researchers News

Drone Boats Sent From Jacksonville to Face Storms’ Fury

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The key to making hurricane forecasts suddenly clearer and more accurate might have floated out to sea from Jacksonville last week on something looking like orange surfboards with wings. Maybe. It will take time for federal …

Why are Some Scientists Turning Away From Brain Scans?

NEW YORK (AP) — Brain scans offer a tantalizing glimpse into the mind’s mysteries, promising an almost X-ray-like vision into how we feel pain, interpret faces and wiggle fingers. Studies of brain images have suggested that Republicans and Democrats have …

Recreational Pot Laws May Boost Traffic Deaths, Studies Say

Laws legalizing recreational marijuana may lead to more traffic deaths, two new studies suggest, although questions remain about how they might influence driving habits. Previous research has had mixed results and the new studies, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, …

Research Finds ‘Culture’ Changes, New Technology Improve Safety for Motor Carriers

Commercial motor carriers that committed to a strong safety culture and installed advanced safety technology were able to reduce vehicle crashes by as much as 75%, according to a new study by researchers with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The …

Analysis Confirms Speeding is Best Predictor of Car Crashes

Speeding is the riskiest kind of aggressive driving, according to a unique analysis of data from on-board devices in vehicles. Researchers at the University of Waterloo examined data from 28 million trips for possible links between four bad driving behaviors …

Research Finds No Improvement in Worker Outcomes When Medical Prices Increase

When the price of physician services increases relative to group health rates, injured workers report fewer problems getting the care they want but no significant improvement in physical function or speedier return to work, according to a study released Thursday …

University of Illinois Researchers Ease Switch to New Healthcare Codes

University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have developed a website that walks healthcare providers through the challenging transition from the current International Classification of Diseases — ICD-9 — to the new ICD-10. Doctors, hospitals and all other healthcare providers have …

University of Kansas Researchers Develop Smart Dashboards

University of Kansas researchers are developing new, smarter dashboard displays to keep drivers’ eyes on the road. The effort includes researchers in design, mechanical engineering and psychology. They are working under the umbrella of the Center for Design Research. Center …

Scientists to Place New Earthquake Monitors in Georgia

Researchers in a nationwide study of earthquakes will soon place instruments beneath the Georgia red clay and in other eastern states as they seek to learn more about what causes them and where they might strike. Scientists say an August …

Texas Researchers Test Flood-Prediction System

Researchers in Austin are testing new technology that could predict flash floods days in advance. The project by engineering researchers at the University of Texas and IBM is designed to monitor thousands of miles of rivers and predict flash flooding …