Science

A scientist at work on a COVID-19 vaccine candidate at Bogazici University in Istanbul in August.

How Can You Tell If A COVID-19 Vaccine Is Working?

1:21pm September 07, 2020

by Joe Palca

Several COVID-19 vaccine candidates are being tested now. But why does it take 30,000 volunteers to know if one is safe and effective? And what does it mean to say a vaccine candidate is working?

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Science

2020 Pint Of Science Festival Will Be Virtual Because Of COVID-19

7:43am September 07, 2020

The annual Pint of Science festival sees scientists and local communities gather in bars, cafes and other places to talk science. But in 2020, the festival will be online due to the pandemic.

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When it comes to text messaging, at least for younger adults, periods do more than just end a sentence. They also can set a tone.

Science

Are Your Texts Passive-Aggressive? The Answer May Lie In Your Punctuation

3:30pm September 05, 2020

by Danny Hensel

Some linguists find that younger people tend to see text messages that end with a period as passive-aggressive, or otherwise negative.

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Dr. Scott Atlas is President Trump's new coronavirus adviser. His ideas are sometimes at odds with those of public health professionals.

President Trump's New COVID-19 Adviser Is Making Public Health Experts Nervous

1:32pm September 04, 2020

Dr. Scott Atlas is a radiologist from Stanford with some unorthodox ideas about managing the pandemic. The White House says his thinking is just what's needed, but scientists aren't so sure.

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Moderna, based in Cambridge, Mass., has reached phase three trials for its coronavirus vaccine. At the same time, its executives have sold tens of millions of dollars worth of stock, which has led to intense criticism of the company.

'Bad Optics' Or Something More? Moderna Executives' Stock Sales Raise Concerns

11:35am September 04, 2020

by Tom Dreisbach

Moderna is currently developing a promising, yet still unproven, vaccine against the coronavirus. But Moderna executives have already sold tens of millions of dollars worth of stock in the company.

Biologist Lucy King speaks from the TED stage

Science

Lucy King: How Can Bees Keep The Peace Between Elephants And Humans?

9:00am September 04, 2020

by NPR/TED Staff

ENTER TEASER

This negative-stained transmission electron micrograph depicts the ultrastructural details of an influenza virus particle, or virion.

Flu Season Looms And Scientists Wonder How Flu And COVID-19 Might Mix

7:55pm September 03, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

There's a lot that scientists don't know about how viral infections can interact. But researchers are eager to figure out how coronavirus infections might affect flu infections and vice versa.

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President Trump delivers remarks last week on the Farmers to Families Food Box program at Flavor 1st Growers and Packers in Mills River, N.C.

How Trump's Food Box Initiative Overpaid And Underdelivered

2:24pm September 03, 2020

by Dan Charles

The Trump administration has been buying food from farmers and getting it to food banks. Food banks, however, say the program was not set up to deliver food efficiently.

Patients with a fast-progressing form of ALS who got daily doses of an experimental two-drug combination called AMX0035 scored higher on a standard measure of function than patients who didn't get the drug.

Drug Combination Slows Progression Of ALS And Could Mark 'New Era' In Treatment

7:44pm September 02, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists say new drugs are on the way for patients with ALS. The latest is a two-drug combo that appears to slow the progression of the fatal nerve disease with a modest but meaningful benefit.

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Studies of steroids, including the generic drug dexamethasone, have found that these drugs can reduce deaths in patients hospitalized with serious cases of COVID-19.

Inexpensive Steroids Can Save Lives Of Seriously Ill COVID-19 Patients

7:06pm September 02, 2020

by Richard Harris

Multiple studies now confirm earlier research: Dexamethasone and hydrocortisone, drugs that reduce an immune system's overreaction, can help reduce deaths of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.