Inside Science Weekly Newsletter

View in browser This week, Inside Science has delivered stories about blind dates, the unlikely way magnets, seating charts and this year's physics Nobel Prize are connected, and two new findings about the brain. Haley Weiss reported on how recent research may have identified a new way to attack the tangles of the protein known as Tau that are tied to Alzheimer's disease and its devastating symptoms. Will Sullivan covered the findings from a research project based on studying blood samples from five cosmonauts before and after their months-long stays at the International Space Station. The biomarkers found in their blood indicated higher than expected levels of proteins that are associated with degenerative diseases and brain injuries. It's not clear how long the levels are elevated or what the cognitive effects are, but it's important to know as much as possible as humanity considers extended trips in low-gravity environments. —Chris Gorski, Senior Editor Featured Story Long Trips to Space Linked to Possible Brain Damage Five space travelers had elevated levels of proteins in the blood often seen in people with head trauma and neurodegenerative diseases. By Will Sullivan, Staff Writer Inside Science's Latest Stories Would Disrupting the Way Tau Proteins Copy Themselves Slow Alzheimer's Disease? Reducing the speed of the already-slow replication process could be a new way to attack the disease. By Haley Weiss, Staff Writer Synchronized Heart Rate and Skin Conductivity Show Blind Daters' True Feelings Signs of attraction such as laughs and gestures could not predict how much blind daters want to see each other again. By Katharine Gammon, Contributor How are Disordered Magnets and Wedding Seating Charts Connected? Giorgio Parisi's work, which won him a share of the 2021 Nobel Prize in physics, has a surprisingly wide range of applications. By Will Sullivan, Staff Writer Other Popular Stories from Inside Science To Light or Not To Light Our Skies Yuen Yiu, Staff Writer Hyenas' Bone Crunching Helps Recycle Nutrients Joshua Learn, Contributor James Bond's Best Escapes Are From Infections Haley Weiss, Staff Writer What We're Reading CDC advisers endorse Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5-11 By Helen Branswell, StatNews Tuesday was a landmark day for kids aged 5-11 in the U.S. -- and their parents. By a 14-0 vote, a panel advising the CDC endorsed the use of Pfizer's vaccine in children from 5-11. This opens eligibility to about 28 million more people, who will receive a dose that's about one-third the amount given to adults, with a second dose to come 21 days after the first. According to the Washington Post, an average of more than 70,000 people are testing positive for the coronavirus each day over the last week and more than 1,200 have died each day. Imagination isn't just a spillover from our problem-solving prowess. It might be the core of what human brains evolved to do By Philip Ball, Aeon Is imagination the single attribute that pushed human brains to explore, endure and excel? How could it make evolutionary sense to put so much of the brain's power to work on tasks that don't have a direct benefit on survival? This story explores why people from many scientific disciplines are now thinking that our species should have called itself Homo imaginatus, because imagination might be our most distinctive attribute. Why methane cuts pledged at COP26 may be key to meeting climate goals By Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic Methane has about 100 times the heat-trapping ability as the same amount of carbon dioxide. Thankfully the methane doesn't linger as long, but it still heats the planet about 30 times more than a comparable amount of CO2. Thankfully, countries are recognizing the need to drastically reduce emissions of methane as an important part of slowing climate change. More than 100 countries have signed a pledge to cut methane emissions by almost one-third by 2030. Is that enough? Well, at least it's a start. Read More from Inside Science Copyright 2021 American Institute of Physics. Inside Science syndicates its articles, columns, blogs and videos to news organizations. To initiate syndication, or request permission to republish our content (on a one-time or continuing basis), please contact Inside Science at insidescience@aip.org. 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