Science KNKX Public Radio

Tests people can take themselves at home work about as well at detecting COVID-19 as tests given by health care providers, according to Seattle researchers. They say self-administered tests could play a big role in confronting coronavirus, as well as future outbreaks.

This interview with the late Bill Ruckelshaus originally aired in March 2017. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read a full obituary here .

The standard thing to do when a child is treated for brain cancer is to put some of the tumor cells under a microscope, and see what kind of cancer it is. But new research led by Dr. Jim Olson of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children’s compared that type of diagnosis with results of genetic testing of the same tumors and found that 71 percent were actually another type altogether.

(Updated at 12:30 pm, January 29, 2017 to correct the spelling of Dr. Ojemann's name.) New research on concussions in young athletes may be the key to better treating or monitoring the injuries. The study, published in the journal "Neurology," was conducted at Seattle Children’s Hospital. It was indirectly funded by the National Football League, part of the millions of dollars the NFL has spent on concussion research.

Scientists say it’s not a matter of if, but of when a devastating earthquake will hit the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington researchers have now done detailed simulations to find out just how intense the shaking from such a quake off the Oregon and Washington coast would be.

After such a glorious summer in the Pacific Northwest, you might be gearing up for the achy joints that many people swear come with cold, wet weather. But a local researcher says your knees could actually get a break when the weather changes.