Julie Reynolds returns with a review of Carl Zimmer’s A Planet of Viruses and a reminder that viruses as a whole are fascinating and functionally important.
coronavirus
Science Corner: New Year, New Coronavirus Variant
When all is said and done, I expect that 2021 will end with more good news and less news overall about coronaviruses than 2020 had. In the short term, we are going to have more epidemiology and virology to talk about. The topic most interesting to me is the new B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 (also […]
Science Corner: Giving Thanks for Science
[W]e’ll keep things simple this week, especially in light of the holiday. Here are a few of the things from the domain of science that I am thankful for.
Science Corner: Solve for SpaceX
You may have heard, although frankly it is probably just as well if you didn’t, that Elon Musk got some mixed results from SARS-CoV-2 rapid tests last week. … [T]he math involved in interpreting these tests is not altogether intuitive, and many of us might be uncertain what to do with such equivocal outcomes. And for some of us, that may already be or may become a concrete reality rather than a hypothetical exercise. So let’s talk through the numbers.
Science Corner: Winter is Coming – We Need Encouragement
I was reminded recently that just about two years ago, I wrote about the centenary of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. … Now, two years later, we are in the midst of another global pandemic of a respiratory virus. I think maybe this time we might benefit from a look forward instead.