970355/prop-16-supporters-hope-to-diversify-stem-with-end-to-california-affirmative-action-ban",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As a freshman at UC Davis last year, Saishruti Adusumilli got hooked on coding after excelling in an introductory course. So she mapped out a plan to tack on a computer science major while also working toward a political science degree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first step: more computer courses. But as she rose into more sophisticated classes, she began to feel “an almost crippling level of self-doubt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970367\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970367 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-800x976.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"976\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-800x976.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-1020x1244.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-160x195.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n-768x937.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/46492305_595942760836576_1087756852042661888_n.jpg 1143w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo provided by Saishruti Adusumilli.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I started questioning whether I was smart enough — or I was the type of smart — to succeed in a subject like computer science,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The anxiety was unusual; weird, actually. As a high school student, Adusumilli co-founded a \u003ca href=\"http://www.ladkilove.org/\">nonprofit\u003c/a> to spread awareness about mistreatment of girls in India, delivering a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_03pM5dzaZk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">TEDx Talk\u003c/a> on the subject. In political science courses, she felt confident and self-assured, even when discussing unfamiliar topics. So what was the difference for computer science?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually she realized that unlike in her social science courses, all of the computer science professors and most of her classmates were male. The self-doubt stemmed from not seeing other women in the program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s this undeniable benefit to seeing people that look like you in higher education,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adusumilli’s experience is one reason she supports Proposition 16, a repeal of California’s nearly 25-year-old ban on affirmative action. She hopes scrapping the law would help bring more women and people of color into computer science courses like those at UC Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians passed the 1996 ban in the form of \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_209,_Affirmative_Action_Initiative_(1996)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Proposition 209\u003c/a>, with 55% of the vote. The measure made it illegal for universities, public sector employers and governments to consider race, sex or ethnicity when selecting job and school candidates. A repeal would overturn that ban, though it would not require affirmative action programs to be reinstated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since its passage, the law has withstood a dizzying number of court challenges, and with Proposition 16, affirmative action supporters may have their best opportunity for repeal since it went into effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Racial Reckoning in STEM\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, the scientific community \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1965749/u-s-reckoning-over-racism-spreads-to-science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">joined\u003c/a> the wider movement against racial bias, with many prominent journals and institutions acknowledging that people of color are woefully underrepresented in the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STEM-field bachelor’s degrees awarded to Black students, for example, are \u003ca href=\"https://undark.org/2020/09/11/after-years-of-gains-black-stem-representation-is-falling-why/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">falling\u003c/a> nationwide. Meanwhile, federal \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/indicator_reg.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statistics\u003c/a> show that women receive higher percentages of undergraduate degrees overall, but \u003ca href=\"https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/images/figures/figure-reg-2.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">significantly lower\u003c/a> percentages of those in STEM areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adusumilli and other supporters of Proposition 16 say the return of affirmative action programs could help diversify UC in general and STEM classes, in particular.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UC Board of Regents has unanimously \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-board-regents-endorses-aca-5-repeal-prop-209\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">endorsed\u003c/a> the repeal of Proposition 209, saying the affirmative action ban “challenged the university’s ardent efforts to be equitable and inclusive as it seeks to attract the best and brightest students from all backgrounds, while ensuring equal opportunity for all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is UC has been unable to reflect California’s full diversity in its student body,” the board wrote in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enrollment \u003ca href=\"https://accountability.universityofcalifornia.edu/2020/chapters/chapter-7.html#7.1.1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statistics\u003c/a> seem to bear that out. For the past two decades, they show Latino, Black and Native American students as underrepresented across the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gap has closed in recent years, especially for Latino students, but the latest diversity \u003ca href=\"https://accountability.universityofcalifornia.edu/2020/chapters/chapter-7.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">report\u003c/a> shows the disparity is pronounced in STEM disciplines, and increasingly so for graduate departments and faculty positions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Syreeta Nolan, a senior at UC San Diego, studies cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. She supports Proposition 16 and says many Black students like herself don’t feel like they have a “clear pathway in STEM.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like Proposition 16 will create a quota that needs to be filled,” Nolan said. “But there’s thought and proactive recruiting of Black students. That needs to be allowed to diversify the college environment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lilly Irani studies the impact of computer algorithms on people, and as a faculty researcher in the UC San Diego communications department, she teaches both STEM and non-STEM classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lack of diversity in STEM subjects is noticeable, she says, and many of her computer science students seem to share a particular set of life experiences, so that they “are less likely to have a job outside of school and are not able to reflect on real-world issues like housing affordability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A supporter of Proposition 16, she believes rolling back the ban could help seed the technology industry with a wider array of perspectives than it currently includes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ban’s Impact on STEM\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents of Proposition 16 \u003ci>—\u003c/i> meaning supporters of Proposition 209 \u003ci>—\u003c/i> point to the fact that the number and graduation rates of Black and Latino students who enroll in the University of California system have grown since affirmative action was banned in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ward Connerly, the president of \u003ca href=\"https://californiansforequalrights.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Californians for Equal Rights\u003c/a>, a nonprofit organization committed to “defending Proposition 209,” wrote in an opinion \u003ca href=\"https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/09/prop-16-threatens-californias-commitment-to-equality-ward-connerly/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">article\u003c/a> in the Orange County Register that Proposition 16 “threatens California’s commitment to equity” and would “delete that commitment to equality from the California Constitution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Connerly, a former UC Board of Regents member who along with Republican Gov. Pete Wilson led the campaign to pass Proposition 209 in 1996, argues, a quarter-century later, that affirmative action isn’t needed. In some instances, he says, it could actually hurt students from underrepresented groups, who might struggle at elite schools which admit them based on nonacademic factors, a concept that relies on the so-called “\u003ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/04/13/study-finds-public-universities-lose-minority-students-when-they-ban\">mismatch\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/04/13/study-finds-public-universities-lose-minority-students-when-they-ban\">theory\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a recently released \u003ca href=\"https://cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/affirmative-action-mismatch-and-economic-mobility-after-california%E2%80%99s-proposition-209\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study\u003c/a> from a UC Berkeley Ph.D. student, published by the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education, found that underrepresented students were no more or less successful in chemistry, biology, physics or computer science at less selective schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After \u003ca href=\"https://news.berkeley.edu/story_jump/end-of-affirmative-action-at-uc-hurt-black-latinx-students-study-finds/\">examining\u003c/a> decades of student transcripts preceding and following Proposition 209, the researcher, Zachary Bleemer, found that the ban widened the gap of underrepresented ethnicities in the UC system and led to lower wages among early-career minorities in STEM fields.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t support affirmative action because you think it might not help targeted Black and Hispanic students, this study should make you rethink your beliefs,” Bleemer said in a press release. (He declined to be interviewed for this story, saying he wanted the work to speak for itself.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Mickey-Pabello, a sociologist who studies education at Harvard University, called Bleemer’s work convincing. Other, national \u003ca href=\"https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/151649/dmhurdle_1.pdf?sequence=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">studies\u003c/a> have found that affirmative action bans impacted minority students in STEM more than in other disciplines, which Mickey-Pabello calls the “STEM penalty.” His own research suggests these impacts only appear to grow stronger over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The binary nature of the debate — “affirmative action: yes, or affirmative action: no” — isn’t helping students, says Esteban Aucejo, an economist at Arizona State University who has studied the issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, affirmative action policies are increasing the choice-set of minority students,” he said. “From a policy perspective, it is about implementation. How can we make this work for everyone? Can we do something to make these policies better?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nolan, the UC San Diego senior, agrees, and she argues that more proactive matriculation policies could even be expanded to include students who live with disabilities. “Affirmative action needs a revision itself,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lagging in Polls\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vote on what has traditionally been a polarizing issue comes at a time of racial reckoning following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody in May. And California is much more diverse and liberal than it was decades ago, when Proposition 209 was easily passed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, a Public Policy Institute of California poll released in September \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11840639/many-californians-hesitant-to-end-states-affirmative-action-ban-poll-shows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">found\u003c/a> just 31% of likely voters in support of and 47% against Proposition 16, with 22% undecided. Even in the liberal Bay Area, the percentage of likely voters saying they want to overturn the ban was only 40%. Another poll released around the same time, from \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4cd2r446\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Berkeley IGS\u003c/a>, found the measure losing 33% to 41%, with 26% undecided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Yes on 16 campaign says the wording of the 1996 affirmative action ban is confusing voters. That language stated that California “cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin,” something that Proposition 16 promises to overturn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Watching a focus group with Black voters from Los Angeles, they all said, ‘No we will not vote for this,’ as it was read to them,” Eva Paterson, a co-chair of the Yes campaign, told \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/whats-prop-16-what-is-ca-propostion-california-2020-polls/6439595/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">abc7 News\u003c/a> in San Francisco. “Then when we explained that it was in favor of affirmative action and equal opportunity, and they all went, ‘Well, of course we’ll vote for this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Washington Post \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/divided-californians-will-vote-again-on-affirmative-action/2020/09/27/b18408c4-fdc2-11ea-9ceb-061d646d9c67_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">points out\u003c/a> that the \u003ca href=\"https://voteyesonprop16.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vote Yes \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://californiansforequalrights.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vote No\u003c/a> websites use nearly the same slogans: Proponents say “Fight Discrimination” and “Equal Opportunities for All;” opponents highlight “Keep Discrimination Illegal” and “Equal Opportunity for All.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both sides can see if the measure has made any headway when the Public Policy Institute of California releases a new poll on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adusumilli, the UC Davis computer science major, said an environment of intolerance in the country makes the time ripe to overturn the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think anybody can look at the events of the past few months — or even the past few years with Black Lives Matter, the treatment of immigrants in our current administration — and say that we have developed sufficient immunity to the virus of prejudice and discrimination as a society.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970355/prop-16-supporters-hope-to-diversify-stem-with-end-to-california-affirmative-action-ban",
"authors": [
"11608"
],
"categories": [
"science_32",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_2006",
"science_4417"
],
"featImg": "science_1970370",
