1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to hows to Works Now. I'm your host, Lauren Vogelbaum, 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: a researcher and writer. Here at hous toff Works. Every week, 3 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: I'm bringing you three stories from our team about the 4 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 1: weird and wondrous advances we've seen in science, technology, and culture. 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: This week, a long running mystery about how Tornado's work 6 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: has been solved, and unrelated research into how medical services 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: are underused and overused around the world could help make 8 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: us all healthier. But first, senior editor Katherine Whitbourne and 9 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 1: our freelance writer David Rouse explain a bit of political science. 10 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 1: We wanted to answer a question that came up in 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: our weekly editorial meeting, Why do we care about the 12 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: first one hundred days of a presidency? Right after a 13 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: president's inauguration, the media starts to speculate what his first 14 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: hundred days will be like. But why the fascination? After all, 15 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: we liked presidents for terms of one, four hundred and 16 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: sixty days. What's so important of out those first three 17 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 1: months and change? You can blame Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Jonathan Ladd, 18 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: Associate Professor of Public Policy and Government at Georgetown University, says, 19 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: FDR's first hundred days were so productive that people have 20 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: talked about it ever since. Roosevelt came to power in 21 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: three in the depths of the Great Depression. He signed 22 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: seventy six pieces of legislation in his first hundred days. 23 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: Among them, he took the US off the gold standard, 24 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: He revamped the banking system, and created jobs through the 25 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: Civilian Conservation Corps and the Tennessee Valley Authority. No president 26 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 1: has even come close to this productivity. John F. Kennedy 27 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: passed twenty six bills, Ronald Reagan about nine, Barack Obama eleven. 28 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: But that doesn't shake the fixation on the first hundred days. 29 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: It remains a benchmark of political efficiency and a convenient 30 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: measure of a new president's power. So here's what's significant 31 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: about that hundred days. New presidents have a sort of 32 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: honeymoon period with Congress, so it's easier to push a 33 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: new White House legislative agenda. Historically, most presidents come in 34 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: with high approval ratings from voters, and in the past, 35 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 1: senators and representatives would cross the alta vote with them. 36 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: Professor Ladd explains that even George W. Bush, who won 37 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: the two thousand election, by the slimmest of margins, was 38 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: popular enough that conservative leaning Democrats helped past his two 39 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: thousand one tax cut package. Ladd says this is unlikely 40 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: to happen nowadays, since there are a lot fewer conservative 41 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 1: Democrats and liberal Republicans than there used to be, and 42 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: President Donald Trump came into power with low approval ratings. 43 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: Another reason lots of legislation gets passed during that first 44 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: hundred days is the political changing of the guard. When 45 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 1: the White House and Congress are controlled by the same party, 46 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: previously defeated bills may get a second chance at life. 47 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 1: For instance, Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave 48 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: Act within days of taking office in n He could 49 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: act so swiftly because the same bill had previously been 50 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: passed by Congress and vetoed by George H. W. Bush. 51 00:02:58,120 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: So the bill is ready to go. Clinton just need 52 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: is to sign it. The other thing that makes those 53 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: first hundred days so productive is executive actions. Presidents often 54 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: use these to reverse the executive actions of their predecessors. 55 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: One prime example is the Global Gag rule, which bars 56 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: any foreign organization receiving US aid from performing or promoting abortions. 57 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: The rule has been enacted and rescinded by executive order 58 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: every time the White House has changed political hands since 59 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: Ronald Reagan. As you might expect, Trump has reinstated the 60 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: executive order that Obama rescinded, and chances are we can 61 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: expect a lot more actions like these in the coming 62 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: weeks and months. Next up, staff editor Christopher Hassiotas and 63 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: freelance writer Patrick Jake Kaiger bring us the scariest science 64 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: I've heard this week. Researchers have figured out why the 65 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: inside of tornadoes get super cold and leave you gasping 66 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: for air. Their data could inspire better technologies and fluid dynamics. 