Preparing for the next pandemic

This year's severe flu exposes a serious flaw in our medical system [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 18 January 2018 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note The U.S. is in the throes of a harsh flu season – and Hurricane Maria is making things more complicated. Nearly half of all saline is normally produced in Puerto Rico. But now some hospitals are running low, forcing them to turn to less desirable alternatives. The situation exposes a serious flaw in our medical system. [With so many supplies produced overseas](, Texas A&M’s Morten Wendelbo and Christine Crudo Blackburn explain, the U.S. is always just one pandemic or natural disaster away from a public health crisis. When you think of cultural pursuits, probably some combination of art, music, theater, film and even religion comes to mind. University of Southern California Dornsife physicist Clifford Johnson got sick of seeing science “portrayed as opposite to art, intuition and mystery.” So he taught himself the basics of graphic narratives. His new illustrated book aims to [restore science to its rightful place as part of our general culture](. Most know that Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to break baseball’s color barrier. But what about the first black NHL player? Boston University’s Tom Whalen tells [the story of Boston Bruins forward Willie O’Ree](, who broke hockey’s color barrier 60 years ago today. Aviva Rutkin Big Data + Applied Mathematics Editor Top story Approximately 80 percent of all pharmaceuticals used by Americans are produced overseas. Beer5020/shutterstock.com [This year's severe flu exposes a serious flaw in our medical system]( Morten Wendelbo, Texas A&M University ; Christine Crudo Blackburn, Texas A&M University Thanks to Hurricane Maria, some US hospitals are experiencing a saline shortage. In times of emergency, medical supply chains break down too easily. Science is one thread of culture – and entertainment, including graphic books, can reflect that. 'The Dialogues,' by Clifford V. Johnson (MIT Press 2017) [New ways scientists can help put science back into popular culture]( Clifford Johnson, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences You might not think much about science topics as part of your everyday life. But science – like art, music, religion – is part of our culture, and scientists can help it reclaim its rightful place. Boston Bruins forward Willie O'Ree warms up prior to a game against the New York Rangers in 1960. AP Photo [Willie O'Ree's little-known journey to break the NHL's color barrier]( Thomas J. Whalen, Boston University A debilitating eye injury and racial epithets weren't enough to derail O'Ree's resolve. Health + Medicine - [Re-criminalizing cannabis is worse than 1930s 'reefer madness']( Miriam Boeri, Bentley University Research from the last few decades suggest marijuana helps more than it harms. But Sessions' proposed crackdown would take us back nearly a century. Politics + Society - [Has Venezuela become a totalitarian regime?]( Miguel Angel Latouche, Universidad Central de Venezuela Venezuela's terrible crisis has gotten worse, as children die of hunger and food riots grip the country. Still, President Maduro retains his grip on power. This is not what democracy looks like. - [Life, death and politics in Hawaii: 125 years of colonial rule]( Andrea Freeman, University of Hawaii The fear and distress caused by a false missile alarm last week in Hawaii is part of the 125- year legacy of American occupation. Environment + Energy - [Will the weather get worse in 2018? What the experts say]( Lindsay Beevers, Heriot-Watt University A survey of recent global trends in temperature and rainfall – and a lesson for Mr Trump on the difference between weather and climate. Trending on site - [New study reveals why some people are more creative than others]( Roger Beaty, Harvard University Creative people seem to possess a unique connection between three brain networks that typically work separately. - [The 'greatest pandemic in history' was 100 years ago – but many of us still get the basic facts wrong]( Richard Gunderman, Indiana University Don't believe these 10 common myths about the 1918 Spanish flu. - [Signaling more independence from the US, the World Bank phases out its support for fossil fuels]( Jason Kirk, Elon University Its plan to stop lending money for oil and gas projects embraces the spirit of the Paris agreement at a time when the U.S. is going in a different direction. Today’s chart - [Enable images to see the chart]( From the article: [Universities must prepare for a technology-enabled future]( [Subhash Kak]Subhash Kak Oklahoma State University [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111