livescience--2020-08-13--That COVID-19 vaccine Russia approved? It's only cleared for use in a small group of people.

Editor 's Note : that a Russian vaccine candidate had been approved for widespread use .
That is not the case ; the vaccine has been approved only for use in a small number of people at high risk of infection , such as health care workers .
This week , Russian president Vladimir Putin announced that the country had approved a coronavirus vaccine , seemingly for widespread use .
But the vaccine has actually been approved only for use in `` a small number of citizens from vulnerable groups , '' .
Russia named the new vaccine `` Sputnik @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world 's first artificial satellite , launched during the , .
`` We must be grateful to those who made that first step very important for our country and the entire world , '' Putin said in a Tuesday morning ( Aug. 11 ) in reference to the vaccine developers , according to The Associated Press .
Related : Here are the most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates out there Although Putin announced that the vaccine had been approved , presumably for widespread use , the issued by Russia 's Ministry of Health actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care workers , according to Science Magazine .
The certificate also states that the vaccine can not be approved for widespread use until Jan. 1 , 2021 , although statements by various Russian health officials seem to contradict that clause .
`` People outside of clinical trials will have access to the vaccine in August , and some , already on the massive scale , in October , '' Kirill Dmitriev , chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund ( RDIF ) , told reporters , according to the original Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funded the development of the vaccine . )
Russian minister of health Mikhail Murashko said that the country will soon begin a mass campaign to distribute the vaccine , and that medical workers and teachers will be prioritized to receive it first , according to The New York Times .
A phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine , which will assess safety and efficacy more thoroughly , is scheduled to begin this week , Dmitriev told reporters , according to The Associated Press .

Editor's Note: Live Science previously reported that a Russian vaccine candidate had been approved for widespread use. That is not the case; the vaccine has been approved only for use in a small number of people at high risk of infection, such as health care workers.
This week, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced that the country had approved a coronavirus vaccine, seemingly for widespread use. But the vaccine has actually been approved only for use in "a small number of citizens from vulnerable groups," according to Science Magazine .
Russia named the new vaccine "Sputnik V," in reference to the world's first artificial satellite, launched during the space race , Reuters reported .
"We must be grateful to those who made that first step very important for our country and the entire world," Putin said in a cabinet meeting Tuesday morning (Aug. 11) in reference to the vaccine developers, according to The Associated Press .
Related: Here are the most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates out there
Although Putin announced that the vaccine had been approved, presumably for widespread use, the registration certificate issued by Russia's Ministry of Health actually covers only a small group including health care workers, according to Science Magazine. The certificate also states that the vaccine cannot be approved for widespread use until Jan. 1, 2021, although statements by various Russian health officials seem to contradict that clause.
"People outside of clinical trials will have access to the vaccine in August, and some, already on the massive scale, in October," Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), told reporters, according to the original Associated Press report posted Aug. 11. (RDIF funded the development of the vaccine.) Russian minister of health Mikhail Murashko said that the country will soon begin a mass campaign to distribute the vaccine, and that medical workers and teachers will be prioritized to receive it first, according to The New York Times.
A phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine, which will assess safety and efficacy more thoroughly, is scheduled to begin this week, Dmitriev told reporters, according to The Associated Press.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-13--Don't wear masks with valves, CDC says

Don't wear masks with valves, CDC says

People should wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 , but not those with exhalation valves or vents , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says .
Masks with these one-way valves are intended for use in construction work , allowing users to breathe in filtered air and exhale warm , moist air through the valve , according to .
These valves reduce heat and moisture inside masks , making them more comfortable to wear for long periods .
But this design does n't prevent the spread of infectious diseases .
The main reason for in the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling into the air when a person coughs , sneezes or talks , the CDC says .
But when a mask has a valve , respiratory droplets from the wearer are expelled into the air and could reach other people .
`` This type of mask does not prevent the person wearing the mask from transmitting COVID-19 to others , '' the CDC says on its website .
Many airlines have already banned customers from wearing masks with valves on flights , the Post reported .
American Airlines is the latest airline to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Aug. 19 , according to a issued Wednesday ( Aug. 12 ) .
The CDC does recommend wearing when in public , and notes that surgical and N95 masks should be reserved for health care workers and first responders .

