SCIENCE IS DEI

Training the trainers: empowering South Africa’s Girl Guides with space science

An innovative, high impact, stand-alone education and outreach program that can be disseminated

SETI Institute

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Space science for youth in South Africa

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Credit: SETI Institute

August 4, 2025, Mountain View, CA – The SETI Institute awarded a new education grant through its Support Technology, Innovation, Development and Education (STRIDE) program. Space Science for Youth in South Africa is a professional development program for Girl Guides South Africa (GGSA) staff and volunteers and is additionally funded by The Center for Radio Astronomy and Technologies, Rhodes University. The project will leverage the SETI Institute’s experience developed through Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts which developed space science badges for Girl Scouts aged 5-18 and provided training for Girl Scout volunteers and organizers. SETI Institute Director of Education Pamela Harman will lead Space Science for Girls in South Africa as PI, with Jessica Henricks as Co-I.

“This STRIDE award leverages our expertise to bring space science activities and career awareness to GGSA,” said Harman.  GGSA aims to empower girls and women to reach their full potential and gives girls the confidence, skills and aspirations to advocate for change and make an impact in the world.”  

Developed and delivered by the SETI Institute, this 2.5 day in-person training in July 2025 will equip a carefully selected group of GGSA leaders with knowledge, tools, experience, and resources to expand engaging and inclusive space science education for girls ages 4.5 - 18. The leaders will not only be prepared to deliver space science programs directly, but, more importantly, to train the GGSA’s adult volunteer leaders who serve GGSA’s 20,000 members in urban and rural areas.  

“By sharing a thoughtfully curated set of inquiry-based space science activities with experienced Girl Guide volunteer leaders, this project maximizes its impact through strategic capacity-building,” said Henricks. “It’s inspiring to see how this train-the-trainer program will empower GGSA leaders across South Africa to deliver fun and inclusive after-school STEM learning experiences.”

The training will feature hands-on experience and research-backed activities from the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) Space Science badges, best practices in inclusive facilitation, an overview to astronomy and space science careers, and possible program pathways appropriate for age and setting. Role models and amateur astronomers will be invited to participate, sharing their inspiring experiences. The components combine to form an innovative, high impact, stand-alone education and outreach program that can be and disseminated.

"We are delighted to be able to contribute to this initiative, especially in a year when Eugenia Mbekeni, a leading figure of GGSA, has just been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University,” said Oleg Smirnov, SKA Research Chair for Radio Astronomy Techniques and Technologies, Rhodes University. “South Africa's success story in radio astronomy should be a source of national pride, and inspiration for more young women to get into STEM fields. Partnering with GGSA is a perfect way to get this message across."

“This partnership builds on Girl Guides South Africa’s existing programme through imparting best practices in inclusive facilitation for adult leaders, an overview to astronomy and space science careers for the girls, and possible programme pathways in an age-appropriate manner and setting,” said Lindelwa Ximiya, Chief Commissioner of Girl Guides South Africa. “In line with our learning and reward methodology, the girls will be excited to receive their Space Science badges on completion of the challenges.”

STRIDE fund for SETI Institute researchers and EOC (Education, Outreach, and Communications) professionals to develop innovative research and education proposals. In July 2024, the SETI Institute announced the first STRIDE science grants.

STRIDE grants include funding for basic research, technology development, prototyping, equipment and instrumentation, field expedition work, education program development, materials, hardware, software, and more. Last year, the SETI Institute announced a philanthropic gift of $200M from the estate of Franklin Antonio, a visionary supporter and catalyst of the work of the SETI Institute for more than 12 years. Co-founder of communications chip company Qualcomm, Antonio left an extraordinary legacy to enable breakthrough science in the search for intelligent life beyond our world. The Franklin Antonio Bequest funds the STRIDE program, and the SETI Institute expects to solicit it annually.

More information about the SETI Institute’s STRIDE program is here.

About the SETI Institute
Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanity’s quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and to share that knowledge with the world. Our research encompasses the physical and biological sciences and leverages expertise in data analytics, machine learning and advanced signal detection technologies. The SETI Institute is a distinguished research partner for industry, academia and government agencies, including NASA and NSF.

