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A simple device that just about anyone can put together is proving to be a valuable tool in the fight against COVID-19. The Corsi-Rosenthal box is a build-it-yourself air filter that has been shown to reduce the number of virus particles in indoor settings. 

Scientists say air filtration is an important part of protecting people from COVID-19. That’s because the virus that causes COVID-19 can remain in the air for hours, even after an infected person leaves the area. Invented by engineer Dr. Richard Corsi and Jim Rosenthal, the head of an air filter company, the Corsi-Rosenthal box is a fairly inexpensive alternative to store-bought air-cleaning devices. Scientists at 3M, a company that makes air filters, tested the Corsi-Rosenthal box and found it was effective at capturing virus particles.

The ingredients for a Corsi-Rosenthal box are available at most hardware stores. They include a box fan, four or five high-quality furnace filters, some cardboard, and duct tape. Building instructions can be found on many websites. Assembling the device is as simple as putting flat objects together to form a cube.

Because they’re so easy to make, the boxes have become increasingly popular. Many people have built them for their homes and workplaces. Volunteers have also built boxes for schools and homeless shelters.

Experts caution that air cleaners alone are not enough to make indoor spaces safe. But, along with ventilation, vaccination, and mask-wearing, these portable devices can make a big difference.

For more than 100 years, a ship called the Endurance was hidden under the icy waters near Antarctica. Now, the ship has been found. And it looks a lot like it did a century ago.

The Endurance was part of an expedition led by British explorer Ernest Shackleton. In August 1914, Shackleton and his crew set out to make the first land crossing of Antarctica. But trying to reach the frozen continent would almost prove to be deadly. In December, the Endurance became trapped in the ice-covered Weddell Sea. The ship drifted for 10 months before it got crushed by pack ice. For five more months, the crew camped on ice floes before escaping in lifeboats to a nearby island. By then, the Endurance had sunk into the sea.

On March 5, 2022, a team of researchers located the Endurance nearly 10,000 feet (3,008 meters) under water. It wasn’t easy. The team had to use a ship that’s designed to break through the ice that covers the Weddell Sea. They sent remote submarines under the water to search for the ship. It took more than two weeks to find the Endurance. No sunlight reaches the seafloor, making the environment extremely cold and dark.

But the cold water proved to be a very good thing. It kept the Endurance in remarkably good shape. Scientists say wood-eating worms often eat away at shipwrecks. But these worms can’t survive at the bottom of the freezing Weddell Sea. So the Endurance still looks a lot like it did during Shackleton’s lifetime.

Viewing photos of the ship is almost like going back in time.

For more than 100 years, a ship called the Endurance was hidden under the icy waters near Antarctica. Now, the ship has been found. And it looks a lot like it did a century ago.

The Endurance was part of an expedition led by British explorer Ernest Shackleton. In August 1914, Shackleton and his crew set out to make the first land crossing of Antarctica. But trying to reach the frozen continent would almost prove to be deadly. In December, the Endurance became trapped in the ice-covered Weddell Sea. The ship drifted for 10 months before it got crushed by pack ice. For five more months, the crew camped on ice floes before escaping in lifeboats to a nearby island. By then, the Endurance had sunk into the sea.

On March 5, 2022, a team of researchers located the Endurance nearly 10,000 feet (3,008 meters) under water. It wasn’t easy. The team had to use a ship that’s designed to break through the ice that covers the Weddell Sea. They sent remote submarines under the water to search for the ship. It took more than two weeks to find the Endurance. No sunlight reaches the seafloor, making the environment extremely cold and dark.

But the cold water proved to be a very good thing. It kept the Endurance in remarkably good shape. Scientists say wood-eating worms often eat away at shipwrecks. But these worms can’t survive at the bottom of the freezing Weddell Sea. So the Endurance still looks a lot like it did during Shackleton’s lifetime.

Viewing photos of the ship is almost like going back in time.

For more than 100 years, a ship called the Endurance was hidden under the icy waters near Antarctica. Now, the ship has been found. And it looks a lot like it did a century ago.

The Endurance was part of an expedition led by British explorer Ernest Shackleton. In August 1914, Shackleton and his crew set out to make the first land crossing of Antarctica. But trying to reach the frozen continent would almost prove to be deadly. In December, the Endurance became trapped in the ice-covered Weddell Sea. The ship drifted for 10 months before it got crushed by pack ice. For five more months, the crew camped on ice floes before escaping in lifeboats to a nearby island. By then, the Endurance had sunk into the sea.

On March 5, 2022, a team of researchers located the Endurance nearly 10,000 feet (3,008 meters) under water. It wasn’t easy. The team had to use a ship that’s designed to break through the ice that covers the Weddell Sea. They sent remote submarines under the water to search for the ship. It took more than two weeks to find the Endurance. No sunlight reaches the seafloor, making the environment extremely cold and dark.

But the cold water proved to be a very good thing. It kept the Endurance in remarkably good shape. Scientists say wood-eating worms often eat away at shipwrecks. But these worms can’t survive at the bottom of the freezing Weddell Sea. So the Endurance still looks a lot like it did during Shackleton’s lifetime.

Viewing photos of the ship is almost like going back in time.