67 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: On a summer afternoon in June nineteen fifty five, a 68 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: huge tornado touched down in central Nebraska. It zoomed down 69 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: and across the North Platte River toward the town of Scottsbluff, 70 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: where it would reak havoc. Moments later, three reporters from 71 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: a radio station's mobile broadcasting units spotted the funnel just 72 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: north of town and tried to flee by driving through 73 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: a local cemetery, but they were trapped. They encountered a 74 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: lock gate at the other end, and with their escape 75 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 1: cut off. They ditched their vehicle to take refuge in 76 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: the basement of a stone building nearby, but they left 77 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: the radio transmitter running so the public could hear the 78 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: storm's fury. The three broadcasters huddled around the basement furnace 79 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: and waited for the tornado to reach them. Pretty soon, 80 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: strange things started happening. First they saw shovels, hoes, rakes, 81 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: and other tools sucked up and out through the basement's 82 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 1: entrance ramp. Then came total darkness and a deep, deep roar, 83 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: and the basement furnace twisted and heaved. Then for a 84 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: short time, the men found themselves inside the vortex of 85 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: a tornado. Suddenly they felt the temperature drop from a 86 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: mild early summer warmth to an unseasonal coolness, and they 87 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: had a difficult time breathing now. Fortunately, within minutes, the 88 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: roar of the tornado moved off into the distance, and 89 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: the reporters were able to step out of the stone building, 90 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: which miraculously had suffered only slight damage, while other structures 91 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: around it had been leveled. That's a pretty amazing story 92 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: of luck and survival, but for decades a few details 93 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: about it puzzled scientists, why was the air inside a 94 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 1: tornado's vortex colder and thinner than the air around it. Now, 95 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: more than six decades later, researched by Jorgos Fautistas, a 96 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: mechanical and industrial engineering professor at Montreal's Concordia University, and 97 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,359 Speaker 1: two of his recent graduate students, badwal Ger Pritz Singh 98 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: and Rahul Rampa, offers an explanation. Fatistas has been studying 99 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: intense vortices, both ones found in nature and man made ones, 100 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: for more than a quarter century, and in recent years 101 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: he's upgraded his mathematical model to account for factors such 102 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: as density variation and the effects of turbulence in the air. 103 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: He and his team were able to use the new 104 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: model to figure out that it all comes down to 105 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: air pockets. Now. Air pockets are localized regions of air 106 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: with lower pressure than the surrounding atmosphere as air pockets 107 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: within a vortex. In this case, the nineteen tornado moved 108 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: from the edge of the vortex towards its center. The 109 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: pockets expand. That expansion brings down the temperature of the 110 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: air and also makes it thinner. So the more the 111 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: pockets expand, the colder it gets, and the thinner the 112 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 1: air gets. In the case of this Nebraska tornado, the 113 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: temperature dropped from eighty point six to fifty three point 114 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: six degrees fahrenheit or twenty seven to twelve degrees celsius, 115 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: and the density of the air felt less than what 116 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: you might find high in the mountains, where climbers have 117 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: to wear special gear to breathe. That explains why the 118 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: trap broadcasters felt chilly and gasped for air. Batista says 119 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,679 Speaker 1: that the nineteen fifty five account was the most detailed 120 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: account of people surviving the inside of a tornado available. 121 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: The new modeling approach, which he developed and described in 122 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: the Journal of Aircraft of the American Institute of Aeronautics 123 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: and astronaut will help scientists study violent atmospheric vortices such 124 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: as tornadoes and water spouts, and beyond understanding the atmosphere, 125 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: this new model also should prove useful as an engineering 126 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: tool for optimizing the vortex refrigeration tubes used in industrial 127 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: processes and for cooling electronic components. And finally, this week, 128 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: I've got a story for you from our freelancer Aliya 129 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: Quoit about medical science. A series of papers has revealed 130 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: the global effects of both the overuse and the under 131 