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As the Coronavirus Swept over China, Some Experts Were in Denial
Magical thinking hampered the ability of even some of the most seasoned infectious diseases experts to recognize the full threat.
In the Coronavirus Pandemic, We're Making Decisions Without Reliable Data
Countermeasures like social distancing may help stop the spread of Covid-19. But how can policymakers tell if they are doing more good than harm? Data!
'Flattening the Curve' May Be the World's Best Bet to Slow the Coronavirus
Experts say by taking aggresive measures, governments have a shot at stamping out new chains of transmission of the coronavirus.
He May Be the Rightful Inventor of Neuroscience's Biggest Breakthrough in Decades - But You've Never Heard of Him
He May Be the Rightful Inventor of Neuroscience's Biggest Breakthrough in Decades - But You've Never Heard of Him
His original submission was rejected as being "too narrow" - but later authors who presented the same idea as a new technology rather than as a scientific finding have been hailed as inventors of optogenetics.
Quick Retraction of Coronavirus Paper Was Good Moment for Science - STAT
Quick Retraction of Coronavirus Paper Was Good Moment for Science - STAT
Champions of traditional journal publishers are often unwilling to acknowledge how slow and ineffective correction in science can be.
Epic's Call to Block a Proposed Data Rule is Wrong for Many Reasons
Epic's Call to Block a Proposed Data Rule is Wrong for Many Reasons
Epic, the large electronic health record company, wants to scuttle a rule that requires information to flow freely between EHRs. It should embrace it.
WHO Calls for Emergency Meeting on New China Virus, As Cases Spread
The WHO's annnouncement came as China confirmed cases in Beijing and in Guangdong province, as well as a confirmed incident involving human-to-human spread.
FDA Approves an Ebola Vaccine, Long in Development, for the First Time - STAT
The vaccine, developed by Merck, protects against Zaire ebolaviruses, the species of the virus that has been the most common cause of Ebola outbreaks.
What's in the Cards for This Year's Nobel Prizes?
Past laureates have their favorites and hunches, wrong though they usually are. As one 2018 winner said, "It's not helpful to second-guess these things!"
WHO Advisers Call for Registry of Studies on Human Genome Editing
The committee did not, however, explicitly recommend a moratorium on germline editing for reproduction, an issue that has divided genome editing experts.
China Creating National Medical Ethics Body to Oversee Clinical Trials
The technologies that will be regulated by the ethics committee are often new and are deemed risky either because of safety or moral concerns.
To Catch Misconduct, Journals Are Hiring Research Integrity Czars
Scientific journals' creation of dedicated positions for rooting out misconduct before publication comes amid growing awareness of such issues.
Harvard and the Brigham Call for 31 Retractions of Cardiac Stem Cell Research
Harvard and the Brigham Call for 31 Retractions of Cardiac Stem Cell Research
The papers from the lab of Dr. Piero Anversa, who studied cardiac stem cells, 'included falsified and/or fabricated data,' according to a statement from the two institutions.
Russian Bots Were Used to Sow Divisions on Vaccines
The campaign may have increased misperceptions that the science on the safety of vaccines isn’t settled - as is the case - but rather subject to debate.
Wellcome Trust Launches $330M Initiative to Fund High-Risk Life Sciences Projects
One of the world’s largest biomedical research charities is setting up a new initiative to fund outside-the-box science.
Psychiatrists Call for Rollback of Policy Banning Discussion of Public Figures’ Mental Health
Psychiatrists Call for Rollback of Policy Banning Discussion of Public Figures’ Mental Health
Some of the field’s most notable thinkers call on the American Psychiatric Association to permit discussion of public figures' mental health in some cases.
Controversial NIH Study of "Moderate Drinking" Will Be Terminated After Scathing Report
Controversial NIH Study of "Moderate Drinking" Will Be Terminated After Scathing Report
The drinking study had raised concerns because NIH officials had solicited funding for the $100 million project from liquor companies, with the money funneled through the private NIH Foundation.
Biohackers Are About Open-Access to Science, Not DIY Pandemics
Scare stories in the media warn that biohackers in community labs are working underground to create the next global apocalypse. In truth, these labs are all about science outreach and education.
Michael Eisen Takes on Eric Lander and the Scientific Establishment
Michael Eisen is anything but silent. In his career as a scientist, which has included a slapdash U.S. Senate campaign, blog posts, and nearly 39,000 tweets, he has lobbed grenades at the powers that be.
Scientist Takes Her Sexual Harassment Findings to Congress
Kathryn Clancy has spent years studying how sexual harassment pervades science. This week, she’s taking those findings to Congress.
Online Forums Give Investors an Early Warning of Shady Scientific Findings
Scientists around the globe nowadays regularly take to the internet to scrutinize research after it’s been published — including to run their own analyses of the data and spot mistakes or fraud.
Faced with Public Pressure, Research Institutions Step up Reporting of Clinical Trial Results
Faced with Public Pressure, Research Institutions Step up Reporting of Clinical Trial Results
The reporting of clinical trial results to a public database has improved sharply in the last two years, with universities and other nonprofit research centers leading the way.
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