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As Reported Cases Spike, Health Officials Say It’s 'Never Too Late' For A Flu Shot Jan 04, 2017

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The flu is making rounds, and health officials across Washington say that 2017 is shaping up to be a severe season. “It’s never too late to get the flu shot," said Edie Jeffers, spokeswoman for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Each year, the flu vaccine is reformulated to match the latest strain of influenza. "This year, it’s an especially good match for the flu that’s in circulation," she said. "So people that do get the flu shot, even if they do get sick, their symptoms are likely to be less severe, or they may skip getting sick altogether.” Pierce County has seen four deaths from the flu so far this year. In King County, there have been eight deaths. And officials almost everywhere are seeing upticks in the number of cases, especially in the last week or two. The illness is particularly hard on the very young, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. In addition to getting a vaccine, officials say frequent hand washing can help. So can shielding your coughs

Rare T. Rex Discovered By Burke Museum Paleontologists Aug 20, 2016

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The Burke Museum is getting a new exhibit: A Tyrannosaurus rex skull. Seattle paleontologists unearthed the fossils in northern Montana last summer. It began when two museum volunteers, Jason Love and Luke Tufts, found fragments of large bones belonging to a carnivorous dinosaur. Greg Wilson led the expedition and is Burke Museum’s adjunct curator of vertebrate paleontology. He says the excavation team had a feeling they were on the trail of a T. rex. Hear him describe it:

Why Do We Age, And What Does It Mean? Jul 23, 2016

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What does it mean to age? When are we over the hill? And what are the side effects of a longer lifespan? On our most recent episode of Sound Effect on KPLU , we explored the idea of aging with Dr. Dan Gottschling .

At Seattle 'Moonshot' Summit, Researchers Say Big Data Is Key To Accelerating Cancer Cures Jun 30, 2016

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Cancer researchers, doctors and survivors gathered Wednesday at hundreds of summits across the country to give guidance to the federal government’s cancer "moonshot.” At the summit in Seattle, hosted by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, “Big Data” emerged as a priority.

The Island Marble Butterfly: A Rare Little Beauty Fighting for Survival On San Juan Island Jun 17, 2016

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An incredibly rare Northwest butterfly has been listed as a species that qualifies it for federal protection. It’s small, and at first glance, it's mostly white. It’s called the Island Marble butterfly.

Northwest Scientists Hope To Save The Citrus Industry Apr 11, 2016

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Orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime orchards are being wiped out across Florida from a plague called citrus greening disease. A team of scientists from Washington State University in Pullman is studying the bacterium that causes the condition. They hope to find a cure. David Gang, a biological chemist at Washington State University, said the bacterium that causes greening disease is transmitted by a psyllid , a winged insect about half the size of a fruit fly, which spreads it from tree to tree. When the bacteria get into a tree’s vascular system, it clogs it up, preventing the flow of nutrients. “It eventually causes the roots to start to die. And then eventually the tree just dies,” said Gang. According to Gang, Florida is in danger of losing its citrus industry. “Yes, seriously. It’s very possible that in five years it will mostly be gone, if something isn’t done to fight it,” said Gang. When a citrus tree is infected, the fruit on the branches stays green and never ripens, which is

Bilingual Babies Get A Head Start On Developing Executive Function Skills Apr 05, 2016

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Children who are raised in a bilingual home appear to have a head start in building the part of the brain that deals with everything from impulse control to mental flexibility. These findings are in a new study that’s out of the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences.

Some One-On-One Attention Boosts Chances Of Latinas Getting Screened For Breast Cancer Apr 01, 2016

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A new study shows that some one-on-one attention paid to Latinas can boost the likelihood they will be screened for breast cancer. For the study, low-income Latinas were visited by a S panish- speaking health care worker called a " p romotora" who provided them with information about getting a mammogram. After the visit, the women received a follow-up phone call, reminding them to make an appointment. The findings show that more than 19 percent of the women who received this one-on-one attention got a mammogram within a year, compared to the 11 percent in the control group. Gloria Coronado, an epidemiologist with Kaiser Permanente based in Portland, was the study’s lead author. Coronado’s goal from the outset was to figure out a way to get more Latinas screened for breast cancer since it is the leading cause of cancer death among this population. There are a variety of reasons why this is the case. “You know, low levels of awareness about the importance of screening, less access to

UW Study Shows Positive Mental Health For Transgender Children Supported By Their Families Feb 26, 2016

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This Seattle Artist Wants To Share Her Slime Mold Revelation Feb 20, 2016

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How do you make something called a “slime mold” sound even more disgusting? Call it “dog vomit slime mold.” It looks more or less like you’d expect, at least from a distance. “It looks a little bit gross to some people. I think it’s pretty cool,” said Angela Mele.

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