"label": "source_science_1970355"
},
"science_1970388": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970388",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970388",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1602800043000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1602800043,
"format": "standard",
"title": "5 Million Californians Get Test Quake Alert; Download App for Android and iPhone",
"headTitle": "5 Million Californians Get Test Quake Alert; Download App for Android and iPhone | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp class=\"p1\">California successfully tested its early-warning earthquake alert system Thursday for the first time since it became publicly available throughout the state last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Warnings produced by the U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakealert.org/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">system\u003c/span>\u003c/a> were pushed out to roughly 5 million Californians who had downloaded UC Berkeley’s MyShake app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The test alert went well,” said Jennifer Strauss, a spokesperson for the Berkeley Seismology Lab, in an email, adding that feedback from users was “generally positive.”\u003cbr>\n[pullquote]Download the MyShake app\u003cbr>\n● \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.bsl.myshake&hl=en_US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google Play\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n● \u003ca href=\"https://apps.apple.com/app/id1467058529\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">iOS App Store\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n● \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MyShake FAQ\u003c/a>[/pullquote]The phone app warns users to “drop, cover, and hold on” if they are likely to experience shaking intensity of at least three out of a maximum 10 in a magnitude 4.5 or higher earthquake. Many people will feel a quake with a level-three shaking intensity, according to researchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">USGS calculates that California has a 99.7% chance of being struck by at least a 6.7 magnitude earthquake within the next 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The system alerts people a few moments before a quake can be felt so they can prepare. It uses numerous seismic stations to detect the start of an earthquake and rapid communications to send the data to computers that instantly calculate location, magnitude and intensity of shaking, creating alerts for distribution to areas within the quake zone. The system does not predict earthquakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Warnings produced by the ShakeAlert system are also pushed through the same wireless notification system that issues Amber Alerts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/208826/dude-wheres-my-earthquake-warning-system\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">sluggish progress\u003c/span>\u003c/a> in developing the early-warning system, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled MyShake statewide last year to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake, which ravaged the San Francisco Bay Area on Oct. 17, 1989.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The test on Thursday coincided with the Great California ShakeOut safety drill, which occurs on the third Thursday of October each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1316789326517133312?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In August, Google \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968352/android-phones-will-now-automatically-receive-california-earthquake-warnings\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">announced\u003c/span>\u003c/a> that all Android phones will automatically receive the warnings, although it’s unclear if the company participated in Thursday’s test.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our partners at Google did not inform us about any tests being done in conjunction with the 2020 Great California ShakeOut,” wrote Robert-Michael de Groot, a spokesperson for the USGS Earthquake Science Center in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Google did not immediately respond to a request to comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 408,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 8
},
"modified": 1704846994,
"excerpt": "The phone app warns users to 'drop, cover, and hold on' if they are likely to experience shaking in a magnitude 4.5 or greater earthquake. ",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The phone app warns users to 'drop, cover, and hold on' if they are likely to experience shaking in a magnitude 4.5 or greater earthquake. ",
"title": "5 Million Californians Get Test Quake Alert; Download App for Android and iPhone | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "5 Million Californians Get Test Quake Alert; Download App for Android and iPhone",
"datePublished": "2020-10-15T15:14:03-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:34-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-tests-myshake-quake-warning-app-download-for-android-and-iphones",
"status": "publish",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Earthquakes",
"path": "/science/1970388/california-tests-myshake-quake-warning-app-download-for-android-and-iphones",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"p1\">California successfully tested its early-warning earthquake alert system Thursday for the first time since it became publicly available throughout the state last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Warnings produced by the U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert \u003ca href=\"https://www.shakealert.org/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">system\u003c/span>\u003c/a> were pushed out to roughly 5 million Californians who had downloaded UC Berkeley’s MyShake app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The test alert went well,” said Jennifer Strauss, a spokesperson for the Berkeley Seismology Lab, in an email, adding that feedback from users was “generally positive.”\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "Download the MyShake app\u003cbr>\n● \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.bsl.myshake&hl=en_US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google Play\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n● \u003ca href=\"https://apps.apple.com/app/id1467058529\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">iOS App Store\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n● \u003ca href=\"https://myshake.berkeley.edu/faq.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MyShake FAQ\u003c/a>",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The phone app warns users to “drop, cover, and hold on” if they are likely to experience shaking intensity of at least three out of a maximum 10 in a magnitude 4.5 or higher earthquake. Many people will feel a quake with a level-three shaking intensity, according to researchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">USGS calculates that California has a 99.7% chance of being struck by at least a 6.7 magnitude earthquake within the next 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The system alerts people a few moments before a quake can be felt so they can prepare. It uses numerous seismic stations to detect the start of an earthquake and rapid communications to send the data to computers that instantly calculate location, magnitude and intensity of shaking, creating alerts for distribution to areas within the quake zone. The system does not predict earthquakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Warnings produced by the ShakeAlert system are also pushed through the same wireless notification system that issues Amber Alerts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/208826/dude-wheres-my-earthquake-warning-system\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">sluggish progress\u003c/span>\u003c/a> in developing the early-warning system, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled MyShake statewide last year to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake, which ravaged the San Francisco Bay Area on Oct. 17, 1989.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The test on Thursday coincided with the Great California ShakeOut safety drill, which occurs on the third Thursday of October each year.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1316789326517133312"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In August, Google \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1968352/android-phones-will-now-automatically-receive-california-earthquake-warnings\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">announced\u003c/span>\u003c/a> that all Android phones will automatically receive the warnings, although it’s unclear if the company participated in Thursday’s test.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our partners at Google did not inform us about any tests being done in conjunction with the 2020 Great California ShakeOut,” wrote Robert-Michael de Groot, a spokesperson for the USGS Earthquake Science Center in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Google did not immediately respond to a request to comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970388/california-tests-myshake-quake-warning-app-download-for-android-and-iphones",
"authors": [
"11608"
],
"categories": [
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_427"
],
"featImg": "science_1970392",
"label": "source_science_1970388"
},
"science_1970329": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970329",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970329",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1602695080000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1602695080,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Facebook Bans Anti-Vaccine Ads but Keeps Pages Where Falsehoods Thrive",
"headTitle": "Facebook Bans Anti-Vaccine Ads but Keeps Pages Where Falsehoods Thrive | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Facebook rolled out a new policy on Tuesday aimed at cracking down on vaccine falsehoods, a ballooning problem for the social network as a growing number of users with neutral views about vaccines appear to turn into vocal opponents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new policy prohibits formal advertisements that discourage people from getting vaccinated, reversing a yearslong trend in which such ads were widely permitted. The site also said it will amplify factual messages from international public health authorities including the World Health Organization, as well as direct users in the U.S. to locations where they can get a flu shot. Those updates follow a number of other features released in recent months in a bid to combat misinformation about the pandemic and vaccines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the policies released this week and updates issued over the summer do not address Facebook’s most virulent sources of health-related falsehoods: pages and groups. Vaccine misinformation has taken an increasingly strong foothold in those spaces in recent months, with some individuals using them to peddle and profit from falsehoods while flying under the radar of policies designed to police advertisements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers have identified pages and groups — not formal advertisements — as misinformation superspreaders. In \u003ca href=\"https://252f2edd-1c8b-49f5-9bb2-cb57bb47e4ba.filesusr.com/ugd/f4d9b9_7aa1bf9819904295a0493a013b285a6b.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a July report\u003c/a> assessing anti-vaccine rhetoric on Facebook, the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate concluded that people using pages to make money off of vaccine misinformation had collectively attracted 28 million followers by June 2020. The analysis, which looked at 409 English-language social media accounts, found that such “anti-vaccination entrepreneurs” had seen their followers grow by 854,000 between May and June of 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groups are another large source of fuel for the vaccine misinformation fire. In these spaces, where members come together over a shared love of anything from organic foods to cats, conversations about nearly any subject can rapidly shift into discussions about vaccines, with people opposed to vaccines largely dominating the conversation. With more people physically distancing during the pandemic, more discussions are moving online — giving misinformation a place to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s basically like if you injected adrenaline into them,” Neil Johnson, professor of physics and researcher at the Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics at George Washington University, told STAT in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2281-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study published in Nature\u003c/a> in May, Johnson and his colleagues documented a sizable rise between February and October of 2019 in the number of users following Facebook pages that promoted anti-vaccine content. The research turned up a particularly troubling trend: While pages spreading vaccine falsehoods had fewer followers than pages that shared factual vaccine content, pages spreading falsehoods were more numerous, faster-growing, and increasingly more connected to neutral pages where people did not yet have a clear leaning one way or the other. To Johnson, the findings suggested that anti-vaccination rhetoric would dominate online discussion within the decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CCDH researchers identified a similar problem among Facebook groups, finding 64 that regularly shared vaccine misinformation. The groups garnered a collective following of 1 million people, and that figure is growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a time when much of the world is approaching flu season and the possible rollout of a COVID-19 vaccination, the problem appears increasingly dire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“COVID-19 misinformation is the equivalent of an ideological dirty bomb: It has the capacity to hurt tens of thousands of people when it detonates in the moment that vaccines are available,” Imran Ahmed, founder and chief executive officer of the CCDH, told STAT in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://www.statnews.com/\">STAT\u003c/a>, an online publication of Boston Globe Media that covers health, medicine, and scientific discovery.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 615,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 13
},
"modified": 1704846995,
"excerpt": "The new policy prohibits formal advertisements that discourage people from getting vaccinated, but does not address Facebook’s most virulent sources of health-related falsehoods: pages and groups.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The new policy prohibits formal advertisements that discourage people from getting vaccinated, but does not address Facebook’s most virulent sources of health-related falsehoods: pages and groups.",
"title": "Facebook Bans Anti-Vaccine Ads but Keeps Pages Where Falsehoods Thrive | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Facebook Bans Anti-Vaccine Ads but Keeps Pages Where Falsehoods Thrive",
"datePublished": "2020-10-14T10:04:40-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:35-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "facebook-bans-anti-vaccine-ads-but-keeps-pages-where-falsehoods-thrive",
"status": "publish",
"nprByline": "Erin Brodwin\u003cbr />STAT",
"sticky": false,
"source": "STAT",
