Issue # 281 _ July 2019

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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
The threat of microplastics: Tiny plastic fragments are everywhere and removing them poses a major challenge
Reuse, replace, degrade: Experts call for multiple strategies to tackle plastic pollution

S&T Policy

Tools for planning the future

Stability in funding at state universities in São Paulo allowed for continual education about financial management

Funding

New life for the Ipiranga Museum

With support from public and private companies, construction to restore and modernize the monumental building begins in September

Reproducibility

A test-tube mirage

Failed cold fusion experiment attempted 30 years ago showed how illusory discoveries trigger self-correcting mechanisms in science

Interview

Youngsuk Chi: Sustainable transition

For the president of Elsevier, Plan S is viable, but only over the long term

Science

Epidemiology

Fattening foods

New evidence links ultra-processed foods to weight gain

Public 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

Neurology

A new form of dementia

Confused with Alzheimer’s, LATE appears with greater frequency in octogenarians

Genetics

Scattered ancestry

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

Soundscape

Environmental acoustics

Audio recordings are used to profile ecosystems and identify changes caused by humans

Physics

The unexpected power of friction

Brazilian and German scientists explain unexpected motion of barrel in explosive ping-pong ball experiment

Technology

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

Aviation

Cleaner flight

Embraer and WEG team up to develop electric propulsion systems for aviation

Humanities

Public Health

Disarming Violence

Curbing Brazil’s homicide epidemic hinges on restricting access to firearms, fresh research suggests

Public policy

Enhanced treatment

Studies identify new evidence that cash transfer programs help fight tuberculosis in Brazil

Photography

Much more than a photographer

A retrospective on Marc Ferrez brings to light his dialogue with science and expands knowledge of his work