Published: April 29, 2021

Here’s some CU news you can use: Junk food and thru-hiking,how manyColoradans must get a COVID vaccinebefore the state canreturn to “normal,” expert Q&A regarding the Derek Chauvin verdict and more.

To safely return to ‘normal,’ 70% of Coloradans must get COVID vaccine

What we learned:

  • At least 70% of Colorado residents will need to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before the state can safely roll back all public health restrictions.
  • The study simulates how the coronavirus might spread in Colorado in the months ahead, balancing how people could potentially relax their precautions while keeping others out of the hospital.
  • It also finds that if some Colorado counties eliminate restrictions entirely, they could potentially generate a wave of infections around the state.

After Chauvin’s guilty verdict: What will change?

What we learned––three CU 鶹ӰԺ experts’takes on:

  • What makes this verdict sohistoric?
  • What may have made the outcome of this case different than that of similar ones?
  • What could potentially change as a result?

A house run on the sun: How a team of CU students SPARC-ed advances for modern mountain housing

What we learned:

  • CU 鶹ӰԺ won first place in the 2021 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Build Challenge, the third time CU has placed first in the highly competitive event.
  • The“SPARC” (Sustainability, Performance, Attainability, Resilience and Community) home, located in Fraser, Colorado, demonstrates advances in sustainability and affordability for modern mountain housing in the state.
  • The homewas the result of three years’work—through everything from extreme heat and wildfires to construction complications due to COVID-19—and the final product is a stunning achievement.

What’s in a word: New track explores the role of language in social life

What we learned:

  • How does linguistics show up in our everyday lives?
  • Has the pandemic changed how we communicate?How can we connect better with each other, even with social distancing and masks?
  • After all that has happened this past year, why do we keep asking, “How are you?”

Junk food and big miles may not add up how ‘thru-hikers’ hope

What we learned:

  • While thru-hikers may look the picture of health, a new studysuggeststhe combination of extreme exercise and poor diet may lead to negative changes in health markers.
  • The subjectfueled his hike with a typical thru-hiker diet: ramen noodles, instant mashed potatoes, peanut butter, tortillas, energy bars, jerky and nuts on the trail,and indulged in ice cream, burgers and pizza when in town to resupply.
  • It is unknown how persistent the effects are because the researchers did not take further measurements to see if the subject's vascular condition bounced backa month or more after the hike.
  • The researchers recommend thru-hikers eat a diethigh in fiber, fruits and vegetables.