People should wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but not those with exhalation valves or vents, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
Masks with these one-way valves are intended for use in construction work, allowing users to breathe in filtered air and exhale warm, moist air through the valve, according to The Washington Post . These valves reduce heat and moisture inside masks, making them more comfortable to wear for long periods.
But this design doesn't prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The main reason for wearing masks in the COVID-19 era is to prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air when a person coughs, sneezes or talks, the CDC says. But when a mask has a valve, respiratory droplets from the wearer are expelled into the air and could reach other people.
"This type of mask does not prevent the person wearing the mask from transmitting COVID-19 to others," the CDC says on its website .
Many airlines have already banned customers from wearing masks with valves on flights, the Post reported. American Airlines is the latest airline to announce a ban, which takes effect on Aug. 19, according to a statement from the airline issued Wednesday (Aug. 12).
The CDC does recommend wearing cloth masks when in public, and notes that surgical and N95 masks should be reserved for health care workers and first responders.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-13--Thomas Cromwell used 'cut and paste' to insert himself into Henry VIII's Great Bible

The Great Bible is often seen as a monument of English reform — but could it also contain the first known example of political photoshopping in early modern England ?
Printed in 1538-9 , it was to be purchased by every parish church in the realm .
Its creation was overseen by Henry VIII 's chief minister , Thomas Cromwell .
The Great Bible ushered in the English parish Bible and its large size and meticulous printing set the bar for centuries to come .
Nowhere is its iconic appearance more evident than in a unique presentation copy made for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ printed on vellum and hand-colored by highly skilled illuminators .
I encountered this lavish copy while carrying out an of the production and use of Bibles in late medieval and early modern England .
Researchers have long known about the Great Bible and used its striking title page for illustration .
But little or no scientific analysis has ever been carried out on it .
So I asked Paola Ricciardi , scientist in residence at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge , to help me with a new investigation which utilized the latest technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The results blew us away .
Our analysis revealed a new — and hitherto unknown — plot by Cromwell to literally change the balance of power on the Bible 's front page , just one year before his execution for high treason .
We plan to publish our research results in full later this year .
As Lord Privy Seal and Vicegerent in Spirituals ( Henry 's deputy in matters relating to the church ) , Cromwell was the most powerful man in Henry VIII 's court .
Henry 's break from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the monasteries became an opportunity for Cromwell to advance religious reform .
For Cromwell , support for a vernacular Bible ( translated into English for the general population ) was linked with obedience to the King .
But he had to counter a strong opposition and a substantial conservative faction in court and within the church .
Henry 's support for religious reform was always limited .
His stance on religion was influenced more by his political aims , rather than faith , so his support for a vernacular Bible was hesitant from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best way to ensure royal support was to produce a Bible worthy of royal patronage — both in its content and in its material grandeur .
Such a Bible would combine Cromwell 's own evangelical leanings with the political aim of consolidating Henry 's control over the English church .
Production began in Paris .
English printers were simply not equipped to produce a book of the magnitude sought by Cromwell .
A letter to Cromwell from the production team in Paris dated June 23 , 1538 , reveals that two luxurious vellum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It reads : `` We have here sent unto your lordship two examples , one in parchment , wherein we intend to print one for the King 's grace , and another for your lordship . ''
Printed on parchment and meticulously hand-colored , these copies have survived — one at the National Library of Wales and the other in St John 's College , Cambridge .
In November 2019 , with the kind assistance of St John 's College , we engaged in a technical and scientific investigation of their copy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various non-invasive analytical techniques to examine the St John 's Bible , including X-ray fluorescence ( XRF ) spectroscopy , reflectance spectroscopy ( in the ultraviolet , visible and near-infrared range ) , high-resolution digital microscopy and advanced technical imaging .
