Self-amplifying RNA vaccines will add to the arsenal of conventional messenger RNA jabs.Credit: Pascal Pochard-Casabianca/AFP via Getty The approval of yet another RNA-based vaccine for COVID-19 might not seem momentous. But the endorsement last week by Japanese authorities of a jab against SARS-CoV-2 constructed using a form of RNA that can make copies of itself…

Last year I wrote a two-part series about a powerful psychedelic plant called ayahuasca. Today I add to the psychedelic zeitgeist by discussing ayahuasca’s chemical cousin, “magic” mushrooms. And magical they are. I believe these wise little fungi are medicinal marvels that can change the world of mental health, and each of us, for the…

National Science Foundation: Additional Steps Would Improve Cost Estimate for Antarctic Research Infrastructure Project | U.S. GAO Skip to main content Breadcrumb Home Reports & Testimonies National Science Foundation: Additional Steps Would Improve Cost Estimate for Antarctic Research Infrastructure Project Fast Facts The National Science Foundation funds and oversees the design, construction, and operations of…

Whether it’s social unrest, a crucial policy decision or a global pandemic, social scientists are the ones who help us navigate — and learn from — these events. The social sciences are fundamental to understanding human behavior, historical events and, ultimately, ourselves.  Dr. Stephen Carmody, Chair of the Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Criminology at Troy…

The judges agreed that when it comes to prairie-chicken photos, Stephens’ shot was special. It has compelling action, elegance, grace and great lighting, but it’s the vibrant blue sky that really sets it apart. Honorable mentions were given to James Claassen, Phil Frigon, Matthew Gerlach and Jim Griggs. The winning images and all the judge’s…

In February 2023, researchers from around the country gathered at a NASA-sponsored workshop to discuss the latest developments and a roadmap for a cryobot mission concept to drill through the icy crusts of Europa and Enceladus and search for life. “Follow the water” has been the mantra of the astrobiology community in search of alien…

FRED ALLENDORF A controversial project recently began in Glacier National Park to eradicate introduced rainbow trout from Gunsight Lake in the St. Mary River drainage. The plan is to stock the lake with native westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout after removal of the rainbow trout. Critics contend that using a fish poison (rotenone) to…

Imagine a cosmic rock billions of years old yet vibrant with water, light and life. Not too close to the sun and not too far away. Tilted on its axis and turning daily to render seasons, sunrises and sunsets. A place so bountiful and varied that it has nourished and inspired humanity through our entire…

The president of the United States cannot control the trajectory of a hurricane, but he can—we learned in 2019—force the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to endorse a trajectory that he invented. Thus went Sharpiegate, the brief episode that began when Donald Trump tweeted a warning about Hurricane Dorian’s danger to several states. It was…