Abstracts: Wind Speeds, Lead in Schools (Again), and More
• By comparing wind speed data from automated weather stations to data collected by storm reporters, researchers have found that humans, on average, overestimate the speed of wind gusts by about one third. (Eos)
Since 1990, collisions between bald eagles and airplanes have increased 2,200 percent. (Visual by Eric Ellingson/Flickr)
• On the heels of a report on lead in the water of schools in Portland, Oregon, a new survey has found that 20 Massachusetts school districts also have high lead levels in their water fountains. (Boston Globe)
• Success comes at a price. A once-threatened species, reports of eagle-plane collisions to the Federal Aviation Administration have increased by 2,200 percent since 1990. (LA Times)
• It used to be thought that nothing could escape from a black hole, but physicists like Stephan Hawking now say they might not represent a permanent — or inescapable — fate. (New York Times)
• Time is of the essence when dealing with a stroke. Luckily, advancing technology has made treating them easier and faster than ever. (Sacramento Bee)
• For many, birdwatching is more than just a pastime — it’s a fierce, competitive and exhausting sport. (Lateral Magazine)
• The jungles of Central America have many dangerous plants, but in one unique relationship, a poisonous tree happens to grow right next to its own antidote. (Atlas Obscura)
• In response to calls to take over the cleanup of the radioactive West Lake landfill near St. Louis, Missouri, the Army Corps of Engineers has said in a letter that it would not be able to act any faster than the EPA is already. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• Two couples in Vancouver got sperm donations from a man described as a genius with an “impressive health history.” What they actually got were the genes of mentally-ill convicted felon. (Vancouver Sun)
• And finally, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that he doesn’t want his company to be able to read customer data. But in an era where customer data is such a commodity, Apple might not be able to stick to its guns. (MIT Tech Review)