Study: Zika Outbreak Will Be Over in Three Years
Posted on 07/18/2016, 7:30 AM
The Zika outbreak currently taking place in Central and South America has probably peaked and will be more or less over in about three years, says a new study published in the journal Science. People who are infected with the mosquito-borne virus appear to become immune to getting it a second time, leaving fewer and fewer at risk for infection. Eventually this "herd immunity" makes outbreaks in...
"Hamilton" Fans Flock to the Rooms Where It Happened
Posted on 07/15/2016, 8:30 AM
The Tony-, Grammy-, and Pulitzer-winning hip-hop musical Hamilton continues to pack ‘em in on Broadway—it’s sold out through next May, even though the show’s creator and star, Lin-Manuel Miranda, gave his last performance on July 9. Reaping the benefits of all this Hamilton fever are many New York City sites associated with the “$10 Founding Father.” The cemetery where Alexander Hamilton is buri...
Sites in Mali, Libya, and Uzbekistan Added to UNESCO Endangered List
Posted on 07/14/2016, 7:00 PM
An ancient village of mud houses in Mali has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list of endangered sites. Instability from Islamist militants in the West African country has kept preservationists from taking necessary measures to protect the village, known as the Old Towns of Djenné—a grouping of nearly 2,000 mud homes that have been inhabited since 250 BC. Other additions to the endange...
Study: Jet Lag Is Worse When You Travel East
Posted on 07/14/2016, 7:00 PM
A new study published in the journal Chaos found that it’s harder to recover from jet lag when you travel eastward rather than west. Turns out your biological clock doesn’t operate on a perfectly synchronized 24-hour schedule, following instead a cycle that lasts a little longer—about 24.5 hours. That means it’s easier on you to extend the day by flying west across time zones, instead of shorte...
Pokémon Go Goes Where It Shouldn't
Posted on 07/14/2016, 8:30 AM
Digital creatures from the popular smartphone game Pokémon Go, which overlays images onto the real world when you look at them through your mobile device, have been found at somber sites including the former concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, and the National September 11 Memorial in New York City. The game is currently availab...
Hotel Satisfaction Nearing Plateau as Perks Become Expected
Posted on 07/14/2016, 8:15 AM
J.D. Power's annual study measuring hotel guest satisfaction was released this week. The takeaway: while overall satisfaction increased, it appears to be reaching a plateau as certain perks become de rigueur. Offerings like free WiFi and breakfast, which used to be seen as special by hotel guests, are now taken as the norm—and that's one reason, analysts say, why the satisfaction uptick was much...
Plane with Wider Seats Debuts (No, Really!)
Posted on 07/14/2016, 8:00 AM
Here's a sentence we don't get to write every day: a company that makes airplanes is introducing a model with wider, more comfortable seats than the norm. Canada-based Bombardier rolled out the new aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow in England this week. Called the C-Series CS100, the plane features window and aisle seats that are each 18.5 inches wide, while the middle seat is 1...
New Concept Art for Disneyland's "Star Wars" Released
Posted on 07/12/2016, 6:00 PM
Disney has released a new conceptual illustration of the hotly anticipated Star Wars-themed area being built at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Here's how the park's blog (breathlessly) describes it: "Nestled between towering spires of rock, this thriving port contains a seemingly familiar architecture of markets, landing zones and buildings. Look closely and you may find hints of some of th...
App for Speeding Up Customs Process Now Live at 14 Airports
Posted on 07/12/2016, 5:45 PM
A mobile app designed to move you through customs quickly and efficiently is now available at 14 of the country's international airports. The latest addition, Washington Dulles in the nation's capital, joins Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle; Raleigh Durham and Tampa are up next. Available for...
Furor Over Norwegian Cruise Line's New Beverage Policy
Posted on 07/11/2016, 9:00 PM
A new beverage policy adopted by Norwegian Cruise Line has kicked up a storm on the internet. Numerous fans and passengers have expressed outrage via social media over a rule banning people from bringing any outside beverages—including a single bottle of water—aboard the company's ships. It has become common practice among cruisers to bring along extra cases of bottled water or soda for drinkin...