"path": "/science/1970329/facebook-bans-anti-vaccine-ads-but-keeps-pages-where-falsehoods-thrive",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Facebook rolled out a new policy on Tuesday aimed at cracking down on vaccine falsehoods, a ballooning problem for the social network as a growing number of users with neutral views about vaccines appear to turn into vocal opponents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new policy prohibits formal advertisements that discourage people from getting vaccinated, reversing a yearslong trend in which such ads were widely permitted. The site also said it will amplify factual messages from international public health authorities including the World Health Organization, as well as direct users in the U.S. to locations where they can get a flu shot. Those updates follow a number of other features released in recent months in a bid to combat misinformation about the pandemic and vaccines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the policies released this week and updates issued over the summer do not address Facebook’s most virulent sources of health-related falsehoods: pages and groups. Vaccine misinformation has taken an increasingly strong foothold in those spaces in recent months, with some individuals using them to peddle and profit from falsehoods while flying under the radar of policies designed to police advertisements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers have identified pages and groups — not formal advertisements — as misinformation superspreaders. In \u003ca href=\"https://252f2edd-1c8b-49f5-9bb2-cb57bb47e4ba.filesusr.com/ugd/f4d9b9_7aa1bf9819904295a0493a013b285a6b.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a July report\u003c/a> assessing anti-vaccine rhetoric on Facebook, the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate concluded that people using pages to make money off of vaccine misinformation had collectively attracted 28 million followers by June 2020. The analysis, which looked at 409 English-language social media accounts, found that such “anti-vaccination entrepreneurs” had seen their followers grow by 854,000 between May and June of 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Groups are another large source of fuel for the vaccine misinformation fire. In these spaces, where members come together over a shared love of anything from organic foods to cats, conversations about nearly any subject can rapidly shift into discussions about vaccines, with people opposed to vaccines largely dominating the conversation. With more people physically distancing during the pandemic, more discussions are moving online — giving misinformation a place to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s basically like if you injected adrenaline into them,” Neil Johnson, professor of physics and researcher at the Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics at George Washington University, told STAT in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2281-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study published in Nature\u003c/a> in May, Johnson and his colleagues documented a sizable rise between February and October of 2019 in the number of users following Facebook pages that promoted anti-vaccine content. The research turned up a particularly troubling trend: While pages spreading vaccine falsehoods had fewer followers than pages that shared factual vaccine content, pages spreading falsehoods were more numerous, faster-growing, and increasingly more connected to neutral pages where people did not yet have a clear leaning one way or the other. To Johnson, the findings suggested that anti-vaccination rhetoric would dominate online discussion within the decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CCDH researchers identified a similar problem among Facebook groups, finding 64 that regularly shared vaccine misinformation. The groups garnered a collective following of 1 million people, and that figure is growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a time when much of the world is approaching flu season and the possible rollout of a COVID-19 vaccination, the problem appears increasingly dire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“COVID-19 misinformation is the equivalent of an ideological dirty bomb: It has the capacity to hurt tens of thousands of people when it detonates in the moment that vaccines are available,” Imran Ahmed, founder and chief executive officer of the CCDH, told STAT in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://www.statnews.com/\">STAT\u003c/a>, an online publication of Boston Globe Media that covers health, medicine, and scientific discovery.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970329/facebook-bans-anti-vaccine-ads-but-keeps-pages-where-falsehoods-thrive",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1970329"
],
"categories": [
"science_39",
"science_3890",
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_5181",
"science_410"
],
"featImg": "science_1970334",
"label": "source_science_1970329"
},
"science_1970286": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970286",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970286",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1602621007000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "from-condoms-to-coronavirus-masks-harm-reduction-has-worked-to-protect-public-health",
"title": "From Condoms to Coronavirus Masks, 'Harm Reduction' Has Worked to Protect Public Health",
"publishDate": 1602621007,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "From Condoms to Coronavirus Masks, ‘Harm Reduction’ Has Worked to Protect Public Health | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp class=\"p1\">We’re in the middle of the worst public health crisis in a century, one in which adherence to public health guidelines makes all the difference between an out-of-control pestilence and a serious but containable emergency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">California, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, slowed what looked to be its inexorable spread with an extraordinary yet simple solution:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Shut it all down. \u003ci>Everything\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote citation='Dr. John Swartzberg, UC Berkeley School of Public Health']‘To get people to change their behavior, to forbid them to do something, is not usually successful.’[/pullquote]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">But aside from the economic consequences of sheltering an entire state in place, public health officials were aware of another reason that asking people to remain totally insulated from the dangers of the coronavirus would have diminishing returns:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">From a public health perspective, pasting a proverbial big X over something is frequently a losing bet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“To get people to change their behavior, to forbid them to do something is not usually successful,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Swartzberg points to the U.S. ban on alcohol, in effect from 1920 to 1933, as a historical example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970293\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/pandemic-1918-photos.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970293 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/pandemic-1918-photos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/pandemic-1918-photos.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/pandemic-1918-photos-160x221.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A streetcar conductor in Seattle won’t allow a passenger aboard without a mask in 1918. \u003ccite>(U.S. National Archives)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Prohibition, Swartzberg says, was a “puritanical” approach to eradicating real societal ills associated with drinking. But it was ultimately repealed, and it’s widely viewed as a failure due to unintended consequences that included the rise of organized crime through bootlegging and the deaths of people who consumed toxic illegal alcohol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Today, governments use a well-established strategy called harm reduction to help \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6876518/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">mitigate\u003c/span>\u003c/a> the negative effects of not only alcohol but a host of other public health risks, including the spread of COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The basic principle behind harm reduction: Don’t tell people they absolutely can’t do something, because it won’t work as well as allowing the behavior, but with added rules to reduce risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">If Prohibition is a cautionary tale of what happens when harm reduction is left out of the equation, the concept of safer sex is a textbook example of how it can work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">In the earliest days of the HIV crisis, Swartzberg says, health officials promoted an abstinence-only message.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“That clearly didn’t work,” he said, so it was dropped in favor of encouraging people to engage in practices like using condoms and getting tested for the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“We know you’re going to go have sex. But if you’re having sex, here’s what you can do to reduce your risk and your partner’s risk. That was a much more\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>successful policy. It’s the same thing with what we’re talking about with COVID.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">As scientists continue to work on therapies to address the disease, Bay Area health officials have made one thing clear: Social distancing and masking, ways of reducing risk from the coronavirus, are here to stay for a good while longer. A safe and effective vaccine may be at least several months away; meanwhile all the data has shown that wearing masks and avoiding indoor gatherings are keys to slowing the spread of the disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">While many months into the crisis people may be suffering mask-wearing and social distancing fatigue, public health experts say the rules are designed to actually allow people more freedom, not less, compared to the constraints of a strict lockdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The incremental reopening of different parts of the economy as California counties move through the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">risk assessment levels\u003c/span>\u003c/a> is a case in point for how a society can modulate harm reduction in response to changing circumstances. At the highest risk level, the state allows shopping malls to open at 25% capacity; at the next highest, it’s 50%; and at the next, 100%, but with closed common areas and reduced-capacity food courts. In other words, the harm reduction measures ratchet down as the risk subsides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cb>Buckling Up\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Passing safety laws and getting people to embrace them can take years or even decades. While it’s standard practice now for us to buckle up before pulling out of the driveway, modern automobile seat belts weren’t invented until the 1950s, a half-century after Ford brought motorcars to the masses with the Model T. The idea for retractable belts in passenger cars is credited to a \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/302856\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">neurologist in Pasadena\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, who’d been treating a large number of patients suffering from head traumas sustained in car crashes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">But the U.S. didn’t require car manufacturers to equip vehicles with seat belts until1968. Even then, no law required passengers to wear them. That occurred in the 1980s, when states began mandating people to buckle up or risk a fine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">With COVID-19, Swartzberg says, we can’t afford that long of an adjustment period; people have to embrace harm reduction now to keep the virus from spreading. Most public health officials agree that the lack of consistent messaging from federal leadership about the efficacy of these practices has been a major barrier to fighting the pandemic in the U.S. For example, a \u003cspan class=\"s2\">recently released \u003ca href=\"https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/evanega-et-al-coronavirus-misinformation-submitted-07-23-20-1/080839ac0c22bca8/full.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">study\u003c/span>\u003c/a> by Cornell University researchers found that President Trump is “likely the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-misinformation.html\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">largest driver\u003c/span>\u003c/a>” of COVID-19 misinformation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cb>Secondhand Smoke\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Some health experts say the lessons learned from anti-tobacco campaigns show that certain strategies may be more effective than others at changing people’s behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Dr. Richard Jackson, professor emeritus at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and a former state of California public health officer, says getting to the point where bans were enacted on smoking in public spaces like restaurants, planes and parks took years. What eventually tipped the scales for lawmakers and the American public, Jackson says, was not the message that smoking is bad for you, but rather that lighting up can harm other people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">\u003ci>“\u003c/i>It was when we showed that flight attendants were actually getting sick from being in a confined space with a lot of smokers, that was the beginning,” Jackson said. “But eventually, over time, it led to the ban of indoor smoking\u003ci>.”\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">It wasn’t until 1995 that California paved the way for smoking bans when it became the first state to outlaw smoking in indoor workplaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Behavioral economists have a name for actions that affect not ourselves but other people or the whole of society: externalities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Mask wearing can reduce the externalities of leaving your house during the COVID-19 pandemic because studies show that it helps prevent virus transmission to other people, who may not even know they’re contagious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">When it comes to choosing not to wear a mask, Jackson says, a person might argue: “It’s my life, I can take that risk.” But helping them understand that flaunting this precaution can endanger a child, a loved one, an innocent bystander — what Jackson calls “sympathetic victims” — may encourage holdouts to think twice about ignoring public health orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">\u003cb>Cultural Differences\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">The coronavirus pandemic isn’t the first time Americans have been asked to pull masks over their faces, avoid crowds, and subject themselves to a shutdown of parts of the economy to fight a deadly virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Doctors prescribed a strikingly similar regimen to fight the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, says Dr. Lee Riley, head of the infectious disease and vaccinology division at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. An estimated 50 million people worldwide and 675,000 in the U.S. died from complications caused by the virus, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/1918-pandemic-history.htm\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">according\u003c/span>\u003c/a> to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“If you look at some pictures from that period, a lot of people were wearing masks,” Riley said. “They washed their hands, kept social distance, and local governments tried to make sure that people didn’t congregate in large numbers, everything that they’re saying right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Studies suggest public health measures \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1849868/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">reduced\u003c/span>\u003c/a> the 1918 flu pandemic \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1849868/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">up to 50 \u003c/span>\u003c/a>% in some cities where they were implemented early on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“That was a big pandemic, almost two years,” Riley said, “And eventually this virus petered out. So the public health measures work.” He added that the pandemic was contained long before the first approved flu vaccine, which was developed in the 1940s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Riley points out that wearing masks to thwart disease has become the social norm in some countries around the world, particularly in Asia. He grew up in Japan in the 1950s and remembers wearing a mask to elementary school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Because reliable vaccines to fight influenza or bacterial respiratory diseases didn’t yet exist, wearing a mask was the primary way people kept from getting sick, Riley says. But there was also a cultural incentive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“There’s a phrase in Japan that was instilled in all little kids: Never cause harm to strangers and your neighbors,” he said. “And so one major driving force why people will wear a mask is not just to protect themselves, but also (to) prevent the transmission.