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: use of particular medical services. The overuse and under use 132 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: of medical services is a global healthcare crisis, but the 133 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: medical industry is desperately trying to remedy. As described in 134 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: a series of papers published by The Lancet in January 135 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: of seventeen, these problems are happening around the world, with 136 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: both overuse and under use often occurring side by side 137 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: throughout various economies, with both leading to poor health and 138 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: well being. Medical service says that are overused often cause 139 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: more harm than good because they're applied inappropriately. As the 140 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: researchers explain in the first paper in the series, overuse 141 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: of unneeded services can harm patients physically and psychologically, and 142 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: can harm health systems by wasting resources and deflecting investments 143 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: in both public health and social spending, which is known 144 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: to contribute to health. The researchers outlined a number of 145 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: areas where overuse is commonly reported medications, screening tests, diagnostic tests, 146 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: therapeutic procedures including surgery and other invasive procedures, site of 147 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: care delivery, such as staying in the hospital when less 148 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: intensive care would suffice and end of life care. Each 149 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: of these areas are vital and even life saving when 150 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: they're indicated by patient history, symptoms, and other specific considerations, 151 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 1: but when used carelessly, the burden is great for both patients, 152 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: many of whom still lack adequate insurance, and the health 153 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: care system. Among these, medication overuses one of the most 154 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: publicly acknowledged examples, especially the overuse of antibiotics. When prescribed unnecessarily, 155 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,079 Speaker 1: the threat of microbe old resistance increases, putting both the 156 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 1: patient and the general population at risk. Expensive and sometimes 157 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: invasive diagnostic tests like endoscopy and colonoscopy are also commonly overused, 158 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: with the US alone reporting an overuse rate of sixtent 159 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 1: for colonoscopy. The anxiety of not catching something serious leads 160 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: to this type of overuse. Over diagnosis and subsequent labeling 161 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: can also be harmful, and not just because patients might 162 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: be taking drugs that they don't actually need. A d 163 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: h D is one example that's particularly prevalent in high 164 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: income countries. As the researchers explain their scant research on 165 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: the effect of an a d h D diagnosis on 166 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: a child's sense of self esteem and ability to modulate 167 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,959 Speaker 1: their own behavior. But the label has been shown to 168 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 1: affect teachers expectations and peer interactions, which can substantially influence 169 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: a child self perceptions. But let's talk about under use. 170 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: If there's an affordable, effective medical service available that's likely 171 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: to improve your quality of life, it's obvious that people 172 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: should use it. Right in a perfect world, the answer 173 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 1: is yes, but many roadblocks can stand in the way. 174 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: In both wealthy and poor countries, low cost treatments are 175 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: sometimes passed over in favor of expensive technologies. Known causes 176 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 1: of under use include lack of access to affordable healthcare, 177 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: not enough doctors or other medical resources to meet the demand, 178 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: doctors who need more training and new techniques and recommendations, 179 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: and general failure by physicians to deliver the appropriate recommended care. 180 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: Often patients choose not to access care or decline recommended treatment, 181 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 1: largely because of issues like language barriers, stigma, culture, distance, 182 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: and a general lack of desire and time to navigate 183 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: the administrative side of obtaining healthcare. That's our show for 184 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,959 Speaker 1: this week. Thank you so much for tuning in further 185 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: thanks to our audio producer, Dylan Fagan and our editorial liaisons. 186 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: Alice in Laudermilk and Christopher. Subscribe to now Now for 187 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: more of the latest science news, and send us links 188 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: to anything you'd like to hear his cover, plus your 189 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: favorite regional snack food. I just discovered that boiled peanuts 190 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: exist and I'm obsessed. You can send us an email 191 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: at now podcast at how stuff works dot com, and 192 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: of course, for lots more stories like these, head on 193 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: over to our home planet, now dot how stuff works 194 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: dot com.