The potent class of prescription opioids is known as transmucosal immediate-release fentanyls (TIRFs). These painkillers, which are fast-acting and powerful, are intended to help breakthrough pain in cancer patients, whose normal opioid pain relievers aren’t managing all the pain. “This is not a usual drug,” says Caleb Alexander, a Johns Hopkins professor of medicine and the corresponding author of the new study. It’s a last-resort drug. For that reason, he says, in 2011, the FDA instituted a very restrictive program, known as the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy for TIRFs, or TIRF REMS....

Click here to see all of PopSci’s COVID-19 coverage. More than a year and a half into the global pandemic, COVID vaccines have become the crucial stepping stone to recovering our normal lives. But even as multiple options have rolled out across the country, some folks are still confused about which COVID vaccine is best or even what they each do. So which should you get? The answer is straightforward: All three vaccines that are currently available have been shown to be safe and effective....

Work done by open source investigators Bellingcat pointed to a Buk missile launch system, and even retraced the missile platforms’ movements through eastern Ukraine, before it fired its deadly payload. The Dutch Safety Board spearheaded its own comprehensive investigation in part because of the large number of Dutch nationals who were passengers aboard the flight, and because Ukraine requested the Board’s involvement. Despite Russian theories regarding Ukrainian fighter jets, the investigation has always pointed towards an attack from a ground missile, though it did also rule out meteor impact and internal explosions as causes for the crash....

In a study recently published in Current Biology, researchers in Australia and New Zealand found male and female field crickets could improve their lifespans with a high-carb, low protein diet. But when it came to reproductive success, the males and females needed very different diets to maximize their baby-makin’. For Jiminy and the fellas, a diet with an 8 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to proteins was optimum for maximizing sexual activity—in the crickets’ case that means fervent chirping; while the ladies proved most fertile with a carb/protein ratio of 1 to 1, (though that diet led to decreased longevity)....

DIY Drone Builder Kit Get the chance to build your very own drone with this kit. You can power cardboard arms with conductive silver ink, build the PCB arms included, and connect your drone’s hub and motors, just like a true engineer. With the app, you can even control your drone and see a live bird’s eye view. Its normal retail price is $99, but you can grab it on sale for $25....

How to set up a Google Alert Setting up Google Alerts is easy and straightforward. From your computer or mobile device, head to the Google Alerts page and sign in with your Google account if you haven’t already. Instead of running a search every day to see if your favorite band is touring, for instance, or to see if any new rumors have been reported about the next iPhone, you can sit back while those stories get straight into your inbox....

One of the more haunting discoveries are the “hunger stones” turning up across Europe. These stones covered in engraved markings show the water levels from previous dry times and some come with grim warnings. The Elbe is one of central Europe’s major rivers, flowing 680 miles long through the Czech Republic and Germany and into the North Sea. It is also home to many of these eerie hunger stones. Near town of Děčín in the northern Czech Republic, one haunting stone reads “If you see me, then weep,” or “Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine....

We are careful to emphasize how rare shark bites are: You are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning than be bitten by a shark. You are more likely to die while taking a selfie, or be bitten by a New Yorker. In anticipation of the anxiety that’s typically generated by the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week programming, here are a few things about sharks that are often overlooked....

If you’ve ever given blood or signed up to be an organ donor there’s a chance you might’ve bumped into information about bone marrow donation. The procedure is shockingly simple, and for a lot of people, it’s free. For the folks out there with leukemia, myeloma, lymphoma, or other blood diseases lucky enough to find a match, the transplant is priceless. And don’t worry—you don’t have to saw your bones open and give away the precious goo inside to save a life....

Whether or not you’ve resolved to get into shape this January, Muscle Month is here to teach you a thing or two about stretching, contracting, lifting, tearing, gaining, and so much more. What exactly is a muscle? Muscles form when specialized long and tubular cells, known as myocytes, band together in a process called myogenesis. These fibers are distributed throughout our bodies and come in many different shapes, sizes, and forms, says David Putrino, a physical therapist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and director of Rehabilitation Innovation for the Mount Sinai Health System....

A recent study published in the journal Ecological Applications found that the herd’s population has nearly tripled in under a decade, thanks to a collaborative recovery effort led by two First Nations communities. Members of West Moberly First Nations and Saulteau First Nations, in partnership with non-native scientists and provincial and federal governments, have managed to bump the Klinse-Za population up from 38 individuals in 2013 to more than 110 today....

Riding an e-bike can feel both a little confusing and exhilarating: You’re pedaling, but an electric motor provides propulsion, at least until you hit a certain speed. On a typical bike, if you stop pedaling and coast, you’ll quickly figure out if gravity is pulling you downhill or not; and you always know it if you’re hoofing it uphill. An e-bike like the one I was on helps you out, so the subtleties of the terrain below you, as well as your effort-to-speed ratio, can become a little blurry....

How your TV and soundbar get out of sync I’ve tried and reviewed countless TVs and the best soundbars, and audio delay is an extremely common issue. Many people jump to blame a certain brand or model of soundbar, but it’s not always that simple. Frequently, this delay is inherent to how TVs and soundbars decode audio. “It is a complicated problem,” explains Allan Devantier, vice president of audio research and development at Samsung....

Fluance, a Niagara Falls-based Canadian speaker company, designed the RT85 turntable as the flagship of its hi-fi line. While not the most affordable record player, the RT85’s feature set and sonic performance are for audiophiles and music aficionados who want the best listening experience possible. Let’s take this heavy-hitting, high-value option for a spin. The Fluance RT85’s design Record players have come a long way since the first needle touched wax in 1948....

The burger that you can pick up at your local McDonald’s, or even a fancy one with ingredients that have never seen the inside of a drive-thru, has come a long way from the original mashed up meat concoction that inspired it. We chatted with burger expert and filmmaker George Motz about how the burger came to America, and then to plates and hands across the globe. From tartare to the state fair The earliest hamburger relative, meat tartare, was born far, far away from the United States....

Per an official press release, federal authorities executed a search warrant at James Zhong’s home on November 9, 2021, where they discovered an underground floor safe containing with gold and silver bars, along with a single-board computer stored within a popcorn tin and buried beneath blankets in a bathroom closet. On the computer was a digital wallet containing over 50,600 Bitcoin—then worth $3.36 billion. Zhong pled guilty to federal charges of wire fraud on November 4, a crime that carries a 20 year maximum prison sentence....

Marshall Stanmore II Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, Black $249.99 (Was $379.99) Jim Marshall (the “Lord of Loud”) invented the company’s iconic guitar amplifiers in the 1960s. Marshall has been tapping into its long and distinguished history in the audio industry to produce consumer-facing headphones and speakers since the early 2010s. The Stanmore carries the performance amp-styled cabinet of the larger line. It plugs into the mains for power but delivers a throaty wireless wailing thanks to its Bluetooth 5....

Electronics are massive contributors to toxic waste, with e-waste accounting for 2 percent of the country’s trash in landfills. If you’re looking to upgrade your gear and want to do your part for the environment simultaneously, buying refurbished is the ideal option. For iPads, this deal on the Apple iPad Pro 9.7-inch, 128GB – Space Gray is worth looking into. You have the next 48 hours to purchase it for an extra 17 percent off....

If you are interested in protecting your own privacy, a VPN is a viable tactic to keep your information to yourself. Right now you can purchase a three-year subscription of Windscribe VPN’s Pro Plan at a discounted price, which is currently the best on-web pricing. Windscribe’s VPN is a desktop application and browser extension that works in tandem to protect your online privacy, unblock websites, and remove ads and trackers from your everyday browsing....