#9 - $23m toilet headed for space, Nobel Prize 2020, Stockholm wastewater & COVID-19

#10- Gene editing CRISPR-Cas9, Coronavirus spilling from bats to humans, COVID-related brain effects

On Episode #10, here are the main topics: 1. The 2020 Nobel prize in Chemistry was awarded for the discovery of a genetic engineering technique. With all its benefits, the technique has some seriously concerned about its ethical implications. 2. Studies suggest that coronavirus could lead to neurological illnesses 3. New research reveals why coronavirus that once lived harmlessly in bats and other wildlife – has become uncontrollable once it jumped the species barrier and entered humans. References Doudna, J. A., & Charpentier, E. (2014). The new frontier of genome engineering with CRISPR-Cas9. Science, 346(6213). Frontera, J. A., Sabadia, S., Lalchan, R., Fang, T., Flusty, B., Millar-Vernetti, P., ... & Morgan, N. (2020). A Prospective Study of Neurologic Disorders in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in New York City. Neurology. Alejandro Berrio, Valerie Gartner, Gregory A. Wray. Positive selection within the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and other Coronaviruses independent of impact on protein function. PeerJ, 2020; 8: e10234

#9 - $23m toilet headed for space, Nobel Prize 2020, Stockholm wastewater & COVID-19

On Episode#9, we discuss: 1. NASA launches a 23m titanium toilet headed to the International Space Station 2. The 2020 Nobel prize for Medicine awarded for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus 3. What does the wastewater in Stockholm, Sweden tell about the uptick in coronavirus cases? REFERENCES: 1. HTTPS://APNEWS.COM/ARTICLE/BUSINESS-SPACEX-ARCHIVE-MOON-F06581FE70515AE7608304AF8E6A44FB [HTTPS://APNEWS.COM/ARTICLE/BUSINESS-SPACEX-ARCHIVE-MOON-F06581FE70515AE7608304AF8E6A44FB] 2. Law, John Lok Man, et al. "A hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine comprising envelope glycoproteins gpE1/gpE2 derived from a single isolate elicits broad cross-genotype neutralizing antibodies in humans." PloS one 8.3 (2013): e59776. 3. Lundkvist, Åke, Stefan Hanson, and Björn Olsen. "Pronounced difference in Covid-19 antibody prevalence indicates cluster transmission in Stockholm, Sweden." Infection ecology & epidemiology 10.1 (2020): 1806505.

#8 - COVID vaccine & Megafires

On Episode#8, we talk about COVID vaccine updates, and Mega-Fires across the US 1. One candidate vaccine fore COVID-19 showed possible neurological sideeffects. What does this mean for the other vaccines in the pipeline currently in Phase 3? 2 New research explores the reason for the mega-wildfires that has moved across western United Sates.. and what it says about future extreme events moving further throughout the country over time. References Keech, C., Phase 1–2 Trial of a SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Spike Protein Nanoparticle Vaccine, NEJM, 2020 Alizadeh, M., et al, A century of observations reveals increasing likelihood of continental-scale compound dry-hot extremes, Science Advances 2020 Jia, Shenyue, et al. "Patterns of population displacement during mega-fires in California detected using Facebook Disaster Maps." Environmental Research Letters (2020). Burke, Marshall, et al. The Changing Risk and Burden of Wildfire in the US. No. w27423. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020.

#7 - Risky business with Tylenol, Cardio and BrainPower, Longterm effects of Pandemics

ON Episode#7, here are the main headlines: 1. Got a bad ache? Did you take a Tylenol? New research finds While acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol is helping you deal with your headache, it may also be influencing your judgement, making you more willing to take risks. 2. In fitness research, a systematic review of dozens of different studies show that performing any form of aerobic exercise before engaging in a learning activity improves the learning ability and storage in memory. 3. What are the longterm effects of pandemics? A report finds that effects of pandemics in history have lasted for 4 decades References: 1. Alexis Keaveney, Ellen Peters, Baldwin Way. Effects of acetaminophen on risk taking. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2020 2. Peter Blomstrand and Jan Engvall. "Effects of a Single Exercise Workout on Memory and Learning Functions in Young Adults—A Systematic ReviewE." Translational Sports Medicine (First published: August 08, 2020) 3. Jordà, Òscar, Sanjay R. Singh, and Alan M. Taylor. Longer-run economic consequences of pandemics. No. w26934. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020.

#6 - Marshmallow Test v 2.0, COVID transmission during normal speech

On episode #6, here are the main ideas: 1. Is a mask really necessary when just talking? Can the coronavirus be transmitted through normal speech? A new study uses lasers to look at how respiratory droplets are emitted during normal speech. 2. Scientists revisit the famous psychology experiment the marshmallow test, revealing new insights into self-control behavior and how it may have something to do with managing our reputation, and its relevance for the future. References Stadnytskyi, Valentyn, et al. "The airborne lifetime of small speech droplets and their potential importance in SARS-CoV-2 transmission." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117.22 (2020): 11875-11877. Bax, Adriaan, et al. "SARS-CoV-2 transmission via speech-generated respiratory droplets." The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2020). Wells, William F. "On air-borne infection: Study II Droplets and Droplet nuclei." American journal of Epidemiology 20.3 (1934): 611-618. Anfinrud, Philip, et al. "Visualizing speech-generated oral fluid droplets with laser light scattering." New England Journal of Medicine (2020). Ma, Fengling, et al. "Delay of Gratification as Reputation Management." Psychological Science (2020): 0956797620939940. Mischel, Walter, Ebbe B. Ebbesen, and Antonette Raskoff Zeiss. "Cognitive and attentional mechanisms in delay of gratification." Journal of personality and social psychology 21.2 (1972): 204.