 

Study finds gaps in evidence for air cleaning technologies designed to prevent respiratory infections

Review shows most devices are untested in real-world settings or for possible harms

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

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A new study led by researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that although many technologies claim to clean indoor air and prevent the spread of viruses like COVID-19 and the flu, most have not been tested on people and their potential risks are not yet fully understood.

Published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the research analyzed nearly 700 studies between 1929 and 2024 on engineering controls such as HEPA filters, UV light, ionizers and advanced ventilation systems designed to reduce infection transmission through indoor air. While these technologies are commonly found in homes, schools and public buildings, researchers found just 9% of studies examined whether they reduce illness in humans.

“We were surprised to find that most of the research tested air cleaning devices in lab chambers, not in real-world settings where people live, work or go to school,” said Lisa Bero, PhD, professor of internal medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and co-author of the study. “We need stronger studies that look at actual health outcomes, whether people are actually exposed to fewer pathogens or get sick less often, and not just measurements of particles in the air.”

Most studies in the review focused on indirect measurements such as tracer gases, dust particles or harmless microbes rather than actual viruses or bacteria that cause illness. Very few tracked whether people experienced fewer infections when using air-cleaning technologies.

“Many of these technologies look promising on paper but we just don’t know if they work in the real world,” said Amiran Baduashvili, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the paper’s first author. “People are buying and installing these systems in homes and schools hoping to protect themselves and their families but the science hasn’t caught up to the marketing.”

The study also raises concerns about potential health risks. Only a small number of papers examined harmful byproducts such as ozone, which can irritate the lungs and worsen respiratory conditions. Many air cleaning technologies, such as ionizers, plasma-based devices, and certain ultraviolet light systems, can produce ozone, yet few studies evaluate the safety of their long-term operation in homes and workplaces.

“Ozone and other chemicals created by some air-cleaning devices can actually harm the respiratory system, especially in children or people with chronic respiratory illnesses,” said Louis Leslie, research services senior professional in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and co-author of the study.

While the risks vary depending on the type of technology and how it is used, the researchers stress that more attention should be paid to possible unintended consequences.

“It may be worth checking whether the manufacturer provides data on any potentially harmful emissions from a device and what can be done to minimize them,” said Bero, who is also with the Colorado School of Public Health. “Being more aware of possible risks is an important part of making informed decisions especially as more people and organizations spend money on these technologies and bring them into clinics, schools and homes.”

The researchers are calling for a new generation of studies that evaluate these technologies in real-world environments such as classrooms and hospitals and track actual infections rather than relying on indirect measures like air particle counts. They also emphasize the importance of assessing potential side effects, environmental impact, cost, and accessibility, including how feasible these solutions are across different types of settings.

In addition, they recommend the development of a standard set of health-related outcomes for future research. This would make findings more comparable and more useful for informing public health policy.

“Public health decisions should be based on solid, independent evidence,” said Bero. “We’re not saying these technologies don’t work, we’re saying we don’t know enough yet. Some of these studies are funded by the companies that make the technologies being evaluated, which creates a conflict of interest. Until we do know more, the public deserves clear and transparent information.”

For those buying an air purifier or installing a new ventilation system to reduce illness in homes, schools or workplaces, the researchers recommend choosing technologies that have been independently tested in real-world environments. They also advise avoiding products that produce harmful byproducts like ozone. Most importantly they emphasize that dependable practices such as improving ventilation, opening windows and regular cleaning remain  effective ways to keep indoor spaces healthier.

“This study highlights the urgent need for better science to guide how we make our indoor environments safer especially as respiratory infections continue to pose a serious public health threat,” said Bero.

About the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a world-class medical destination at  the forefront of transformative science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus encompasses the University of Colorado health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes and two nationally ranked independent hospitals - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado – which see more than two million adult and pediatric patient visits yearly. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus delivers life-changing treatments, patient care and
professional training and conducts world-renowned research fueled by $910 million in annual research funding, including $757 million in sponsored awards and $153 million in philanthropic gifts.
 

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Resource-poor neighborhood conditions may increase gestational diabetes risk

Socioeconomic factors play a role in the development of diabetes in pregnant women living in resource-poor neighborhoods, according to new study.

