EPA weakens air pollution rules, cancer survival soars, and NASA evacuates astronauts

In this episode of Science Quickly, we unpack the Environmental Protection Agency’s controversial decision to change how it calculates health benefits from regulating certain air pollutants, a move that experts warn could lead to dirtier air and worse health outcomes. And we’ve achieved a major milestone in cancer care, with five-year survival rates hitting a record high, but looming policy threats could stall progress. Plus, NASA’s first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station could offer lessons for future missions.

Recommended Reading:

America’s Air Is about to Get Dirtier—And More Dangerous

70 Percent of Cancer Patients Now Survive at Least Five Years, Study Finds

Astronauts Evacuate the ISS after Medical Incident

New Study Probes How Same-Sex Behaviors Evolved in Nonhuman Primates

E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

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Science Quickly is produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices