Opinion: A skeptic’s take on Neuralink and other consumer neurotech
The titans of Silicon Valley say that the brain-computer interface revolution is coming, and neurotech…
Month: April 2021
STAT+: Biotech venture capitalists have more money than ever to invest. What could possibly go wrong?
There’s more money sloshing around in biotech than ever before. Over the past year, several…
Covid-19 reinfections still seem rare, but the U.S. lacks good data
Reinfections from Covid-19 continue to seem rare, and are not responsible for the current, stubbornly…
Counter hate-driven movements, Guterres urges, reflecting on Rwandan genocide
As the world marks the grim anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in…
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Why Utah is making men pay women’s pregnancy costs – BBC News
Why Utah is making men pay women’s pregnancy costs BBC News Read Original Article: Why Utah…
Woman faced with unexpected double diagnosis of pregnancy and blood cancer now a mother to healthy twins – Loma Linda University Health
Woman faced with unexpected double diagnosis of pregnancy and blood cancer now a mother to…
Getting by with a little help from our (virtual) friends
By 2030, two billion people are expected to rely on so-called “assistive” technology aids in…
News in Brief 6 April 2021
Clarity still needed on effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine passports: WHO Scale of acute hunger in…
Maddening itch of liver disease comes from a surprising source
A devastating itching of the skin driven by severe liver disease turns out to have…
STAT+: Fibrogen admits false heart-safety data for experimental anemia pill shared with FDA, investors
Fibrogen acknowledged Tuesday that the company has been touting false heart-safety data for its experimental…
1 in 3 Covid-19 patients are diagnosed with a neuropsychiatric condition in the next six months, large study finds
Six months after being diagnosed with Covid-19, 1 in 3 patients also had experienced a…
COVID-19: AstraZeneca vaccine benefits still ‘largely positive’
The benefits of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are still “largely positive” and outweigh risk of…
Fossil discovery deepens snakefly mystery
The recent discovery of four new species of ancient insects are leading scientists to question…
A quick morning reflection could make you a better leader — even if you’re not the boss
Starting your day by thinking about what kind of leader you want to be can…
Key brain molecule may play role in many brain disorders
Scientists have identified a molecule called microRNA-29 as a powerful controller of brain maturation in…
Womens’ pain not taken as seriously as mens’ pain
Researchers found that when male and female patients expressed the same amount of pain, observers…
STAT+: A controversial court case in Brazil will tackle pharma ‘monopolies’ and access to drugs
After years of anticipation, the Brazilian Supreme Court is holding a hearing this week on…
Dark Energy Survey physicists open new window into dark energy
An analysis by Dark Energy Survey physicists yields more precise estimates of the average density…
High levels of arsenic and uranium in some wells
A new U.S. Geological Survey study provides an updated, statewide estimate of high levels of…
The sea urchin microbiome
Sea urchins receive a lot of attention in California. Red urchins support a thriving fishery,…
Silencing vibrations in the ground and sounds underwater
POSTECH professor Junsuk Rho’s research team demonstrates artificial control of elastic waves and underwater sounds…
Exploring comet thermal history: Burnt-out comet covered with talcum powder
The world’s first ground-based observations of the bare nucleus of a comet nearing the end…
How the fly selects its reproductive male
A team has discovered an RNA coding for a micro-peptide – a very small protein…
A new material enables the usage of ‘calcium’ for batteries
Scientists have developed a new fluorine-free calcium (Ca) electrolyte based on a hydrogen (monocarborane) cluster…
Adolescents born preterm have similar self-esteem/wellbeing levels to those born full-term
New research has found that, contrary to previous beliefs, adolescents born preterm have the same…
Rising Sika deer populations linked to bovine TB infections
New research suggests Ireland’s increasing populations of Sika deer may be linked to local outbreaks…
Radical attack on live cells
Is there a way to chemically manipulate small, confined areas on cellular surfaces? Scientists have…
Source of Zika neurodevelopmental defects
A study identified how microcephaly (abnormally small heads) and blindness may develop in Zika-infected fetuses,…
Being top baboon costs males their longevity
A male baboon’s social dominance requires constant physical defense and leaves its mark on his…
Mapping North Carolina’s ghost forests from 430 miles up
Throughout the U.S. East Coast, trees are dying off as rising seas and higher storm…
Scholarly communications harmed by covid-19
In this editorial by Raj Bhopal and Alasdair Munro (BMJ 2021;372:n742 doi:10.1136/bmj.n742) we incorrectly accredited a set…
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STAT+: California once again delays launch of a closely watched prescription drug purchasing program
For the second time this year, California officials have delayed a much-ballyhooed effort to start…
Medical device firms’ payments to doctors far outstripped those from pharma, study shows
WASHINGTON — The medical device industry gave doctors consulting fees, lunches, lodging, and other incentive…
Covid-19: Italy makes vaccination mandatory for healthcare workers
Italy has become the first country in Europe to make vaccination against covid-19 mandatory for…
Clarity still needed on effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine passports, says UN health agency
Being vaccinated against COVID-19 may not prevent transmission and vaccination passports may not be an…
Medical leaders call for swift action to remove GMC’s power to appeal tribunal decisions
Thirteen leading healthcare organisations, including the BMA and five royal colleges, are calling on the…
Covid-19: Government rolls out twice weekly rapid testing to all in England
Everyone in England will be offered access to twice weekly rapid testing for covid-19 from…
STAT+: MIT scientists launch Future Founders Initiative to solve biotech’s ‘missing women’ problem
A group of prominent MIT scientists that formed to address gender inequities in the biotech…
STAT+: Boston’s hospital chiefs moonlight on corporate boards at rates far beyond the national level
As chief of Boston Children’s Hospital, one of the most esteemed pediatric hospitals in the…
STAT+: STAT+ Conversations: A conversation on how to find that elusive Covid-19 vaccine
Editors note: A livestream of the conversation will be embedded below at 1:15 p.m. ET….
To intervene or not to intervene? That is the future climate question
Experts in climate science and ecology are bringing science to bear on the question and…
Droughts longer, rainfall more erratic over the last 50 years in most of Western US
Dry periods between rainstorms have become longer and more erratic across the West during the…
Beef industry can cut emissions with land management, production efficiency
An assessment of 12 different strategies for reducing beef production emissions worldwide found that industry…
Aquatic biodiversity key to sustainable, nutrient-rich diets
New research shows aquatic species contain distinct and complementary sets of micronutrients — while animals…
Glass nanopore pulls DNA like spaghetti through a needle
Nanopore sensing can extract cell-free DNA from a liquid sample. Researchers used electric current to…
Discovery is key to creating heat-tolerant crops
By 2050, global warming could reduce crop yields by one-third. To modify plants’ response to…
STAT+: Pharmalittle: EMA official says link exists between AstraZeneca Covid-19 shot and rare blood clots; Catalent to boost Moderna vaccine production
Top of the morning, and a fine one it is. Clear blue skies and a…
Raindrops also keep fallin’ on exoplanets
Researchers found that raindrops are remarkably similar across different planetary environments, even planets as drastically…
Tattoo made of gold nanoparticles revolutionizes medical diagnostics
Scientists have developed a novel type of implantable sensor that continuously transmits information on vital…
Covid-19: How clinical academic trainees came back to the wards en masse
In spring 2020, an estimated 1500+ academic trainees in England—representing more than 90% of all…