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Japan, Riley said, is a more socially conscious culture when compared with more individualistic societies in the West. When it comes to fighting the pandemic, he says the U.S. could benefit from this baked-in harm reduction philosophy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“I think, you know, Americans are not that different from other people when they start really thinking about this.” he said. “And when we have a good leadership model, we can really serve as a model.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jon Brooks contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "From a public health perspective, pasting a proverbial big X over something is frequently a losing bet. The solution: harm reduction, or allowing risky behavior provided that rules are imposed to lessen the chances of injury or illness.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1727135452,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 4,
"wordCount": 1655
},
"headData": {
"title": "From Condoms to Coronavirus Masks, 'Harm Reduction' Has Worked to Protect Public Health | KQED",
"description": "From a public health perspective, pasting a proverbial big X over something is frequently a losing bet. The solution: harm reduction, or allowing risky behavior provided that rules are imposed to lessen the chances of injury or illness.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "From Condoms to Coronavirus Masks, 'Harm Reduction' Has Worked to Protect Public Health",
"datePublished": "2020-10-13T13:30:07-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-23T16:50:52-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"source": "Coronavirus",
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/831c6c0f-b7f0-4108-8d33-ac60011e0654/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"path": "/science/1970286/from-condoms-to-coronavirus-masks-harm-reduction-has-worked-to-protect-public-health",
"audioDuration": 437000,
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"p1\">We’re in the middle of the worst public health crisis in a century, one in which adherence to public health guidelines makes all the difference between an out-of-control pestilence and a serious but containable emergency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">California, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, slowed what looked to be its inexorable spread with an extraordinary yet simple solution:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Shut it all down. \u003ci>Everything\u003c/i>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "‘To get people to change their behavior, to forbid them to do something, is not usually successful.’",
"name": "pullquote",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"citation": "Dr. John Swartzberg, UC Berkeley School of Public Health",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">But aside from the economic consequences of sheltering an entire state in place, public health officials were aware of another reason that asking people to remain totally insulated from the dangers of the coronavirus would have diminishing returns:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">From a public health perspective, pasting a proverbial big X over something is frequently a losing bet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“To get people to change their behavior, to forbid them to do something is not usually successful,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health\u003ci>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Swartzberg points to the U.S. ban on alcohol, in effect from 1920 to 1933, as a historical example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1970293\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/pandemic-1918-photos.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1970293 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/pandemic-1918-photos.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/pandemic-1918-photos.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/10/pandemic-1918-photos-160x221.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A streetcar conductor in Seattle won’t allow a passenger aboard without a mask in 1918. \u003ccite>(U.S. National Archives)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Prohibition, Swartzberg says, was a “puritanical” approach to eradicating real societal ills associated with drinking. But it was ultimately repealed, and it’s widely viewed as a failure due to unintended consequences that included the rise of organized crime through bootlegging and the deaths of people who consumed toxic illegal alcohol.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Today, governments use a well-established strategy called harm reduction to help \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6876518/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">mitigate\u003c/span>\u003c/a> the negative effects of not only alcohol but a host of other public health risks, including the spread of COVID-19.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The basic principle behind harm reduction: Don’t tell people they absolutely can’t do something, because it won’t work as well as allowing the behavior, but with added rules to reduce risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">If Prohibition is a cautionary tale of what happens when harm reduction is left out of the equation, the concept of safer sex is a textbook example of how it can work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">In the earliest days of the HIV crisis, Swartzberg says, health officials promoted an abstinence-only message.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“That clearly didn’t work,” he said, so it was dropped in favor of encouraging people to engage in practices like using condoms and getting tested for the virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“We know you’re going to go have sex. But if you’re having sex, here’s what you can do to reduce your risk and your partner’s risk. That was a much more\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u003c/span>successful policy. It’s the same thing with what we’re talking about with COVID.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">As scientists continue to work on therapies to address the disease, Bay Area health officials have made one thing clear: Social distancing and masking, ways of reducing risk from the coronavirus, are here to stay for a good while longer. A safe and effective vaccine may be at least several months away; meanwhile all the data has shown that wearing masks and avoiding indoor gatherings are keys to slowing the spread of the disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">While many months into the crisis people may be suffering mask-wearing and social distancing fatigue, public health experts say the rules are designed to actually allow people more freedom, not less, compared to the constraints of a strict lockdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">The incremental reopening of different parts of the economy as California counties move through the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">risk assessment levels\u003c/span>\u003c/a> is a case in point for how a society can modulate harm reduction in response to changing circumstances. At the highest risk level, the state allows shopping malls to open at 25% capacity; at the next highest, it’s 50%; and at the next, 100%, but with closed common areas and reduced-capacity food courts. In other words, the harm reduction measures ratchet down as the risk subsides.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cb>Buckling Up\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Passing safety laws and getting people to embrace them can take years or even decades. While it’s standard practice now for us to buckle up before pulling out of the driveway, modern automobile seat belts weren’t invented until the 1950s, a half-century after Ford brought motorcars to the masses with the Model T. The idea for retractable belts in passenger cars is credited to a \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/302856\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">neurologist in Pasadena\u003c/span>\u003c/a>, who’d been treating a large number of patients suffering from head traumas sustained in car crashes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">But the U.S. didn’t require car manufacturers to equip vehicles with seat belts until1968. Even then, no law required passengers to wear them. That occurred in the 1980s, when states began mandating people to buckle up or risk a fine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">With COVID-19, Swartzberg says, we can’t afford that long of an adjustment period; people have to embrace harm reduction now to keep the virus from spreading. Most public health officials agree that the lack of consistent messaging from federal leadership about the efficacy of these practices has been a major barrier to fighting the pandemic in the U.S. For example, a \u003cspan class=\"s2\">recently released \u003ca href=\"https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/evanega-et-al-coronavirus-misinformation-submitted-07-23-20-1/080839ac0c22bca8/full.pdf\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">study\u003c/span>\u003c/a> by Cornell University researchers found that President Trump is “likely the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-misinformation.html\">\u003cspan class=\"s3\">largest driver\u003c/span>\u003c/a>” of COVID-19 misinformation. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cb>Secondhand Smoke\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Some health experts say the lessons learned from anti-tobacco campaigns show that certain strategies may be more effective than others at changing people’s behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">Dr. Richard Jackson, professor emeritus at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and a former state of California public health officer, says getting to the point where bans were enacted on smoking in public spaces like restaurants, planes and parks took years. What eventually tipped the scales for lawmakers and the American public, Jackson says, was not the message that smoking is bad for you, but rather that lighting up can harm other people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">\u003ci>“\u003c/i>It was when we showed that flight attendants were actually getting sick from being in a confined space with a lot of smokers, that was the beginning,” Jackson said. “But eventually, over time, it led to the ban of indoor smoking\u003ci>.”\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">It wasn’t until 1995 that California paved the way for smoking bans when it became the first state to outlaw smoking in indoor workplaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Behavioral economists have a name for actions that affect not ourselves but other people or the whole of society: externalities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Mask wearing can reduce the externalities of leaving your house during the COVID-19 pandemic because studies show that it helps prevent virus transmission to other people, who may not even know they’re contagious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">When it comes to choosing not to wear a mask, Jackson says, a person might argue: “It’s my life, I can take that risk.” But helping them understand that flaunting this precaution can endanger a child, a loved one, an innocent bystander — what Jackson calls “sympathetic victims” — may encourage holdouts to think twice about ignoring public health orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">\u003cb>Cultural Differences\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">The coronavirus pandemic isn’t the first time Americans have been asked to pull masks over their faces, avoid crowds, and subject themselves to a shutdown of parts of the economy to fight a deadly virus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Doctors prescribed a strikingly similar regimen to fight the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, says Dr. Lee Riley, head of the infectious disease and vaccinology division at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. An estimated 50 million people worldwide and 675,000 in the U.S. died from complications caused by the virus, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/1918-pandemic-history.htm\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">according\u003c/span>\u003c/a> to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“If you look at some pictures from that period, a lot of people were wearing masks,” Riley said. “They washed their hands, kept social distance, and local governments tried to make sure that people didn’t congregate in large numbers, everything that they’re saying right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Studies suggest public health measures \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1849868/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">reduced\u003c/span>\u003c/a> the 1918 flu pandemic \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1849868/\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">up to 50 \u003c/span>\u003c/a>% in some cities where they were implemented early on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“That was a big pandemic, almost two years,” Riley said, “And eventually this virus petered out. So the public health measures work.” He added that the pandemic was contained long before the first approved flu vaccine, which was developed in the 1940s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Riley points out that wearing masks to thwart disease has become the social norm in some countries around the world, particularly in Asia. He grew up in Japan in the 1950s and remembers wearing a mask to elementary school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Because reliable vaccines to fight influenza or bacterial respiratory diseases didn’t yet exist, wearing a mask was the primary way people kept from getting sick, Riley says. But there was also a cultural incentive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“There’s a phrase in Japan that was instilled in all little kids: Never cause harm to strangers and your neighbors,” he said. “And so one major driving force why people will wear a mask is not just to protect themselves, but also (to) prevent the transmission.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">Japan, Riley said, is a more socially conscious culture when compared with more individualistic societies in the West. When it comes to fighting the pandemic, he says the U.S. could benefit from this baked-in harm reduction philosophy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p3\">“I think, you know, Americans are not that different from other people when they start really thinking about this.” he said. “And when we have a good leadership model, we can really serve as a model.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jon Brooks contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970286/from-condoms-to-coronavirus-masks-harm-reduction-has-worked-to-protect-public-health",
