Science

Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, speaks during a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 14, 2020 about his concerns that Health and Human Services lea

Government Scientist Tops Up Whistle-Blower Complaint and Quits NIH

11:03pm October 06, 2020

by Will Stone

Government scientist Rick Bright resigns from NIH claiming political goals are getting in the way of science. Bright was ousted from a different department at HHS earlier this year.

The MacArthur 'Genius Grant' winners for 2020.

Amidst Global Troubles, MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Winners 'Provoke And Inspire'

4:11pm October 06, 2020

by Petra Mayer

This year's MacArthur Fellows — recipients of what's commonly called the Genius Grant — include artists, scientists, dancers and more. They'll each receive a no-strings-attached $625,000 award.

Science

Scientists Find Proof Early Humans Could Control Fire Temperature In Tempering Tools

4:08pm October 06, 2020

Early humans may have controlled fire temperature in tempering their stone tools, according to an analysis of 300,000-year-old artifacts found in a cave in Israel.

The 2020 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to three scientists for their work on black holes. This artist's concept illustrates a supermassive black hole with millions to billions times the mass of Earth's sun.

3 Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize In Physics For Discoveries Related To Black Holes

10:12am October 06, 2020

The prize goes to Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez. Ghez says she hopes it will inspire young people, and particularly women, to pursue careers in science.

Airborne transmission of the coronavirus can occur, especially in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces, according to the CDC.

CDC Acknowledges Coronavirus Can Spread Via Airborne Transmission

6:36pm October 05, 2020

by Maria Godoy

People with COVID-19 can infect others even if they are more than 6 feet apart. In updated guidance, the CDC acknowledges airborne transmission can occur, especially in poorly ventilated spaces.

American adults over 30 say they're drinking 14% more often during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Americans Are Drinking 14% More Often During Pandemic, Study Finds

4:50pm October 05, 2020

by Reese Oxner

The study compared drinking habits of adults age 30-80 with their habits a year earlier. The study found the increase is most pronounced among women, for whom days with heavy drinking spiked by 41%.

Science

Scientists Discover A Way To Prevent Illegal Trade Of Turtle Eggs

4:38pm October 05, 2020

Wildlife poachers sometimes steal sea turtle eggs from their nests on Costa Rican beaches. Now scientists have a way to fight back: decoy eggs embedded with GPS trackers.

A Nobel Prize gold medal seen during the manufacturing process in the Swedish Mint. The medals, presented to each laureate, are made of 18 karat recycled gold and weigh 175 grams (6.13 ounces). The economics medal weighs 185 grams (6.48 ounces).

Science

3 Scientists Win Nobel Prize For Hepatitis C Virus Discovery

8:23am October 05, 2020

by Mark Katkov

The scientists' work led to a test to protect blood transfusion recipients from hepatitis C and drugs to treat the infection that have saved millions of lives, according to the Nobel Assembly.

Dr. Sean Dooley briefs reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. on Saturday. Trump was admitted to the hospital after contracting the coronavirus.

Trump Is Taking Remdesivir. Here's How It Works To Control The Coronavirus

10:14pm October 03, 2020

by Matthew S. Schwartz

President Trump is on day two of a planned 5-day course of remdesivir. The medication, approved for treating COVID-19, works by making it harder for the coronavirus to replicate within the body.

Monica Scott, a Biden supporter, said she hopes President Trump's positive coronavirus test will cause more Americans to take the virus seriously.

'Too Obnoxious' To Be Stopped By The Virus: People React To Trump's Coronavirus Test

8:11pm October 02, 2020

by Sarah McCammon

Americans woke up Friday to news that the president and first lady both had tested positive for the coronavirus. For many, reactions to the news fell along political lines.