University of Arizona Health Sciences

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A new study showed that neighborhood factors such as housing quality, violence, education, access to healthy food and poverty may play a role in maternal and fetal health related to gestational diabetes mellitus.

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Credit: Photo by Kris Hanning, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications

TUCSON, Ariz. — New research from the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health showed that living in resource-poor neighborhoods may raise the risk of women developing diabetes during pregnancy, a condition with potential long-term effects on the health of both mother and child. 

Researchers found that mothers living in more deprived neighborhoods in Arizona were 20% more likely to have gestational diabetes mellitus, or GDM, compared with those living in neighborhoods with adequate resources. They reported their findings in Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. 

The results add to growing evidence of the potential influences of neighborhood conditions on the health of pregnant women, especially for diabetes. They also point to a need to identify those communities that could benefit from preventative measures.

“Where you live can influence your health. It can impact stress, access to quality food, the ability to interact with the outdoors and exercise – all factors that can affect health,” said Melissa Furlong, PhD, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences who was the senior author on the study. “We know there are racial disparities in GDM, and we wanted to go beyond that and more fully gauge the importance of social determinants of health at a neighborhood level.”

The research team, including first author and former U of A graduate student Kimberly Parra, PhD, used birth certificate and maternal health information from the Arizona Prenatal Environment and Reproductive Outcomes Study. They examined more than 480,000 births in 15 Arizona counties between 2014 and 2020.

They combined that information with the Neighborhood Deprivation Index, or NDI, a mashup of neighborhood-related factors such as housing quality, violence, education, access to healthy food and poverty that reflects socioeconomic status in a neighborhood.

Then, they compared where women lived when they gave birth with values calculated from the NDI. 

“We compared people who live in highly deprived neighborhoods to those who live in less deprived neighborhoods and looked at the risk of GDM by neighborhood score,” Furlong explained. “We found women living in neighborhoods with higher deprivation scores were more likely to have GDM. The results suggest the neighborhood you live in has some influence on your risk for GDM.” 

The study showed that overall, approximately 7.8% of the women had GDM, which was similar to the incidence in the general population; however, neighborhood location and make up mattered. For example, the GDM incidence was as high as 12% in communities with a high proportion of patients identifying as Native American or American Indian. Those living in poorer neighborhoods had smaller babies and were younger, less educated, more overweight and more likely to have public insurance. 

The study found that Native Americans had a high incidence of GDM – almost 18% – which is more than double the overall incidence in the general population. 

Prior research has linked neighborhood conditions to a lower control of diabetes, but few studies have examined the impact of socioeconomic factors on the development of diabetes in pregnant women living in poor neighborhoods. 

“From a policy perspective, there could be more emphasis on eliminating food deserts, for example, and promoting programs that increase access to higher quality housing, healthy food and prenatal care,” Furlong said. 

The results also highlight the need to better understand the factors contributing to the higher incidence of GDM among Native Americans and find ways to address the disparity. 

Furlong noted there is much more to learn about the potential role neighborhoods play in influencing maternal health. 

“This is only a characterization of people who live in these areas who have a higher risk for diabetes,” she said. “We’d like to know many more details about the neighborhoods themselves and how they can impact the health of people who live there.” 

Additional co-authors from the Zuckerman College of Public Health include Leslie Farland, ScD, an associate professor of epidemiology, and Robin Harris, PhD, a professor emeritus of epidemiology. Parra is now a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard University.

This work was supported in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a division of the National Institutes of Health, under awards nos. R00ES028743 and 5T32ES007069.

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Journal

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology

DOI

10.1111/ppe.13146 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Neighbourhood Deprivation and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Arizona From the AzPEARS Study

 

Small electric shocks to ear can boost self-compassion from meditation training

University College London

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Stimulating the vagus nerve with a device attached to the outer ear can help make compassion meditation training more effective at boosting people’s capacity for self-kindness and mindfulness, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

The study, published in Psychological Medicine, adds to evidence of the potential benefits of stimulating this key nerve that connects the brain with major organs in the chest and abdomen.