"authors": [
"11368"
],
"programs": [
"science_5376"
],
"categories": [
"science_39",
"science_3890",
"science_40",
"science_5141",
"science_4450",
"science_3423"
],
"tags": [
"science_4329",
"science_4368",
"science_5181"
],
"featImg": "science_1970292",
"label": "source_science_1970286"
},
"science_1970251": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970251",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970251",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1602512562000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1602512562,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Stanford Economists Win Nobel Prize for Improving Auctions",
"headTitle": "Stanford Economists Win Nobel Prize for Improving Auctions | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Two American economists won the Nobel Prize for improving how auctions work, research that underlies much of today’s economy — from the way Google sells advertising to the way telecom companies acquire airwaves from the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The discoveries of Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson, both of Stanford, “have benefited sellers, buyers and taxpayers around the world,” the Nobel Committee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Wilson was once Milgrom’s Ph.D. adviser, and the two also happen to be neighbors. Reached by phone at his home in California, Milgrom said he received news of their win “in a strange way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">“I got a knock at my door from Bob Wilson,” he told The Associated Press.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Milgrom, 72, said students, friends and colleagues had long suggested he and Wilson, 83, might be due for the prize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">“It’s nice to have their respect, but their affection as well,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Technically known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, the award was established in 1969 and is now widely considered one of the Nobel prizes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The two men tackled the tricky problem of making auctions work efficiently. The committee said Wilson’s work showed “why rational bidders tend to place bids below their own best estimate of the common value.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The effects of their work can be seen all around. “Online advertising is sold at auction,” said David Warsh, who tracks economic research at his blog Economic Principals. “That Google was able to adopt the method so quickly and seamlessly depended entirely on theory developed by Milgrom and his competitors and their students.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The work is about more than money. Some governments, for example, auction off the right to pollute in hopes of reducing emissions; cleaner companies can resell unneeded rights to dirtier ones, creating a financial incentive for companies to make their operations greener. “The objective is not always to maximize the revenue for the seller but also can have a societal objective,” said Nobel Committee member Ingrid Werner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">One problem in auctions is the so-called winner’s curse. If buyers are vying to purchase, say, fishing rights, they have to make bids without knowing what the price of fish will be in the future. They begin to worry that they will only prevail by overpaying, and they can respond by scaling back their offers. The problem is especially acute when some bidders have more information than others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">A solution to the curse, Wilson and Milgrom’s research showed, is for the seller to provide as much information as possible before the bidding begins, perhaps providing an independent appraisal of the value of the item being sold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">They also tackled the “snake in the grass strategy,” Wilson said. This involves a company keeping its interest in the item being sold secret for most of the auction and then making the winning bid at the last minute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">“It’s like sniping an eBay auction,” Wilson told the AP, adding that they designed rules that force bidders to reveal their interest earlier on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Their research has had a big impact on the telecommunications industry, where private companies seek licenses from the government to use publicly owned radio frequencies for everything from mobile phone calls to internet payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Before the 1990s, the U.S. government essentially conducted “beauty contests” to hand out the frequencies, letting companies make their case for getting the licenses. The approach encouraged aggressive lobbying but didn’t raise much money for the Treasury Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">In 1994, the U.S. government turned to auctions. Milgrom and Wilson (with help from Preston McAfee, now at Google) designed an auction format in which all the licenses were sold in one go. That format discourages speculators from buying up frequencies in a specific geographic area and then reselling them to big telecommunication companies seeking to patch together national or regional networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The auction raised $617 million — selling frequencies that previously were handed out for virtually nothing — and became a model for countries from Canada to India. The format has also been used to auction off electricity and natural gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Wilson said that he thought the time for winning a Nobel Prize had already passed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Speaking to reporters in Stockholm by phone after learning of his win, Wilson struggled to think of a recent auction he himself had participated in. But then added: “My wife points out to me that we bought ski boots on eBay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Wilson described Milgrom as “sort of the genius behind all of this auction work.” Milgrom developed a more general theory of auctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Americans have figured prominently among this year’s Nobel winners. Leaving aside the peace prize, which went to the U.N.’s World Food Program, seven of the 11 laureates have been Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Goran Hansson, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences who announced the award, said that reflected American investment in research after WWII. “And we’ll see how that trend may change,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Last year’s award went to two researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a third from Harvard University, for research into efforts to reduce global poverty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The award comes at a time of dramatic economic upheaval that few economists could have predicted last fall: In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, governments have closed borders, imposed lockdowns and ordered other measures, triggering a sharp dip in business activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Wilson said that, given the ongoing pandemic, he had no immediate plans for what to do with his share of the the 10 million krona ($1.1 million) cash prize that comes with the award, along with a gold medal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">“Probably I’ll just save it for my wife, my children,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Last week, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize for physiology and medicine for discovering the \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-nobel-prizes-archive-stockholm-cd0a12d2ec738a6662b915a1f0cf54d9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus\u003c/a>. The prize for physics honored breakthroughs in \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/didier-queloz-nobel-prizes-james-peebles-stockholm-planets-23b9457068a91d40468bbdce34826c2f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">understanding black holes\u003c/a>, and the chemistry prize went to scientists behind a \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/nobel-prizes-chemistry-archive-stockholm-14ba023fa7a90b34df2d7a6d0314c796\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">powerful gene-editing tool\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The literature prize was awarded to \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/nobel-prizes-peter-handke-archive-olga-tokarczuk-aa1bc53e501100aa3b93f8eacfde9028\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American poet Louise Glück\u003c/a>. The World Food Program won the peace prize for its \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-health-oslo-russia-b6ea1ba3f7c8daed96ad2734f11c61cb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">effort to combat hunger\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">\u003cem>Jordans reported from Berlin, Wiseman from Washington. Associated Press writers Desiree Seals in Smyrna, Georgia, and David Runk in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1101,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 2
},
"modified": 1704847000,
"excerpt": "The two Bay Area professors improved how auctions work, research that underlies much of today’s economy.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "The two Bay Area professors improved how auctions work, research that underlies much of today’s economy.",
"title": "Stanford Economists Win Nobel Prize for Improving Auctions | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Stanford Economists Win Nobel Prize for Improving Auctions",
"datePublished": "2020-10-12T07:22:42-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:40-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "stanford-economists-win-nobel-prize-for-improving-auctions",
"status": "publish",
"audioUrl": "https://od1.kqed.org/anon.kqed/radio/RDnews/2020/10/StarkNobelPrizeEcon.mp3?listeningSessionID=5f041021596be69f_8509085_1nm7Ls15__0000000aDAQ",
"nprByline": "David Keyton, Frank Jordans and Paul Wiseman \u003cbr />Associated Press\u003cbr>",
"sticky": false,
"source": "AP",
"path": "/science/1970251/stanford-economists-win-nobel-prize-for-improving-auctions",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Two American economists won the Nobel Prize for improving how auctions work, research that underlies much of today’s economy — from the way Google sells advertising to the way telecom companies acquire airwaves from the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The discoveries of Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson, both of Stanford, “have benefited sellers, buyers and taxpayers around the world,” the Nobel Committee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Wilson was once Milgrom’s Ph.D. adviser, and the two also happen to be neighbors. Reached by phone at his home in California, Milgrom said he received news of their win “in a strange way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">“I got a knock at my door from Bob Wilson,” he told The Associated Press.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Milgrom, 72, said students, friends and colleagues had long suggested he and Wilson, 83, might be due for the prize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">“It’s nice to have their respect, but their affection as well,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Technically known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, the award was established in 1969 and is now widely considered one of the Nobel prizes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The two men tackled the tricky problem of making auctions work efficiently. The committee said Wilson’s work showed “why rational bidders tend to place bids below their own best estimate of the common value.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The effects of their work can be seen all around. “Online advertising is sold at auction,” said David Warsh, who tracks economic research at his blog Economic Principals. “That Google was able to adopt the method so quickly and seamlessly depended entirely on theory developed by Milgrom and his competitors and their students.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The work is about more than money. Some governments, for example, auction off the right to pollute in hopes of reducing emissions; cleaner companies can resell unneeded rights to dirtier ones, creating a financial incentive for companies to make their operations greener. “The objective is not always to maximize the revenue for the seller but also can have a societal objective,” said Nobel Committee member Ingrid Werner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">One problem in auctions is the so-called winner’s curse. If buyers are vying to purchase, say, fishing rights, they have to make bids without knowing what the price of fish will be in the future. They begin to worry that they will only prevail by overpaying, and they can respond by scaling back their offers. The problem is especially acute when some bidders have more information than others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">A solution to the curse, Wilson and Milgrom’s research showed, is for the seller to provide as much information as possible before the bidding begins, perhaps providing an independent appraisal of the value of the item being sold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">They also tackled the “snake in the grass strategy,” Wilson said. This involves a company keeping its interest in the item being sold secret for most of the auction and then making the winning bid at the last minute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">“It’s like sniping an eBay auction,” Wilson told the AP, adding that they designed rules that force bidders to reveal their interest earlier on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Their research has had a big impact on the telecommunications industry, where private companies seek licenses from the government to use publicly owned radio frequencies for everything from mobile phone calls to internet payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Before the 1990s, the U.S. government essentially conducted “beauty contests” to hand out the frequencies, letting companies make their case for getting the licenses. The approach encouraged aggressive lobbying but didn’t raise much money for the Treasury Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">In 1994, the U.S. government turned to auctions. Milgrom and Wilson (with help from Preston McAfee, now at Google) designed an auction format in which all the licenses were sold in one