Firework Injuries, Resilient Rodents, and Flatulence Science

Fireworks are pyrotechnic devices that produce light, sound, smoke, and colors as they combust. Powered by gunpowder and chemistry, when specific chemicals are burned, they emit colors at differing wavelengths, creating colorful firework displays. During the pandemic, when professional fireworks shows were often canceled, it fueled an uptick in consumer firework usage—and injuries.

> Learn more about the history of fireworks, which dates back to an accidental invention during an alchemist's quest for information about immortality. (More) 
> Firework-related celebrations include an annual El Salvador summer celebration with residents throwing kerosene-covered balls to commemorate a 1658 volcanic eruption. (More)

> Magnesium makes white fireworks; strontium makes reds. (More)

That trend of personal firework use has continued. Data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates that in 2023, there were 9,700 injuries—a number that rose 52% in 2024 to 14,700. On top of those injuries, 11 people in the US also died from firework accidents in 2024. What's more, federal data indicates that firework imports increased by around 19% from 2023 to 2024.

> Fireworks make a loud booming sound after exploding due to air expanding faster than the speed of sound. (More)
> In the early 1900s, Fourth of July celebrations were so dangerous that a reform movement emerged to make them safer. (More)

Firework injuries often affect the hands, fingers, face, ears, and head. Many states and localities have lax or rarely enforced regulations around fireworks, which has supported the proliferation of consumer use. Expert advice for handling fireworks more safely includes never using alcohol or drugs while using fireworks, purchasing only legal fireworks (which include warning labels), lighting the devices one at a time, and never picking up or trying to relight a firework that didn't fully ignite.

> Massachusetts is the only state that bans all nonprofessional fireworks. (More)

> See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this "Instagram for doctors." (More)

Discover more: 

> Learn how your body is, scientifically, like a firework with its own slow, controlled burn. (More, w/video)

> "Silent" fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option. (More)

> ... and explore everything we learned about fireworks.

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 News in Context 

1440 brings you the knowledge and context behind the week's stories:

Doctors are prescribing GLP-1s for childhood obesity. (More)

> The medication triggers the release of an appetite-suppressing hormone. 

> GLP-1s were first derived from Gila monster saliva.

Research monkey retirement plans remain in flux after critics raise animal welfare concerns for up to 162 rhesus and pigtail macaques. (More)

> Scientists in the 1950s proposed the "3 Rs" to improve animal welfare. 

> US research labs used at least 775,000 animals, including some 40,000 dogs and 100,000 primates, for animal testing in 2024.

The Justice Department has charged 455 defendants in an alleged $6.5B healthcare fraud scheme. (More)

> Healthcare fraud may cost the US more than $100B annually—see this dashboard tracking healthcare fraud cases nationwide.

> Fraud and identity theft are among the most common dark web-related crimes.

Medical Developments Spotlight

We love spending time learning about the latest medical breakthroughs and spotlighting research that piques our interest, may influence future research directions, or inform healthcare conversations. Here's what we found this week.

3 paralyzed pigs with completely severed spinal cords are walking again

Paul Arnold | Medical Xpress. Researchers are reporting that they surgically reconnected pigs' severed spinal cords using a specialized gel to weld the damaged nerve membranes together, enabling three of the animals to walk again within 60 days and laying the groundwork for potential human spinal injury advances. (More)

> Stem cell therapy has shown promise in an early-stage clinical trial treating spinal injuries, with varying levels of improvement.

A newly discovered antibiotic cocktail in soil bacteria may kill superbugs

Nature | Mohana Basu. Scientists have found a "megacluster" of genes in a common soil bacterium that produces antibiotic compounds capable of attacking a key metabolic process in multidrug-resistant bacteria, a discovery that may lead to new antibiotics for infections that have not responded to existing therapies. (More, paywall may apply)

> Learn why it's so costly to combat the antibiotic resistance problem.

Our childbirth exit challenges are similar to those of our small cousins 

Nature Ecology & Evolution | Nicole Torres-Tamayo and colleagues. Researchers compared maternal pelvic sizes and newborn head sizes across 29 primate species and found that small primates—bushbabies, tamarins, and squirrel monkeys—like humans, had particularly tight squeezes during birth. This similarity with our smaller relatives, but not bigger primates, suggests that human evolution is even more complicated than we suspected. Put simply, it's likely not that humans just traded big-brain intelligence for more troubles exiting the birth canal. (More)

> An 18th-century woman tricked doctors into believing she gave birth to rabbits.

> Explore how the placenta acts as lungs, kidneys, and more in the womb.

Rats and mice are becoming more resistant to our poisons

Nautilus | Devin Reese. New evidence confirms that rat poisons are no longer as effective against rodents. DNA analysis shows that 84% of house mice and 35% of rats have at least one genetic mutation that enables them to survive rodenticide exposure. (More)

> Supertoxic rat poisons are harming raptors, mammals, and more. 

 1440 Explores: Your Gut Has a Story to Tell 

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Do you have a clear picture of what your retirement will cost? Many investors plan for their future without considering some key factors, which can lead to a shortfall in retirement income when you need it most.

A solid plan requires a realistic budget and a thoughtful investment strategy designed to generate the cash flow you need for the long term. The Definitive Guide to Retirement Income provides essential insights into creating a durable strategy. If you have $1,000,000 or more, read our free guide today.

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 Etcetera 

> Nineteenth-century scientists thought we traded in a strong sense of smell for smarts. 

> Ebola infection can lead to a deadly cytokine storm. 

> Some animals appear to have no gut microbiomes. 

> Stress turns our hair gray with the release of pigment-influencing hormones. 

> The star of the upbeat kids' show "Danny Go!" is grieving his own son's death. 

> A critic questions the validity of blue zones, which are geographic locations reporting concentrations of healthy centenarians.  

> Menopause training remains rare, even among OB-GYNs, leading to potential delays in identifying when symptoms are menopause or cancer.

> Six pigeons were trained to detect cancer; the work is now the basis for training medical AI to enhance radiology skills. 

> Pregnancy makes us more attractive to the mosquito species that transmits malaria.

>  Roughly 44% of K-12 teachers report burnout.

> LSD was discovered accidentally after its inventor touched his face and hallucinated.

> A super-sniffer smelled her husband's Parkinson's disease years ahead of symptoms.