Free Republic

Virginia Commonwealth University has become the latest epicenter of violent protests, as pro-Hamas supporters occupied parts of the campus, leading to a tense standoff with riot police. Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for all students. The confrontation began Monday morning when a group of student protesters established what they called a “Liberation Zone” outside the James Branch Cabell Library on VCU’s Monroe Park campus. The group displayed Palestinian flags and chanted “Free Palestine,” demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and calling for VCU to sever all financial ties with Israel. As the day progressed, tents were erected, and protesters fortified...

A technique that zaps airborne viruses with a narrow-wavelength band of UV light shows promise for curtailing the person-to-person spread of COVID-19 in indoor public places. The technology, developed by Columbia University’s Center for Radiological Research, uses lamps that emit continuous, low doses of a particular wavelength of ultraviolent light, known as far-UVC, which can kill viruses and bacteria without harming human skin, eyes and other tissues, as is the problem with conventional UV light. “Far-UVC light has the potential to be a ‘game changer,’” said David Brenner, professor of radiation biophysics and director of the center. “It can be...

MONDAY, Feb. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- As a particularly nasty flu season rages across the United States, scientists have found a powerful new disinfectant that makes "light" work of the virus. Researchers say a certain spectrum of ultraviolet light -- called far-UVC -- easily kills airborne flu viruses while posing no risk to people. It could offer a new, inexpensive way to eliminate airborne flu viruses in indoor public spaces such as hospitals, doctors' offices, schools, airports and aircraft, said the team from Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.