Science

'Desperation science' slows the hunt for coronavirus drugs
Six months after COVID-19 started spreading around the globe, desperation rather than information is still driving many decisions about how to treat the disease. Now researchers are trying innovative ways to get answers faster while still doing good science. 
2020 Aspen Ideas Festival: Erik Larson on 'The Splendid and the Vile' and Walter Isaacson on 'The Code Breaker'
Erik Larson and Walter Isaacson speak at the 2020 Aspen Ideas Festival about their books, “The Splendid and the Vile” and “The Code Breaker: The Tale of Jennifer Doudna, CRISPR and the Future of the Human Race.” Mitt Romney speaks about the U.S.-China relations.
Essential vocabulary for COVID-19: From asymptomatic to zoonotic
The pandemic has brought many new terms into daily usage. Here are definitions of some of the words used in discussion of the novel coronavirus and how to stem its spread.
Astrophysicist Mario Livio weighs in on science denial then and now
Science denial has shown up throughout history. We talk with an author who researched the life of Galileo Galilei, the challenges he faced and how it compares to science denial happening today.
U of M to fund more CWD research in Minnesota’s deer herds
Researchers at the University of Minnesota were awarded new funding on Wednesday to study the spread of chronic wasting disease in the state’s deer herds. The goal is to determine how the fatal deer disease is passed to animals through plants and tainted water.
Cows help with COVID-19 treatment, no bull
Cattle may turn out to be of help in the coronavirus pandemic. A South Dakota biotech company is using cows to create antibodies that could then be used for disease prevention or treatment.