go. That format discourages speculators from buying up frequencies in a specific geographic area and then reselling them to big telecommunication companies seeking to patch together national or regional networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The auction raised $617 million — selling frequencies that previously were handed out for virtually nothing — and became a model for countries from Canada to India. The format has also been used to auction off electricity and natural gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Wilson said that he thought the time for winning a Nobel Prize had already passed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Speaking to reporters in Stockholm by phone after learning of his win, Wilson struggled to think of a recent auction he himself had participated in. But then added: “My wife points out to me that we bought ski boots on eBay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Wilson described Milgrom as “sort of the genius behind all of this auction work.” Milgrom developed a more general theory of auctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Americans have figured prominently among this year’s Nobel winners. Leaving aside the peace prize, which went to the U.N.’s World Food Program, seven of the 11 laureates have been Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Goran Hansson, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences who announced the award, said that reflected American investment in research after WWII. “And we’ll see how that trend may change,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Last year’s award went to two researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a third from Harvard University, for research into efforts to reduce global poverty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The award comes at a time of dramatic economic upheaval that few economists could have predicted last fall: In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, governments have closed borders, imposed lockdowns and ordered other measures, triggering a sharp dip in business activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Wilson said that, given the ongoing pandemic, he had no immediate plans for what to do with his share of the the 10 million krona ($1.1 million) cash prize that comes with the award, along with a gold medal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">“Probably I’ll just save it for my wife, my children,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">Last week, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize for physiology and medicine for discovering the \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-nobel-prizes-archive-stockholm-cd0a12d2ec738a6662b915a1f0cf54d9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus\u003c/a>. The prize for physics honored breakthroughs in \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/didier-queloz-nobel-prizes-james-peebles-stockholm-planets-23b9457068a91d40468bbdce34826c2f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">understanding black holes\u003c/a>, and the chemistry prize went to scientists behind a \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/nobel-prizes-chemistry-archive-stockholm-14ba023fa7a90b34df2d7a6d0314c796\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">powerful gene-editing tool\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">The literature prize was awarded to \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/nobel-prizes-peter-handke-archive-olga-tokarczuk-aa1bc53e501100aa3b93f8eacfde9028\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American poet Louise Glück\u003c/a>. The World Food Program won the peace prize for its \u003ca class=\"\" href=\"https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-health-oslo-russia-b6ea1ba3f7c8daed96ad2734f11c61cb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">effort to combat hunger\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"Component-root-0-2-186 Component-p-0-2-177\">\u003cem>Jordans reported from Berlin, Wiseman from Washington. Associated Press writers Desiree Seals in Smyrna, Georgia, and David Runk in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970251/stanford-economists-win-nobel-prize-for-improving-auctions",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1970251"
],
"categories": [
"science_40",
"science_4450"
],
"tags": [
"science_4209",
"science_3780"
],
"featImg": "science_1970254",
"label": "source_science_1970251"
},
"science_1970227": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "science_1970227",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1970227",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1602264456000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1602264456,
"format": "standard",
"title": "4 Million Acres Have Burned in California. But Scientists Say That's the Wrong Number to Focus On",
"headTitle": "4 Million Acres Have Burned in California. But Scientists Say That’s the Wrong Number to Focus On | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Wildfires in the West are producing a parade of chilling statistics. More than 4 million acres have burned in California, the most in recorded history. Colorado saw its largest wildfire and in Northern California, the August Complex fire has passed the \u003ca href=\"https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6983/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one-million-acre mark\u003c/a>, generating an entirely new term: “gigafire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, some fire scientists warn that focusing on these record-breaking numbers could do more harm than good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Extreme fires this year have taken a massive human toll, both on those evacuated from their homes and on millions of others breathing unhealthy air. Some experts say the focus on acres burned obscures those human costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The emphasis on acreage also does little to reframe our relationship with fire, since it implies bigger fires are always “bad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fire scientists say returning some fire to the landscape is key to reducing the destructiveness of future fires, either by purposely setting low-grade, controlled burns or allowing wildfires to burn as long as they don’t threaten human development. Those fires remove dense and dead vegetation, which has fueled some of the explosive fires this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even within a single fire, we have to be able to distinguish between the good and the bad and focusing on area burned doesn’t allow us to do that,” says Crystal Kolden, a fire scientist at UC Merced, writing in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02740-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">journal Nature\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, some fire scientists say public messaging should focus on the community impact: the number of people evacuated and homes threatened. Fire agencies should also attempt to quantify the benefits a fire may have to natural ecosystems. Wildfire has been absent from many landscapes after decades of suppression and some plants are adapted to and benefit from regular fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While 4 million acres may seem staggering, studies show it’s on par with California’s natural fire cycle over millennia, influenced in large part by Native American tribes who \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/08/24/899422710/to-manage-wildfire-california-looks-to-what-tribes-have-known-all-along\">used fire proactively\u003c/a> to shape the landscape. Since fires happened more regularly then, they wouldn’t have been as extreme.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have not been adapting,” says Ernesto Alvarado, professor of wildland fire at the University of Washington. “We will never be Native Americans, but we can be indigenious to the land. And one of the things we need to accept: this place burns. The West burns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>1. Instead of reporting acres burned, focus on homes and people\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For firefighting efforts, determining how much acreage is burning is crucial for operational planning, as agencies try to coordinate the needed personnel and resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the easiest thing for us to calculate,” Kolden says. “When you’re in fire management, it’s the way you report to your superiors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, for the public, wildfire size says little about what’s actually at stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It gives you this one perception of fire: that it’s all bad and it’s something to be battled,” says Matthew Hurteau, a forest ecologist at the University of New Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often, the human cost of wildfires has little to do with their size. California’s three \u003ca href=\"https://fire.ca.gov/media/11417/top20_destruction.pdf\">most destructive wildfires\u003c/a> aren’t among the state’s largest. The 1991 Tunnel fire in the Oakland hills was relatively tiny at 1,600 acres, but destroyed 2,900 structures and killed 25 people. Even the Camp Fire, which burned more than 18,000 structures in Paradise, California, isn’t even in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/11416/top20_acres.pdf\">top 20, ranked by acreage\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we should concentrate more on the human losses,” Alvarado says. “Wildfires in populated areas, it doesn’t matter what size those are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To convey the human costs in the early days of fire, public messaging could focus on the number of homes threatened or how many people are under evacuation orders. As a fire progresses, it can also be measured by the number of homes destroyed or fatalities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Public authorities could also report on a broader human impact: the number of people experiencing harmful air due to smoke. While detailed maps are available with smoke concentrations, showing the air quality index, there are few measures of the scale of that public health impact. Poor air quality due to smoke is linked to a rise in emergency room visits due to asthma, stroke and heart attacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kolden says shifting that focus could help influence communities and local governments to put more of their efforts into improving evacuation plans or making older houses more fire-resistant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says: “Focusing on fatalities, focusing on homes is going to get us to the place where we can say: oh, instead of trying to suppress the fire, maybe we should do the things we know minimize home losses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>2. Categorize a wildfire’s speed and intensity\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, many fire evacuees have had alarmingly similar stories: with just minutes to spare, they fled their homes as a fast-moving wildfire closed in. Some haven’t made it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The thing that’s absolutely striking to me this fire season is how quickly some of these fires are spreading,” Hurteau says. “When we have significant impacts to society, it has a lot to do with how quickly the fire is spreading, because that affects how much firefighters can do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While many fires are driven by high winds, others produce so much heat that they generate their own internal weather, including massive \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/08/18/903399662/extreme-heat-and-fire-tornadoes-slow-firefighting-efforts-in-california\">pyrocumulus clouds\u003c/a>, fueling rapid growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A fire can start to create its own winds and then become this self-fulfilling prophecy, right?” Hurteau says. “It can really start to drive itself forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hurteau says more communication about that speed and intensity could help the public understand the threat better and take evacuation orders more seriously. Hurricanes are categorized by their wind speed and destructive power, such as a “Category 5” storm. Wildfires currently have no rating system, aside from a “red flag” warnings about high wind events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>3. Describe the benefits to the landscape\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a jarring thought to consider, but even wildfires that destroy homes and buildings in one area can still have a positive impact on the ecosystem elsewhere. California’s forests, in particular, are adapted to regular burning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t allow fire to burn in those places regularly,” Kolden says, “you get a build up of too many trees, too much shrubs in the understory and that is what we have seen is driving a lot of these really large fires.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ideally, when a wildfire returns to those ecosystems, it can create a fresh start, allowing fire agencies and land managers to ensure they don’t become overgrown again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How wildfires affect an ecosystem can vary. While it may look like a blob on a map, a fire often burns very differently within its boundaries. Some patches experience severe fire, while others may experience low-grade burning. The fire may skip large pockets altogether, creating islands of living plants and vegetation that send seeds to regenerate burned areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kolden says creating a scorecard for these benefits could help the public see the importance of fire, even if the air is smoky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But with warming temperatures and overgrown landscapes, not all wildfires are helpful. Some ecosystems are experiencing such intense burning that it hampers their ability to bounce back. If too many trees are killed in some pine forests, they don’t seed a new generation of trees, allowing brush to take over and creating a permanent ecological shift.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A more important measure is what fraction of an area burned is characteristic of the ecology of that region vs. uncharacteristic,” Hurteau says. “That’ll give us insight into how the ecosystem will respond.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>4. Describe how climate change is making it all worse\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Average annual temperatures are rising in the West. And even small increases are creating runaway impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hotter air pulls moisture out of plants and vegetation, making them more flammable. Drier soils, in turn, make the air itself hotter. Normally, temperatures fall at night, humidity rises and fire activity declines, giving firefighters a break. Now, nighttime temperatures are warming, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of California, other Western states are experiencing fires beyond their normal fire seasons. In the Pacific Northwest this year, drought conditions have fueled several large wildfires. Normally wet forests, like those in Oregon, are \u003ca href=\"https://www.opb.org/article/2020/09/21/oregon-wildfires-climate-change-role/\">drying out earlier\u003c/a> in the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While fires are normal in California in October, they’re rare in the Southwest because of cooler temperatures and the arrival of monsoon rains. But this year, the rainfall was remarkably low, on top of record heat waves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have the potential for a significant fire event on a day like today in October, which is really unusual,” Hurteau says . “And that’s a climate signal for sure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Describing how wildfire seasons are shifting could help the public understand how climate change can cause a cascade of effects. Fires are shifting beyond the bounds of what is known.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is going to become more common,” says Hurteau. “Especially with a warming climate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=4+Million+Acres+Have+Burned+In+California.+Why+That%27s+The+Wrong+Number+To+Focus+On&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1573,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 44
