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A lot of people don't realize that the vast majority of K-12 public school educators have at least a master's degree. Back in 2010, some states such as Ohio and Massachusetts decided that brand-new K-12 teachers didn't need to have a master's degree right when they start teaching but had to complete a master's degree within five years of starting their teaching career. This was due to a drastic shortage of teachers to fill positions. Now, Kentucky is causing ripples in the education community by dropping the master's degree requirement for teachers in their public school systems. On Monday, August 20, the state Education Professional Standards Board voted in favor of dropping the requirement, citing the lack of empirical evidence that an advanced degree increases an educator's effective...

Summer is coming to an end, school is starting up for the kids, and colder months are approaching. This all adds up to the return of flu season and the need to protect your family and home from those dangerous germs. Go room-by-room to properly clean away the bacteria and stock up on what you'll need when the kids inevitably catch their first colds of the winter. Kitchen As your kitchen is most likely well-sanitized already, we'll focus on what you need to stock in there to keep your family's immune systems strong. According to a study in Nutrition Journal, cranberries boost immune cells and are high in polyphenols, which are essential in fighting the flu. Try eating them as they are by putting them on a salad, rather than in cranberry juice which is normally high in sugar. Within the vege...

In an effort to cut costs and emissions on ocean cargo transport, the European plane maker, Airbus SE, is in the process of utilizing wind power. To move aircraft parts around the world, the company relies on large ocean-going cargo ships, and they are now planning to add huge 5,382-square-foot sails to some of the cargo ships in their fleet. According to Airbus, the new sail technology operates like a giant kite. The aircraft manufacturer, second in the world only to the Boeing Company, expects to save more than $1.2 million in annual fuel spending. They are also hoping to cut carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 8,000 tons per year with this new technology. Plus, this is only an initial test. If this modern sail technology is rolled out fleet-wide, the cost savings and emissio...

The U.S. is the largest manufacturer of chemical products in the world, and it's starting to become a problem. Water contamination has increased noticeably across the country -- most memorably with Flint, Michigan -- but a quick Google search turns up a shocking number of states suffering from toxic chemicals being leeched into their water supply from nearby industrial and manufacturing plants, including military bases. New Hampshire is the latest addition to the growing list, with its resident plastics plant being held responsible for the discovery of perfluoroalkyls (PFAS) in the southern half of the state's water supply. PFAS are actually all around us -- in common household products, fire-fighting foam, even in the packaging our food comes in -- but the problem comes from overexpo...

Between Aug. 22 and 26, Hurricane Lane pounded the islands of Hawaii with a reported 52.02 inches of rain, surpassing the state's previous record and closely approaching the nationwide record. That high total is held by the rainfall seen in Texas during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which totaled 60.58 inches. Areas of Hawaii are currently in the process of recovering from the hurricane and officials are busy assessing the total damages caused by the high winds and flash flooding. The Governor of Hawaii, David Ige, signed a supplementary proclamation effective through Oct. 27, 2018, which extends emergency assistance related to Hurricane Lane through that date. In Papaikou, the Department of Water Supply issued a Water Conservation Notice. According to the DWS, Hurricane Lane's winds and...

Most people who get a tattoo do so to express themselves, commemorate an occasion, or even turn an insecurity into art. But not everyone wants permanent ink on their bodies. While a traditional temporary tattoo might seem rather juvenile, there's nothing childish about the hi-tech tattoos that are being developed and worn in the digital age. And many of them serve an even greater purpose than mere decoration. Wearable technology has been around for a while now, and some of those wearables manage to combine function with fashion. But if you don't like the obvious look of an Apple Watch, you might be into something a bit more feminine and metallic. DuoSkin, with help from MIT and Microsoft, is developing wearable, temporary tattoos layered with gold or silver leaf that look like jewelry b...

Diesel engines may rank number one when it comes to internal combustion efficiency (there are about 50 models of diesel engines available to customers today), but their use isn't necessarily the best for the environment. The EPA has established standards that limit the amount of sulfur contained within diesel fuel, which allows it to burn cleaner. In accordance with that restriction, the International Maritime Organization has placed a new cap on sulfur quantities in fuel oil in the hopes of significantly reducing the amount of sulfur oxide emanating from ships (which should have major health and environmental benefits for the world, particularly for populations living close to ports and coasts). As a result, many engineers are trying to find a viable solution to keep within the sulfu...

Charleston, South Carolina has made a name for itself has a vacation hotspot. Offering entertainment for people of all ages, the popular southern city attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Despite its fame regarding tourism and scenic beauty, Charleston boasts something even more important: a strong community that cares about its members. Earlier this month, a local woman received help doing something most people take completely for granted: getting in and out of her house. Operation Home, a non-profit focused on building ramps for those with limited mobility, teamed up with two nearby churches to make this woman's life a little bit easier. Young volunteers worked with knowledgeable professionals to construct the wheelchair ramp through the blistering heat and humidit...