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Amid winter’s darkness, flashes of brilliance
Editor in chief Nancy Shute writes about the celestial conundrums of the Geminids meteor shower, the dimming of Betelgeuse and STEVE (the sky glow that is not an aurora).
- Astronomy
Betelgeuse went dark, but didn’t go supernova. What happened?
Astronomers are anxious to learn why Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the sky, dimmed dramatically, but didn’t explode, in 2019.
- Health & Medicine
Coronavirus shutdowns don’t need to be all or nothing
Governments are implementing more targeted restrictions like limiting restaurant capacity to slow a fall surge. Research suggests they could work.
- Health & Medicine
The FDA has approved the first drug to treat the rapid-aging disease progeria
Children with a rare genetic disorder called progeria age quickly and often die before they are 15. A newly approved drug may give them more time.
- Animals
Mineral body armor helps some leaf-cutting ants win fights with bigger kin
Researchers have found that at least one species of leaf-cutting ant has a tough layer of calcite on its exoskeleton.
- Animals
A face mask may turn up a male wrinkle-faced bat’s sex appeal
The first-ever scientific observations of a wrinkle-faced bat’s courtship shows that, when flirting, the males raise their white furry face coverings.
- Health & Medicine
Immunity to COVID-19 may persist six months or more
Even after recovery, the body continues to improve its antibody response to the coronavirus — perhaps thanks to viral bits hiding in the intestine.
- Health & Medicine
Oxford and AstraZeneca say their COVID-19 vaccine works too
A third major vaccine, which may be easier to distribute than others, appears to prevent disease and maybe transmission of the coronavirus.
- Neuroscience
Lonely brains crave people like hungry brains crave food
After hours of isolation, dopamine-producing cells in the brain fire up in response to pictures of humans, showing our social side runs deep.
- Physics
Newton’s groundbreaking Principia may have been more popular than previously thought
A search has uncovered over 300 copies of Isaac Newton’s famous 17th century book, the Principia, revealing a broader readership than assumed.
- Archaeology
The biblical warrior Goliath may not have been so giant after all
Archaeological finds suggest the width of the walls of Goliath’s home city were used to metaphorically represent the Old Testament figure’s height.
- Health & Medicine
Here’s why COVID-19 vaccines like Pfizer’s need to be kept so cold
Both Pfizer and Moderna built their vaccines on RNA. Freezing them keeps their fragile components from breaking down.
