Projected Costs of Nuclear Forces for 2019 to 2028 is higher than past estimates

The Congressional Budget Office released their biennial study on the cost of America’s nuclear arsenal. The CBO estimates that the total 10-year cost is about $494 billion — $94 billion more than the 2017 to 2026 cost estimates. Part of the increase is due to the ongoing nuclear modernization program.

The oceans are heating up 40 percent faster than scientists realized

A new perspective article published in “Science” says oceans are heating up 40 percent faster than estimates examined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their 2013 assessment report. Even though popular media portrays average global atmospheric temperatures as the measure of global warming, most of the global thermal energy is stored in the oceans. Higher than expected ocean heat content may indicate that greenhouse gases are changing the climate faster than scientists have currently projected.

Asian-American boys match the grades of Asian-American girls in elementary school

A large body of evidence shows that girls on average outperform boys in school as early as kindergarten. A new study published in the journal “Sociological Science” finds that Asian-American boys perform as well as Asian-American girls in elementary school, but a gender achievement gap develops and grows in later years, starting around middle school. This male underperformance appears to be linked to social influences such as school environments and peer relations.

Americans are more likely to die of an opioid overdose than in a vehicle crash
A new report by the National Safety Council found that for the first time in US history, the probability of dying of a opioid overdose is greater than the chances of dying in a car crash. Heart disease and cancer still lead as the leading causes of death among Americans.