The Conversation

Thawing permafrost is full of ice-forming particles that could get into atmosphere

Written by Jessie Creamean, Research Scientist, Colorado State University

Permafrost is thawing across the Arctic, releasing microbes and organic materials that have been trapped in the frozen ground for thousands of years.NOAA via Wikimedia Commons

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Permafrost – frozen soil in the far north – is thawing, releasing greenhouse gases a...

Travelers coming from Italy may have driven first US COVID-19 wave more than those from China, study suggests

Written by Jeff Prince, Professor and Chair of Business Economics and Public Policy, Indiana University

The U.S. banned travel from China early, but the late timing of other travel bans meant the coronavirus had other routes into the U.S.AP Photo/John Minchillo

The coronavirus was still a far-away problem in Wuhan when U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ban on travel from China in late January 2020. Six weeks later, as the coronavirus ravaged...

Why it takes 2 shots to make mRNA vaccines do their antibody-creating best – and what the data shows on delaying the booster dose

Written by William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia

After a second dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, a swarm of antibodies attacks the virus.Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

With the U.S. facing vaccination delays because of worker shortages and distribution problems, federal health officials now say it’s OK to push back the second dose of the two-part vaccine by as much as...

A universal influenza vaccine may be one step closer, bringing long-lasting protection against flu

Written by Patricia L. Foster, Professor Emerita of Biology, Indiana University

Wouldn't it be nice if one shot could protect you for life?Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images

A bad year for flu can mean tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. Getting vaccinated can protect you from influenza, but you have to get the shot every year to catch up with the changing virus and to top up the short-lived immunity the vaccine provides....

Why the next major hurdle to ending the pandemic will be about persuading people to get vaccinated

Written by Timothy Callaghan, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University School of Public Health, Texas A&M University

Maria Saravia, a worker at the University of Southern California's Keck Hospital, adjusts her mother's mask before her COVID-19 vaccination.Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Today, more Americans hope to receive a COVID-19 vaccine than current vaccine supply will allow. Consequently, although President Joe Biden’s initial prom...

Can Biden fix the vaccine mess? An expert says yes

Written by Margaret Riley, Professor of Law, Public Health Sciences, and Public Policy, University of Virginia

Joe Biden, then president-elect, received his COVID-19 vaccination in December.Joshua Roberts via Getty Images

When President Joe Biden was sworn in on Jan. 20, he inherited the raging COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most difficult crises any incoming president has ever faced. More than 400,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus, and tens of...

5 websites to help educate about the horrors of the Holocaust

Written by Jennifer Rich, Professor of Sociology, Rowan University

Anne Frank House Executive Director Ronald Leopold, left, presents pages of Anne Frank's diary.Bas Czerwinski/AFP via Getty Images

Whenever there’s an analysis or discussion about how much people know about the Holocaust, the focus is often on what they don’t know.

For instance, a 2018 survey of 1,350 people age 18 and older found that...

Biden faces the world: 5 foreign policy experts explain US priorities – and problems – after Trump

Written by Muqtedar Khan, Professor, Islam and Global Affairs, University of Delaware

Can Joe Biden restore U.S. world leadership?Agela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Editor’s note: President Joe Biden inherits from Donald Trump a United States that was simultaneously isolated from the rest of the world and openly hostile toward parts of it. Biden – an internationally minded leader who has longstanding relationships with...

People take better care of public places when they feel like they have a stake in them

Written by Suzanne Shu, John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing, Cornell University

If they run across some trash while they're out paddling, what will they do about it?Marlin Levison/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Takeaways

· People can feel “psychological ownership,” a sense of personal attachment, even for parks and other public places.

· These feelings lead them to see property they don’t own as...

Expert in fluid dynamics explains how to reduce the risk of COVID-19 airborne transmission inside a car

Written by Varghese Mathai, Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Opening all windows, or one front and one rear window, increases the amount of airflow in the car, reducing the risk of airborne transmission.Sisoje/E+ via Getty Images

Editor’s note: Varghese Mathai is a physicist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who studies the flow of fluids and gases. He conducted a study using computational...