Editor's note

President Donald Trump has been threatening China with tariffs over allegations that it’s been stealing the intellectual property of American companies. As a result, a trade war is brewing. But Rochester Institute of Technology economist Amitrajeet Batabyal believes there is a less risky way to tackle the problem of Chinese piracy: persuade Western companies to boycott China.

This week scientists reported that they had measured a huge dead zone in the Gulf of Oman, where deep waters are so depleted of oxygen that no life forms can survive. This dead zone is the world’s largest, but there are hundreds around the globe. Donald Scavia, professor emeritus of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan, explains how they form and why it’s challenging – but not impossible – to reduce them.

Eczema causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin in about a third of Americans. Physician Ian Myles describes a clinical trial in which he applied “good” bacteria to the skin of patients suffering from the painful condition. The promising results suggest it may not be long before we use probiotic creams and lotions containing various microbes to treat other skin infections.

Bryan Keogh

Economics + Business Editor

Top Stories

China hopes to make more microprocessor chips in China, which makes it a great industry to lead a boycott. AP Photo

Boycott China and avoid a trade war

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

If companies in key industries collectively shunned the Chinese market, that would force China's leaders to take notice, with less risk of blowback.

Blooms of algae, like this growth in 2015 in Lake St. Clair between Michigan and Ontario, promote the formation of dead zones. NASA Earth Observatory

Dead zones are a global water pollution challenge – but with sustained effort they can come back to life

Donald Scavia, University of Michigan

Scientists have mapped a huge dead zone in the Gulf of Oman, without enough oxygen in the water to support life. This Speed Read explains why dead zones form in waters around the world.

Eczema, which is common in babies, is itchy and painful. silentalex88/Shutterstock.com

Applying live bacteria to skin improves eczema

Ian Myles, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

In this clinical trial, the first of its kind, physicians explore whether directly applying a 'good' strain of bacteria to the skin can heal eczema

Arts + Culture

Environment + Energy

Health + Medicine

Politics + Society

Science + Technology

  • Russians hack home internet connections – here's how to protect yourself

    Sandeep Nair Narayanan, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Anupam Joshi, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Sudip Mittal, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    Here's how to secure your home network, whether or not it has already been attacked by hackers.

  • That distinctive springtime smell: Asparagus pee

    Sarah Coseo Markt, Harvard University

    Perhaps you've noticed something unusual in the bathroom after you consume this healthy spring vegetable. A Speed Read explains there's two parts to the stinky puzzle: production and perception.

From our International Editions

Today’s quote

“Nondisclosure agreements are designed to keep the reputations of allegedly abusive high-flyers intact, an arrangement that can allow repeated wrongdoing.”

 

Taxpayers are subsidizing hush money for sexual harassment and assault

 

Peter J. Henning

Wayne State University

Peter J. Henning