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The tornadoes that devastated parts of the Midwest and Southern U.S. at the end of last week stood out for a few reasons: In addition to the extent of the damage, the storms covered a very large area and were very intense, particularly for December. As the news of the tornadoes came out, editors at The Conversation contacted a number of scientists for explanations of the conditions that led to such powerful tornadoes.
In this piece, two University of Tennessee geographers pick apart how the storms came together and why winter tornadoes are more common in southern states than they are on the U.S. Great Plains, even though even though spring is typically considered tornado season. A second article probes the question of what role climate change is having in tornado formation. Tornado researcher John Allen explains how a warming planet
can create the conditions for more intense storms and what researchers can confidently say about the connections today.
If the gurus of Silicon Valley are to be believed, the future of the internet is the metaverse, which combines today’s web with immersive augmented or virtual reality. In a story titled “I’m a Black woman and the metaverse scares me – here’s how to make the next iteration of the internet inclusive,” a communications researcher describes why builders of this next generation of technology need to be intentional about avoiding the sexism and racism that pervades today’s social media.
Before convening at a recent family gathering, we all took rapid COVID-19 tests, and I’m glad we did. UMass Chan Medical School molecular biologist Nathaniel Hafer explains how best to use these antigen tests, a particularly helpful story as people consider gathering during the holiday season.
Also in this week’s science and research news:
If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email.
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Tornadoes are hard to capture in climate models.
Mike Coniglio/NOAA/NSSL
John Allen, Central Michigan University
Climate models can’t see tornadoes, but they can recognize the conditions for tornadoes to form. An atmospheric scientist explains what that means for forecasting future risks.
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Black women have been harassed and censored on social media. What will they face in the metaverse?
Photo by Carlos Costa/AFP via Getty Images
Breigha Adeyemo, University of Illinois at Chicago
Today’s social media is plagued by racism and sexism. Without intentionally building the metaverse to be inclusive, it will be, too.
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The key to rapid antigen testing is to test early in the course of COVID-19 infection, ideally several times 24 hours apart.
VioletaStoimenova/E+ via Getty Images
Nathaniel Hafer, UMass Chan Medical School
Knowing when and how often to use rapid tests is key to getting an accurate picture of your COVID-19 status.
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Alisa Hass, Middle Tennessee State University; Kelsey Ellis, University of Tennessee
Tornadoes in December aren’t unusual in the Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley states, but the Dec. 10-11 outbreak was extreme and far-reaching.
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Matthew Druckenmiller, University of Colorado Boulder; Rick Thoman, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Twila Moon, University of Colorado Boulder
Sea ice is thinning at an alarming rate. Snow is shifting to rain. And humans worldwide are increasingly feeling the impact of what happens in the seemingly distant Arctic.
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Fiona Greenland, University of Virginia; Michelle D. Fabiani, University of New Haven
Scientists can be asked to help find solutions during disasters. A study of how archaeologists worked on the problem of looting during the Syrian war offers lessons for science done during crisis.
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Robin Chazdon, University of Connecticut; Bruno Hérault, Cirad; Catarina Conte Jakovac, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Lourens Poorter, Wageningen University
As governments and corporations pledge to help the planet by planting trillions of trees, a new study spotlights an effective, low-cost alternative: letting tropical forests regrow naturally.
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Julie Boland, University of Michigan
It appears that the rhythms of your brain waves get in sync with the speech patterns of the person you’re conversing with. Videoconferencing throws off that syncing process.
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Jeanne Paz, University of California, San Francisco
The molecule C1q has both protective and detrimental effects after traumatic brain injury. Blocking it after injury in mice restored normal brain rhythms during sleep and prevented epileptic spikes.
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Peter Kasson, University of Virginia
Careful lab work will complement public health data as researchers worldwide focus on omicron, asking questions about contagiousness, severity of disease and whether vaccines hold up against it.
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