There are several Ebola drugs in development and they're starting to reach struggling victims, especially Western aid workers, who agree to participate in ad hoc trials.
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Maggie Koerth Experimental drugs tested in African Ebola outbreak -
Maggie Koerth Most social science results have never been replicatedReplication — where researchers re-do experiments to see if they get the same result — is a really important part of the scientific process. And it's hardly ever done in… Read the rest of the article: Most social science results have never been replicated
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Maggie Koerth Mysterious holes in Siberia may be craters of climate change explosionsHoles like this one have been appearing in Siberia — at least three are known so far. There are a couple of theories for what's causing them and both are… Read the rest of the article: Mysterious holes in Siberia may be craters of climate change explosions
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Maggie Koerth Where does the word "scientist" come from?This account of the 19th-century debate over whether or not the word "scientist" is accurate and pleasing to hear is a great reminder that some of the best history stories… Read the rest of the article: Where does the word "scientist" come from?
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Maggie Koerth Fantastic cookbook of extremely inexpensive mealsGood and Cheap is a free/donation-based ebook filled with recipes geared toward helping you eat on $4 a day — which is the average amount SNAP (food stamp) recipients have… Read the rest of the article: Fantastic cookbook of extremely inexpensive meals
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Maggie Koerth When Buddhists call for genocideThere's a fascinating story in the American Buddhist magazine Shambala Sun about the Burmese Buddhists who are killing and harassing their Muslim neighbors. Thoughtful and full of context, it is… Read the rest of the article: When Buddhists call for genocide
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Maggie Koerth Scientists track the origins of a ship buried under the World Trade CenterIn 2010, construction crews found the hull of a very old ship, buried at the site of the World Trade Center towers. Using dendrochronology, scientists now know how old the… Read the rest of the article: Scientists track the origins of a ship buried under the World Trade Center
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Maggie Koerth Paleontology on the MoonAn experiment on Earth suggests that it might be possible to find microscopic fossils on the Moon.
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Maggie Koerth How Ebola worksThe MicrobeWiki has a really detailed explanation of the biological mechanisms behind an Ebola infection. It gets a little technical in places, but it's a good read if you've ever… Read the rest of the article: How Ebola works
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Maggie Koerth Humans are eating a scaly anteater into extinctionNever underestimate omnivores with a penchant for animal-based traditional medicine.
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Maggie Koerth Read Dune with public radio's Science FridayIf you liked learning about the science of Tatooine, you'll enjoy reading Dune with the Science Friday bookclub.
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Maggie Koerth Watch a cocoa farmer try chocolate for the first timeFirst taste of chocolate in Ivory Coast | VPRO MetropolisWatch this video on YouTube N'Da Alphonse grows cocoa in Ivory Coast. He harvests the pods, removes the pulp-covered beans, and… Read the rest of the article: Watch a cocoa farmer try chocolate for the first time
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Maggie Koerth Medical experimentation and vulnerable peopleFourty-two years after the exposure of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, a group of educators, activists, and writers discuss the history and the present of medical experimentation and medical ethics.
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Maggie Koerth Why do some women get pregnant even though they're on the Pill?The answer is more complicated than simply missing a dose, or failing to take your birth control at just the right time each day. Scientists are just beginning to understand… Read the rest of the article: Why do some women get pregnant even though they're on the Pill?
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Maggie Koerth The history of botched executionsThe first use of the electric chair was both an official success and a horrific example of what can happen when the technology of executions doesn't work the way we… Read the rest of the article: The history of botched executions
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Maggie Koerth Scientists investigate radio wave "bursts" from spaceTwo different radio telescopes have now picked up fast "burst" signals that seem to originate outside our galaxy. Let's cut to the chase: Is it aliens?
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Maggie Koerth How to solve the problem of plastic in the oceanOcean scientists Kim Martini and Miriam Goldstein explain, in detail, why the well-meaning ideas of 19-year-old Boyan Slat won't work and show you what you can do now to help… Read the rest of the article: How to solve the problem of plastic in the ocean
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Maggie Koerth A really fantastic science show on TVI recently stumbled across Time Scanners, a tech-heavy, pop-science reality show. And, get this you guys, I learned things. I know. From TV. It's crazy.
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Maggie Koerth How to cut a bagel into two interlocking ringsYou will need a knife, a non-toxic marker, and some math.
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Maggie Koerth Succeeding at standardized tests means owning the books with the answers in themStandardized tests aren't tests of basic knowledge. They're branded products produced by textbook companies, and getting the right answers depends on whether you studied from the right books.