Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Origins of COVID, a clear climate Rx, and a chat with Space Force

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March 20, 2023

Epidemiology

New Evidence Supports Animal Origin of COVID Virus through Raccoon Dogs

Genetic sequences show evidence of raccoon dogs and other animals at the Wuhan market sites where SARS-CoV-2 was found in early 2020, adding to evidence of a natural spillover event

By Tanya Lewis

Climate Change

Fast, Deep Cuts in Emissions Are Needed to Avoid 'Climate Time Bomb'

To keep warming below levels that scientists say will bring extreme climate impacts, nations must act quickly to make deep cuts in carbon emissions, according to the final installment of the IPCC’s latest climate report

By Andrea Thompson

Defense

Space Force Humor, Laser Dazzlers, and the Havoc a War in Space Would Actually Wreak

In the inaugural episode of Cosmos, Quickly, we blast off with Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno of the Space Force, who is charged with protecting our space in space, particularly from Russia and China.

By Lee Billings,Clara Moskowitz,Jeffery DelViscio | 13:52

Vaccines

RSV Vaccines Are Nearly Here after Decades of False Starts

Decades of failed attempts have given way to several successful vaccines and treatments for the respiratory disease RSV

By Tara Haelle

Mathematics

The World's Simplest Theorem Shows That 8,000 People Globally Have the Same Number of Hairs on Their Head

Hairiness is the perfect way to demonstrate the math underlying the “pigeonhole principle,” first conceived in 1622

By Manon Bischoff

Astronomy

Rare, Dust-Shrouded Dying Star Revealed in New JWST Image

Before exploding as supernovae, massive Wolf-Rayet stars spew gas and dust into space, seeding the formation of future stellar and planetary systems

By Allison Parshall

Aerospace

What High-Tech Prizes Does the Downed U.S. Drone Hold? Russia Really Wants to Know

An MQ-9 Reaper drone is sitting at the bottom of the Black Sea. Will the U.S. or Russia recover it?

By Jason Sherman
FROM THE STORE
FROM THE ARCHIVE

Lab-Leak Intelligence Reports Aren't Scientific Conclusions

Intelligence reports supporting the lab-leak theory for COVID are not based in science

WHAT WE'RE READING

Seeding Hope


They set out to save rainforests — and stumbled upon a way to help prevent the world’s next deadly pandemic.

By Caroline Chen, photography by Kathleen Flynn | Propublica | Mar. 7, 2023

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Scientist Pankaj

Today in Science: Humans think unbelievably slowly

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