Issue # 281 _ July 2019
Cover
- Plastic Planet
- Invented a century ago, the polymeric material that at first seemed to make modern life so much easier has now become a major environmental problem By Yuri Vasconcelos
- The threat of microplastics
- Tiny plastic fragments are everywhere and removing them poses a major challenge By Frances Jones
- Reuse, replace, degrade
- Experts call for multiple strategies to tackle plastic pollution By Yuri Vasconcelos
S&T Policy
S&T Policy

Tools for planning the future
Stability in funding at state universities in São Paulo allowed for continual education about financial management
By Fabrício MarquesFunding

New life for the Ipiranga Museum
With support from public and private companies, construction to restore and modernize the monumental building begins in September
By Rodrigo de Oliveira AndradeReproducibility

A test-tube mirage
Failed cold fusion experiment attempted 30 years ago showed how illusory discoveries trigger self-correcting mechanisms in science
By Fabrício MarquesInterview

Youngsuk Chi: Sustainable transition
For the president of Elsevier, Plan S is viable, but only over the long term
By Fabrício MarquesScience
Epidemiology

Fattening foods
New evidence links ultra-processed foods to weight gain
By Ricardo ZorzettoPublic health

Kissing bugs have arrived in Greater São Paulo
Since 2015, more than 100 insects have been captured, 30% of them infected with the protozoan that causes Chagas disease
By Carlos FioravantiNeurology

A new form of dementia
Confused with Alzheimer’s, LATE appears with greater frequency in octogenarians
By Carlos FioravantiGenetics

Scattered ancestry
Mestizos from Brazil's southern states have more Amerindian DNA lineage than modern-day indigenous groups in the region.
By Rafael GarciaSoundscape

Environmental acoustics
Audio recordings are used to profile ecosystems and identify changes caused by humans
By Ricardo ZorzettoPhysics

The unexpected power of friction
Brazilian and German scientists explain unexpected motion of barrel in explosive ping-pong ball experiment
By Ricardo ZorzettoTechnology
Food Engineering

Lab-grown beef
Research into meat made from plants or animal cells with the same taste, smell, and texture as traditional beef is advancing quickly
By Suzel TunesAviation

Cleaner flight
Embraer and WEG team up to develop electric propulsion systems for aviation
By Domingos ZaparolliHumanities
Public Health

Disarming Violence
Curbing Brazil’s homicide epidemic hinges on restricting access to firearms, fresh research suggests
By Christina Queiroz