},
"modified": 1704847002,
"excerpt": "Wildfires in California have set a new record, but some fire scientists say focusing on that number is doing more harm than good.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Wildfires in California have set a new record, but some fire scientists say focusing on that number is doing more harm than good.",
"title": "4 Million Acres Have Burned in California. But Scientists Say That's the Wrong Number to Focus On | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "4 Million Acres Have Burned in California. But Scientists Say That's the Wrong Number to Focus On",
"datePublished": "2020-10-09T10:27:36-07:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-09T16:36:42-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "4-million-acres-have-burned-in-california-but-scientists-say-thats-the-wrong-number-to-focus-on",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=921209244&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprStoryDate": "Wed, 07 Oct 2020 16:06:00 -0400",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Thu, 08 Oct 2020 00:52:16 -0400",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2020/10/07/921209244/four-million-acres-have-burned-in-california-why-thats-the-wrong-number-to-focus?ft=nprml&f=921209244",
"nprAudio": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2020/10/20201007_atc_four_million_acres_have_burned_in_california_why_thats_the_wrong_number_to_focus_on.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1007&d=159&p=2&story=921209244&ft=nprml&f=921209244",
"nprImageAgency": "AFP via Getty Images",
"source": "NPR",
"nprAudioM3u": "http://api.npr.org/m3u/1921287351-60813c.m3u?orgId=1&topicId=1007&d=159&p=2&story=921209244&ft=nprml&f=921209244",
"nprStoryId": "921209244",
"nprByline": "Lauren Sommer \u003cbr />NPR\u003cbr>",
"sticky": false,
"nprImageCredit": "JOSH EDELSON",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Thu, 08 Oct 2020 00:56:00 -0400",
"path": "/science/1970227/4-million-acres-have-burned-in-california-but-scientists-say-thats-the-wrong-number-to-focus-on",
"audioUrl": "https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2020/10/20201007_atc_four_million_acres_have_burned_in_california_why_thats_the_wrong_number_to_focus_on.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1007&d=159&p=2&story=921209244&ft=nprml&f=921209244",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Wildfires in the West are producing a parade of chilling statistics. More than 4 million acres have burned in California, the most in recorded history. Colorado saw its largest wildfire and in Northern California, the August Complex fire has passed the \u003ca href=\"https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6983/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one-million-acre mark\u003c/a>, generating an entirely new term: “gigafire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, some fire scientists warn that focusing on these record-breaking numbers could do more harm than good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Extreme fires this year have taken a massive human toll, both on those evacuated from their homes and on millions of others breathing unhealthy air. Some experts say the focus on acres burned obscures those human costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The emphasis on acreage also does little to reframe our relationship with fire, since it implies bigger fires are always “bad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fire scientists say returning some fire to the landscape is key to reducing the destructiveness of future fires, either by purposely setting low-grade, controlled burns or allowing wildfires to burn as long as they don’t threaten human development. Those fires remove dense and dead vegetation, which has fueled some of the explosive fires this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even within a single fire, we have to be able to distinguish between the good and the bad and focusing on area burned doesn’t allow us to do that,” says Crystal Kolden, a fire scientist at UC Merced, writing in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02740-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">journal Nature\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, some fire scientists say public messaging should focus on the community impact: the number of people evacuated and homes threatened. Fire agencies should also attempt to quantify the benefits a fire may have to natural ecosystems. Wildfire has been absent from many landscapes after decades of suppression and some plants are adapted to and benefit from regular fires.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While 4 million acres may seem staggering, studies show it’s on par with California’s natural fire cycle over millennia, influenced in large part by Native American tribes who \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/08/24/899422710/to-manage-wildfire-california-looks-to-what-tribes-have-known-all-along\">used fire proactively\u003c/a> to shape the landscape. Since fires happened more regularly then, they wouldn’t have been as extreme.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have not been adapting,” says Ernesto Alvarado, professor of wildland fire at the University of Washington. “We will never be Native Americans, but we can be indigenious to the land. And one of the things we need to accept: this place burns. The West burns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>1. Instead of reporting acres burned, focus on homes and people\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For firefighting efforts, determining how much acreage is burning is crucial for operational planning, as agencies try to coordinate the needed personnel and resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s the easiest thing for us to calculate,” Kolden says. “When you’re in fire management, it’s the way you report to your superiors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, for the public, wildfire size says little about what’s actually at stake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It gives you this one perception of fire: that it’s all bad and it’s something to be battled,” says Matthew Hurteau, a forest ecologist at the University of New Mexico.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often, the human cost of wildfires has little to do with their size. California’s three \u003ca href=\"https://fire.ca.gov/media/11417/top20_destruction.pdf\">most destructive wildfires\u003c/a> aren’t among the state’s largest. The 1991 Tunnel fire in the Oakland hills was relatively tiny at 1,600 acres, but destroyed 2,900 structures and killed 25 people. Even the Camp Fire, which burned more than 18,000 structures in Paradise, California, isn’t even in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/11416/top20_acres.pdf\">top 20, ranked by acreage\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think we should concentrate more on the human losses,” Alvarado says. “Wildfires in populated areas, it doesn’t matter what size those are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To convey the human costs in the early days of fire, public messaging could focus on the number of homes threatened or how many people are under evacuation orders. As a fire progresses, it can also be measured by the number of homes destroyed or fatalities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Public authorities could also report on a broader human impact: the number of people experiencing harmful air due to smoke. While detailed maps are available with smoke concentrations, showing the air quality index, there are few measures of the scale of that public health impact. Poor air quality due to smoke is linked to a rise in emergency room visits due to asthma, stroke and heart attacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kolden says shifting that focus could help influence communities and local governments to put more of their efforts into improving evacuation plans or making older houses more fire-resistant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She says: “Focusing on fatalities, focusing on homes is going to get us to the place where we can say: oh, instead of trying to suppress the fire, maybe we should do the things we know minimize home losses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>2. Categorize a wildfire’s speed and intensity\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, many fire evacuees have had alarmingly similar stories: with just minutes to spare, they fled their homes as a fast-moving wildfire closed in. Some haven’t made it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The thing that’s absolutely striking to me this fire season is how quickly some of these fires are spreading,” Hurteau says. “When we have significant impacts to society, it has a lot to do with how quickly the fire is spreading, because that affects how much firefighters can do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While many fires are driven by high winds, others produce so much heat that they generate their own internal weather, including massive \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/08/18/903399662/extreme-heat-and-fire-tornadoes-slow-firefighting-efforts-in-california\">pyrocumulus clouds\u003c/a>, fueling rapid growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A fire can start to create its own winds and then become this self-fulfilling prophecy, right?” Hurteau says. “It can really start to drive itself forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hurteau says more communication about that speed and intensity could help the public understand the threat better and take evacuation orders more seriously. Hurricanes are categorized by their wind speed and destructive power, such as a “Category 5” storm. Wildfires currently have no rating system, aside from a “red flag” warnings about high wind events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>3. Describe the benefits to the landscape\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a jarring thought to consider, but even wildfires that destroy homes and buildings in one area can still have a positive impact on the ecosystem elsewhere. California’s forests, in particular, are adapted to regular burning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you don’t allow fire to burn in those places regularly,” Kolden says, “you get a build up of too many trees, too much shrubs in the understory and that is what we have seen is driving a lot of these really large fires.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ideally, when a wildfire returns to those ecosystems, it can create a fresh start, allowing fire agencies and land managers to ensure they don’t become overgrown again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How wildfires affect an ecosystem can vary. While it may look like a blob on a map, a fire often burns very differently within its boundaries. Some patches experience severe fire, while others may experience low-grade burning. The fire may skip large pockets altogether, creating islands of living plants and vegetation that send seeds to regenerate burned areas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kolden says creating a scorecard for these benefits could help the public see the importance of fire, even if the air is smoky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But with warming temperatures and overgrown landscapes, not all wildfires are helpful. Some ecosystems are experiencing such intense burning that it hampers their ability to bounce back. If too many trees are killed in some pine forests, they don’t seed a new generation of trees, allowing brush to take over and creating a permanent ecological shift.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A more important measure is what fraction of an area burned is characteristic of the ecology of that region vs. uncharacteristic,” Hurteau says. “That’ll give us insight into how the ecosystem will respond.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>4. Describe how climate change is making it all worse\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Average annual temperatures are rising in the West. And even small increases are creating runaway impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hotter air pulls moisture out of plants and vegetation, making them more flammable. Drier soils, in turn, make the air itself hotter. Normally, temperatures fall at night, humidity rises and fire activity declines, giving firefighters a break. Now, nighttime temperatures are warming, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of California, other Western states are experiencing fires beyond their normal fire seasons. In the Pacific Northwest this year, drought conditions have fueled several large wildfires. Normally wet forests, like those in Oregon, are \u003ca href=\"https://www.opb.org/article/2020/09/21/oregon-wildfires-climate-change-role/\">drying out earlier\u003c/a> in the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While fires are normal in California in October, they’re rare in the Southwest because of cooler temperatures and the arrival of monsoon rains. But this year, the rainfall was remarkably low, on top of record heat waves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have the potential for a significant fire event on a day like today in October, which is really unusual,” Hurteau says . “And that’s a climate signal for sure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Describing how wildfire seasons are shifting could help the public understand how climate change can cause a cascade of effects. Fires are shifting beyond the bounds of what is known.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is going to become more common,” says Hurteau. “Especially with a warming climate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=4+Million+Acres+Have+Burned+In+California.+Why+That%27s+The+Wrong+Number+To+Focus+On&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/science/1970227/4-million-acres-have-burned-in-california-but-scientists-say-thats-the-wrong-number-to-focus-on",
"authors": [
"byline_science_1970227"
],
"categories": [
"science_35",
"science_40",
"science_4450",
"science_3730"
],
"tags": [
"science_2936",
"science_113"
],
"featImg": "science_1970228",
"label": "source_science_1970227"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"radioSearchSegmentsReducer": {},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/science?category=news": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 1020,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 3367,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"science_1970500",
"science_1970273",
"science_1970565",
"science_1970271",
"science_1970449",
"science_1970419",
"science_1970355",
"science_1970388",
"science_1970329",
"science_1970286",
"science_1970251",
"science_1970227"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science_category_news": {
"isLoading": true
},
"science_40": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_40",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "40",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 42,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/news"
},
