Health
Reporter's Notes: Strawberries and Worker Safety – Part Two
How much can we count on respirators, buffer zones and other tools to protect people from a toxic chemical? That's the focus of this week's QUEST radio story.
Post on Jun 11, 2010 by Amy Standen
Strawberries and Worker Safety
Methyl bromide – a powerful fumigant used by strawberry growers to sterilize the soil before plants go in – was found to harm the Earth's ozone layer. Strawberry farmers have been clamoring for a replacement, and they may get their wish if the state approves a chemical called methyl iodide. But some state scientists say it could cause cancer and miscarriages in farm workers and nearby communities.
Audio Report on Jun 07, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Strawberries and Worker Safety
After millions of dollars of research, strawberry growers have come up with an alternative to methyl bromide, which damages the ozone layer: methyl iodide. Unfortunately, methyl iodide has its own set of problems.
Post on Jun 04, 2010 by Amy Standen
Chickens in the House
Raising chickens offers a good life for our feathered friends, a sense of peace, a connection to nature and our food source, eggs with high nutritional value, a composting and fertilization system, free entertainment and another reason to rise and shine.
Post on May 19, 2010 by Amy Gotliffe
Baby Brain Development
Thousands of babies are born each year in the U.S. with brain defects that can cause lifelong disability or even death. UC-San Francisco neurologists and pediatricians are developing better diagnostic tools and treatments to help brain-damaged babies not only survive, but grow up to live more normal lives.
Audio Report on May 17, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Baby Brain Development
It is well known that strokes can happen in the elderly. But what many people don't know is that babies suffer strokes.
Post on May 14, 2010 by Quest Radio
Hepatitis C: The Silent Epidemic
Hepatitis C is a virus that causes cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. It's the leading cause for liver transplants in the U.S., and an estimated 4 million Americans have the disease. Current treatments are difficult to tolerate and are often ineffective, but recent breakthroughs from Bay Area scientists may soon produce a cure for the disease that claims more than 10,000 American lives each year.
Video on May 11, 2010 by Jon Fromer from QUEST Northern California
Producer's Notes: Hepatitis C, Hope and Humanity
I came to realize that hope has a lot to do with science. It’s the driving force for those who seek cures, for those who work to protect the environment, for those who search for solutions to the pain and problems facing humanity.
Post on May 11, 2010 by Jon Fromer
What if the Geneticists are Wrong?
What if most people or families had unique DNA differences that led to their disease? Then scientists have been going about finding the causes of genetic disease in the wrong way.
Post on May 10, 2010 by Dr. Barry Starr
The American Diet
I just finished reading Omnivore’s Dilemma. It mysteriously appeared on my desk a few months ago; someone who still is anonymous thought I should read it.
Post on Apr 15, 2010 by Cat
QUEST Quiz: Sleep
Our companion story to "Catching Up on Sleep Science", this short segment serves as a quiz for viewers to test their knowledge about sleep and sleep disorders.
Video on Apr 13, 2010 by Amy Miller from QUEST Northern California
Catching Up on Sleep Science
Everyone can appreciate the value of a good night's sleep. But did you know that a lack of sleep can have real consequences for your health? QUEST investigates how sleep affects our minds and bodies and uncovers why some people are genetically programmed to need less sleep than others.
Video on Apr 13, 2010 by Sheraz Sadiq from QUEST Northern California
Producer's Notes: In Search of a Better Night's Sleep
Nearly all of us have had the experience of waking up and feeling as though the restorative, rejuvenating effects of a good night's sleep had passed us by.
Post on Apr 13, 2010 by Sheraz Sadiq
Teaching the Brain To See
Thanks to stem cells and other cutting-edge technologies, doctors hope they may one day be able to restore sight to people who were born without it, or lost it, later in life. But a rare case here in the Bay Area suggests that curing blindness may be more than meets the eye.
Audio Report on Mar 01, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Can You Teach A Brain To See?
When Mike was three years old, he opened up a jar containing an explosive chemical that the miners had left behind. The accident left him nearly blind. Forty-two years later, doctors fixed one of his eyes in a series of two procedures.
Post on Feb 26, 2010 by Amy Standen
Truckers Clean Up Their Act
This month, truckers at the Port of Oakland face new rules on diesel rigs.The rules call for expensive filters that cut down the amount of soot the trucks spew out. Many truckers say they can't afford the new gear, especially amid a recession. But treating the health effects of diesel pollution may be much more expensive.
Audio Report on Jan 25, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
The Wild, Wild Web
I have often thought that the percentage of good scientific information on the web must be pretty low. So I decided to test the idea out on a question I was recently working on.
Post on Jan 18, 2010 by Dr. Barry Starr
Careful What You Choose
People often think about certain versions of a gene as either good or bad. One that leads to depression is bad while one that protects you from HIV infection is good. For most genes this is almost certainly too simplistic a view. Many versions of genes can be good or bad depending on your situation.
Post on Jan 04, 2010 by Dr. Barry Starr
Tactile Maps
Human beings have used maps to describe the world for thousands of years. Blind people have used Braille for about 150. But there's never been a way for the blind to have easy access to maps of everyday places. Until now. Amy Standen reports.
Audio Report on Dec 31, 2009 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Don't Forget about Life Style Choices
As readers of this blog might remember, I was recently diagnosed with metabolic syndrome just as I was undergoing DNA testing. This was a wake up call in a couple of different ways.
Post on Dec 21, 2009 by Dr. Barry Starr
