All posts by Nicholas Gerbis

Understanding the Reach (and Limits) of the FDA Antimicrobial Ban

Photo by Lars Klintwall Malmqvist.

A Food and Drug Administration ban on over-the-counter antiseptic  soaps and cosmetics containing certain active ingredients goes into effect Sept. 6.  But it’s up to consumers to avoid products the ban doesn’t cover.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
FDA Antimicrobial Ban Leaves Many Products Unchanged

Kids of DACA-Eligible Parents Have Lower Rates of Anxiety Disorders

Image by John Hain.

As the Trump administration weighs the fate of nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants protected under the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program, a new study reveals the program’s effects on their children.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Study Shows Kids Of DACA Parents Have Better Mental Health Outcomes

For Some Dinosaurs, it Wasn’t the Asteroid, but the Aftermath

Image by Don Davis/NASA.

The recent solar eclipse plunged a swath of the U.S. into two minutes of gloom, but it’s nothing compared to the years-long night that almost wiped out life on Earth 66 million years ago.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Years-Long Darkness Doomed Survivors Of Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid

Bark Scorpion Arose from Rare Genetic Event

Arizona bark scorpion glowing under ultraviolet light. Photo by Bryce Alexander.

More than 450 million years ago, the entire genetic instruction book of spiders’ and scorpions’ common ancestor doubled, according to a genomic comparison of the common house spider and the Arizona bark scorpion.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Rare Whole Genome Duplication Gave Rise To Arizona Bark Scorpion

Eclipse Programs, Glasses Available at Phoenix Libraries

Image by Vic Viatour.

As Monday’s solar eclipse draws near, many Phoenicians worry they won’t be able to find viewing glasses — or that they’ll get unsafe knockoffs instead. But Phoenix libraries are offering a fun and educational way for kids to get theirs.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Phoenix Libraries Offer Programs, Eclipse-Viewing Glasses For Kids