"source_science_1970500": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970500",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "InsideClimate News",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970273": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970273",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Astronomy",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970565": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970565",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "STAT",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970449": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970449",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Climate Change",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970419": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970419",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Wildfires",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970355": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970355",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Election 2020",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970388": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970388",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Earthquakes",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970329": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970329",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "STAT",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970286": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970286",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Coronavirus",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970251": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970251",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "AP",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_science_1970227": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_science_1970227",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "NPR",
"isLoading": false
},
"science_2874": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2874",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2874",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Animals",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Animals Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2874,
"slug": "animals",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/animals"
},
"science_35": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_35",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "35",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Environment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Environment Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 37,
"slug": "environment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/environment"
},
"science_4450": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4450",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4450",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Science Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4450,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/science"
},
"science_4122": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4122",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4122",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "InsideClimate News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "InsideClimate News Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4122,
"slug": "insideclimate-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/insideclimate-news"
},
"science_28": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_28",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "28",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Astronomy",
"description": "Explore the universe with KQED Science! Dive into the latest astronomy news, discover celestial events, and unravel the mysteries of outer space.",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Explore the universe with KQED Science! Dive into the latest astronomy news, discover celestial events, and unravel the mysteries of outer space.",
"title": "Astronomy Articles | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 30,
"slug": "astronomy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/astronomy"
},
"science_1073": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_1073",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1073",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "astronomy",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "astronomy Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1081,
"slug": "astronomy-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/astronomy-2"
},
"science_4414": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4414",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4414",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-science Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4414,
"slug": "featured-science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/featured-science"
},
"science_39": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_39",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "39",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 41,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/health"
},
"science_3890": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_3890",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "3890",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Medical Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Medical Science Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3890,
"slug": "medical-science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/medical-science"
},
"science_4329": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4329",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4329",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Coronavirus",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Coronavirus Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4329,
"slug": "coronavirus",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/coronavirus"
},
"science_1935": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_1935",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "1935",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Deep Look",
"description": "[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpAc7SyETD4?rel=0&w=640&h=360]\r\n\r\n\u003cbr/>\r\n\r\n\u003ch2>About Deep Look\u003c/h2>\r\n\r\n[dl_subscribe]\r\n\r\n\u003cp>See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Get a new perspective on our place in the universe and meet extraordinary new friends. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small with Deep Look, a new ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios.\u003c/p>\r\n\r\n\u003cp>Don't miss an episode! \u003ca href=\"http://goo.gl/8NwXqt\">SUBSCRIBE to Deep Look on YouTube.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\r\n",
"taxonomy": "series",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpAc7SyETD4?rel=0&w=640&h=360] About Deep Look [dl_subscribe] See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Get a new perspective on our place in the universe and meet extraordinary new friends. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small with Deep Look, a new ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. Don't miss an episode! SUBSCRIBE to Deep Look on YouTube.",
"title": "Deep Look Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1946,
"slug": "deep-look",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/series/deep-look"
},
"science_30": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_30",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "30",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Biology",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Biology Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32,
"slug": "biology",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/biology"
},
"science_86": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_86",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "86",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Video",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Video Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 89,
"slug": "video",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/video"
},
"science_31": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_31",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "31",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Climate",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Climate Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33,
"slug": "climate",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/climate"
},
"science_33": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_33",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "33",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Energy",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Energy Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 35,
"slug": "energy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/energy"
},
"science_182": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_182",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "182",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "climate",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "climate Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 186,
"slug": "climate-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/climate-2"
},
"science_134": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_134",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "134",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "energy",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "energy Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 138,
"slug": "energy-2",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/energy-2"
},
"science_3730": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_3730",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "3730",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Wildfires",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Wildfires Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3730,
"slug": "wildfires",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/wildfires"
},
"science_113": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_113",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "113",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "wildfire",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "wildfire Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 117,
"slug": "wildfire",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/wildfire"
},
"science_32": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_32",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "32",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Education Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 34,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/education"
},
"science_2006": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2006",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2006",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "election",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "election Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2017,
"slug": "election",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/election"
},
"science_4417": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4417",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4417",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-news Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4417,
"slug": "featured-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/featured-news"
},
"science_427": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_427",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "427",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "earthquakes",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "earthquakes Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 433,
"slug": "earthquakes",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/earthquakes"
},
"science_5181": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5181",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5181",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "health Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5181,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/health"
},
"science_410": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_410",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "410",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "vaccines",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "vaccines Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 416,
"slug": "vaccines",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/vaccines"
},
"science_5376": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5376",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5376",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Science Podcast",
"slug": "science-podcast",
"taxonomy": "program",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Science Podcast | KQED Science",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 5376,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/program/science-podcast"
},
"science_5141": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_5141",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "5141",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Podcast Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5141,
"slug": "podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/podcast"
},
"science_3423": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_3423",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "3423",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"socialTitle": "Bay Area Science: Stories & Insights with KQED's Science Podcasts",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Our captivating podcasts take you on a journey through the Bay Area's vibrant scientific landscape. Discover groundbreaking research & hear expert insights.",
"title": "Bay Area Science: Stories & Insights with KQED's Science Podcasts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3423,
"slug": "science-podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/category/science-podcast"
},
"science_4368": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4368",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4368",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "COVID-19",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "COVID-19 Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4368,
"slug": "covid-19",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/covid-19"
},
"science_4209": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_4209",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "4209",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "AP",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "AP Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4209,
"slug": "ap",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/ap"
},
"science_3780": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_3780",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "3780",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "economics",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "economics Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3780,
"slug": "economics",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/economics"
},
"science_2936": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "science_2936",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "science",
"id": "2936",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "NPR",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "NPR Archives | KQED Science",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2936,
"slug": "npr",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/science/tag/npr"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}
