Author's posts
Moderna Sues Rivals Over Covid-19 Vaccine Patent Rights, After Saying They Wouldn’t. Too Bad.
One of the companies that developed mRNA vaccines for Covid-19, Moderna, has just sued the companies who make the other mRNA vaccine, Pfizer and BioNTech, claiming a violation of patents. Hey Moderna: don’t be so greedy.
Scientists Have Re-Created The Deadly 1918 Flu Virus. Why?
With all the controversy about gain-of-function work in viruses, you might think that scientists have stopped doing that kind of work. You’d be mistaken.
Stop Taking Vitamin D Already!
Way back in 2014, I wrote a column about vitamin D supplements, explaining that they don’t work. A huge new study shows that (surprise!) I was right.
When A Science Journal Does The Right Thing
Once in a while, scientific journals retract bad science. Here’s a story about one bad paper where the journal did the right thing.
The US Is Funding A Massive Virus Hunt That Might Cause Another Pandemic. Great Idea!
USAID is pouring $125 million into an effort to seek out novel viruses in remote areas of the world. The agency seems oblivious to the dangers of bringing 1000s of new viruses into major population centers.
A Genuine Breakthrough For Hair Loss
Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that causes dramatic and devastating hair loss. The FDA just approved a new treatment that, for some patients, seems to completely reverse their hair loss.
A Major Science Journal Publisher Adds A Weird Notice To Every Paper. What’s Behind This?
Back in March of 2017, every single paper in the journal Nature included a strange note about maps. The notices are still appearing today. Why is the publisher doing this? It seems to be the result of pressure from China.
Zoom Is Crushing Students’ Spirits. It’s Time To Come Back To Class.
Colleges have been shut down for so long that students are afraid to return, and the ones who have returned are disengaged from learning. It’s time to get back to normal.
Dr. Oz Wants To Be A Senator. Here’s A Look Back At One Of His Failed Attempts To Do Science
This week, Columbia University finally cut its ties with Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Here’s a look back at Oz’s infamous, on-air green coffee bean experiment.
The Dangerous Math That Florida Doesn’t Want Its Children To Learn
The state of Florida has rejected a bunch of math textbooks because they contain forbidden subjects. I dug deeper to discover what these offensive math concepts might be.
