HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

May 18, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting-edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• The painful truth about teeth (Washington Post)
• Heroin Epidemic Is Driving a Spike in Hepatitis C Cases, CDC Says (NPR)
• Plant chemicals hope for 'alternative contraceptives' (BBC)
• How to Do a Really Good Job Washing Your Hands (NPR)
• Doctors Who Are Moms Say They Face Discrimination at Work (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Global ‘Wana’ Ransomware Outbreak Earned Perpetrators $26,000 So Far (Krebs)
• Iguana chase wins Bafta for Planet Earth II (BBC)
• Tesla begins taking orders for its solar roof (CNN)
• Could these mini reactors replicate the power of the Sun? (BBC)
• It might be time to say goodbye to the MP3 - so let's look back at its life (BBC)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

The painful truth about teeth (Washington Post)

You can work full time but not have the money to fix your teeth – visible reminders of the divide between rich and poor.

Heroin Epidemic Is Driving a Spike in Hepatitis C Cases, CDC Says (NPR)

From 2010 to 2015, the number of new infections leaped nearly 300 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And researchers appear confident of the cause.

Plant chemicals hope for 'alternative contraceptives' (BBC)

Sperm is stopped in its tracks but there are no side-effects, scientists say.

How to Do a Really Good Job Washing Your Hands (NPR)

A recent study gives thumbs up to the World Health Organization's 6-step plan.

Doctors Who Are Moms Say They Face Discrimination at Work (NPR)

…4 out of 5 physician mothers say they experience workplace discrimination, according the results of a study published last week in JAMA Internal Medicine.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Global ‘Wana’ Ransomware Outbreak Earned Perpetrators $26,000 So Far (Krebs on Security)

As thousands of organizations work to contain and clean up the mess from this week’s devastating Wana ransomware attack, the fraudsters responsible for releasing the digital contagion are no doubt counting their earnings and congratulating themselves on a job well done. But according to a review of the Bitcoin addresses hard-coded into Wana, it appears the perpetrators of what’s being called the worst ransomware outbreak ever have made little more than USD $26,000 so far from the scam.

Iguana chase wins Bafta for Planet Earth II (BBC)

The iguana chase won Planet Earth II the Bafta for Must-See Moment.

Tesla begins taking orders for its solar roof (CNN)

Tesla announced Wednesday that it is accepting $1,000 deposits for its Solar Roof, CEO Musk's vision for elegantly building solar power into homes. It also launched an online calculator so home owners can understand the costs associated with a Solar Roof. Tesla's Solar Roof is made of shingles that are indistinguishable from traditional roof tiling. All of the shingles on a Tesla Solar Roof look identical, but only some gather energy from the sun.

Could these mini reactors replicate the power of the Sun? (BBC)

Tokamak Energy thinks its mini fusion generators will allow the company to test ideas faster than their competitors.

It might be time to say goodbye to the MP3 - so let's look back at its life (BBC)

One of the main developers of the MP3 digital audio coding format says it has "terminated" its licensing programme.