The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in the 'rest-and-digest' (parasympathetic) system, counteracting the 'fight-or-flight' (sympathetic) stress response, and allows the brain to communicate with all major organs in the body. By transmitting signals from the body up to the brain, the vagus nerve can also regulate a range of psychological processes, including some involved in social interactions and emotional control.

The researchers stimulated study participants’ vagus nerve by delivering a painless electric pulse to the tragus, the small cartilaginous flap located in front of the ear canal on the outer ear. This electronic pulse was designed to activate nerve fibres that pass close to the skin surface.

The academics tested 120 healthy participants who either received vagus nerve stimulation through the skin on their tragus, or a placebo stimulation to another part of the ear. This was combined either with self-compassion meditation training or another form of training not designed to promote compassion.

The participants who received the vagus nerve stimulation alongside the self-compassion training experienced a larger and more immediate increase in self-compassion than those in the other three groups. The participants’ level of mindfulness (awareness of the present moment and calm acknowledgement of one’s thoughts and feelings) was also measured, and the benefits to mindfulness accumulated across multiple training sessions, suggesting that while some effects of stimulation and training are immediate, others build over time.

Lead author Professor Sunjeev Kamboj (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) said: “We found that delivering a small shock to the ear, to stimulate the vagus nerve, can amplify the benefits of certain meditation techniques, particularly those involved in cultivating self-compassion.

“Our findings reveal how neuroscience technology may have a meaningful impact on how we feel about ourselves. Neurostimulation alone had limited benefits, but it may have an important role to play in supporting meditation therapies, which are increasingly used to help people with mental and physical health problems. Meditation can be hard work, requiring persistence and dedication, so a way to boost and accelerate its impacts could be a welcome development for therapists and patients alike.”

The researchers say that further research is needed to refine the technique and to see how long the effects last. Additionally, as this study only investigated healthy participants without a diagnosed psychological disorder, further research is needed to see if this approach could benefit people with conditions such as anxiety, depression or trauma.

In a separate study published last week, a separate team co-led by a UCL researcher also found that vagus nerve stimulation could help to improve fitness and exercise tolerance.*

 

 

 

* Separate UCL study: Vagus nerve stimulation could help people get more exercise

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Journal

Psychological Medicine

DOI

10.1017/S0033291725101013 

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Electroceutical enhancement of self-compassion training using transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation: results from a preregistered fully factorial randomized controlled trial

Article Publication Date

4-Aug-2025

 

PeroCycle appoints new CEO and opens £4M seed round to decarbonise steelmaking

University of Birmingham

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PeroCycle, an industrial decarbonisation venture advancing closed-loop carbon recycling for steel-making, has appointed Grant Budge as CEO.  The announcement coincides with the opening of a £4m seed round to fund pilot deployment and accelerate commercial growth.  

Grant brings 30 years of experience leading carbon capture projects and advising on decarbonisation across energy and heavy industry. He has raised significant public and private funding and led delivery of large-scale CCS infrastructure. His appointment signals a new phase of commercial growth for PeroCycle as it advances towards pilot-scale deployment.

“PeroCycle can reshape one of the world’s most emissions-intensive sectors. Its technology stands out for its ability to cut carbon emissions from existing steelmaking infrastructure - a rare combination. I’m thrilled to join at this pivotal stage.” said Grant Budge.

PeroCycle is built on breakthrough research by Professor Yulong Ding and Dr Harriet Kildahl at the University of Birmingham. The company was spun out by the University of Birmingham and Cambridge Future Tech, a deep tech venture builder and early investor, in collaboration with Anglo American to commercialise its novel carbon recycling technology. Using a perovskite-based catalyst and proprietary process and reactor system, it converts carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, providing a closed-carbon-loop approach to deep decarbonisation within the steelmaking process.

The steel industry is responsible for around 8% of global CO₂ emissions, with more than 3 gigatonnes produced annually.1In the UK, the sector is grappling with rising costs and industrial restructuring, while across Europe, steelmakers face mounting emissions pressure. Carbon recycling technologies like PeroCycle offer a critical route to low-carbon, commercially viable steel production — particularly as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) begins to reshape international competitiveness.2

The £4M seed round, which will launch in August 2025 and run into early 2026, will support the development of PeroCycle's first pilot unit, with a targetted capacity of 1 kilotonne of CO2 processed per year.  With the funding, the company will also expand its technical and commercial team.  

"This is a major step forward for PeroCycle’s mission to decarbonise steel from within," said Owen Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Cambridge Future Tech. "From co-founding and building the company to now investing in this round, we’ve supported its journey from the very beginning. With Grant’s leadership and the momentum of this raise, PeroCycle is well-positioned to deliver real-world industrial impact"

“Recycling carbon dioxide within steelmaking infrastructure presents a scalable pathway to deep decarbonisation in one of the world’s most hard-to-abate sectors.” said Professor Yulong Ding, founding Chamberlain Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham “Advancing this technology to industrial deployment requires the right leadership and investment and this next stage puts both in place.

"Anglo American is committed to working with like-minded partners to make meaningful steps toward lower-emission steelmaking. Our investment in PeroCycle reflects our belief in the potential of carbon recycling for this purpose. We look forward to seeing this next phase of development bring the technology closer to industrial application,” said Matt Walker, CEO of Anglo American’s Marketing business.

By enabling in-process carbon recycling at blast furnace-compatible temperatures, PeroCycle’s technology offers a practical route to decarbonisation, addressing a key need in a sector where each tonne of crude steel can emit around 2 tonnes of CO₂.3

With emissions from steelmaking needing to fall within the next decade to align with net-zero pathways,4 scalable industrial solutions like PeroCycle’s are critical to the global climate response.

 

For Mexican American millennials, personal success includes providing for parents

University of California - Merced

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For many first-generation Mexican American college graduates, the definition of success includes paying their parents’ bills or even buying them a home.

Lifting the social or financial status of their elders is a goal that often defines upward mobility for Latinx millennials, especially the children of immigrants, according to a study by UC Merced sociology Professor Daisy Verduzco Reyes.

Reyes, a researcher in the Latina Futures 2050 Lab at UCLA, spent 14 years developing the study, which tracked the life paths of 61 millennials (a demographic defined as people born between 1981 and 1995) who identify as Latinx, attended college in California and reside primarily in the state.

“As researchers, we do not have much documented data and analysis to help us see and understand the lives of this population,” Reyes said. Reyes’s interviews supported earlier studies that millennials are more likely to have paid for college themselves. She added that 85% of respondents were the first in their family to attend and graduate from college and 96% were of Mexican origin.

The study, published in the journal Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, will provide data and narratives for a follow-up book to “Learning to Be Latino,” Reyes’ 2018 investigation into how undergraduate institutions shape the culture of Latino student life on campus.

Reyes said the study showed young Latinos define the path of personal achievement differently from what sociologists call the five-stage Standard North American Adulthood: leave home, finish college, enter the workforce, get married and have children.

Responsibility to family is important to immigrant, second- and third-generation Latinx people, the study said, and giving back can be an expression of gratitude, Reyes said. The cultural and socio-structural conditions in which Latino millennials live contribute to their need to fulfill financial, emotional, legal and cultural labor roles in their families of origin. The study calls this the “Latinx mobility bargain” or the “immigrant bargain.”

The study processed responses from 40 women and 21 men. Questions included “Do you think you have achieved mobility relative to your parents?” and “Do you provide financially for anyone?” 

Respondents ranged from those with six-figure earnings that allowed them to buy a home for their parents to those who see themselves in a stagnant situation primarily due to low-paying jobs.

“The one idea that none of the respondents questioned was the cultural imperative of the immigrant bargain, the idea of taking care of your parents. Some might expect this ‘burden’ to feed resentment, but none of my respondents expressed any such feelings,” Reyes said.

“For many Latinx millennials, providing for parents has constrained their mobility trajectories. Yet this constraint is perceived as an accomplishment.”

The Great Recession had a significant financial impact. Between 2007 and 2016, middle-income Latinx families faced a 55% loss in wealth, compared to a 31% loss for white middle-income families.

“Millennials are worse off economically than previous generations in terms of income, wealth, homeownership and debt,” Reyes said.

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Journal

Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

DOI

10.1177/23326492251349228 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Complicating Upward Mobility: Latinx College-educated Millennials Reflect on Life after Graduation