Scientific investigation of works of art has much to offer and is more reliable for material identification than visual analysis ( historically the primary identification method for painting materials and techniques ) .
The focus of our technical examination of the Bible was the decoration .
Knowledge of the painting materials and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wealth of information on production methods and artists ' skills –and , occasionally , on their identity .
All of the hundreds of black-and-white images printed in the Bible were painstakingly hand-colored by a group of talented artists for this special presentation Bible .
In some cases , the artists did not simply color in the print , but made significant changes to the black-and-white printed images used in the regular editions of the Bible .
Our investigation focused on 14 images , spread out across the volume .
First , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyze a selection of small areas in each image , allowing the identification of individual pigments .
The pigments identified throughout the volume were consistent with what is known about the materials used by Continental painters and illuminators during the 16th century .
One of the most interesting results of this investigation was the fact that different `` palettes '' can be identified in different images , which suggests the presence of no less than six ( and quite possibly more ) artists at work on the decoration of this Bible .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ microscopy ( in direct as well as ) .
The close-up images captured using these methods not only provided greater insight into the stylistic preferences and working methods of the artists , but were also crucial in revealing the extent to which the printed images were modified at the painting stage .
From black and white to color We paid special attention to the Bible 's title pages .
Each of the book 's five parts is preceded by a full , illustrated and meticulously hand-coloured title page .
The title pages depict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they precede ( historical books , the words of the prophets , or the New Testament ) .
We discovered that the St John Bible 's main front page was actually a hand-coloured adaption of the printed black-and-white version which would have been present in all the mass-produced Bibles .
But this luxurious front page — meant for the eyes of King Henry VIII — contained some key differences , as the slider image below illustrates .
The main black-and-white title page depicts an ideal scenario in which the majestic Henry VIII distributes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assisted by two of his faithful ministers — , Archbishop of Canterbury , and Cromwell .
Renowned art historian believes the printed title page was the visual manifestation of Henry 's authority .
Henry reigns at the top of the page , distributing bibles to laypeople and clerics , aided by Cromwell to his left and Cranmer to his right ( each identified by his coat of arms ) .
The Word of God then reaches the general public in the lower part of the page , who duly proclaim `` vivat rex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' ( apart from those in prison , who are seen on the bottom right and shout nothing ) .
This black-and-white title page of the Bible masterminded by Cromwell , distilled his theory of scripture and obedience .
The dissemination of the Bible was from top to bottom ( literally ) , resulting in greater submission to the monarch .
Its details reveal , however , that it moves away from the more radical reformation ideal of putting the Bible `` `` The laity at the bottom of the page do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Word of God preached from the pulpit .
This was a nuanced and hierarchical way to disseminate the book and it reflected the unease Henry had with common people reading the Bible .
In the St John 's copy , the printed title pages were carefully hand painted , with the original print at times peeping through .
For example , in the hand-colored version the prison was obliterated and replaced by a dedication scene .
The original brick background is still visible through the red stockings of the green-clad figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has so far been hidden from scholars working on this Bible .
Under a microscope with raking light , it becomes evident that some of the faces were painted on separate pieces of vellum and pasted over the existing page .
A thin line can be seen under Cromwell 's face where the image was pasted in .
This was done in a highly professional manner , covering much of the border area with paint overlapping the edges and creating the impression of a single image .
This major modification applied to Cromwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the instigator of this modification was Cromwell himself and the change had much to do with his representation on the page — a page which illustrates Henry 's complex attitude towards the lay readership of scripture , wavering between distribution and retraction .
The same phenomenon , more nuanced but equally powerful , is evident in this careful modification .
The pasting of Cromwell 's portrait had reshuffled political powers and affinity to the monarch .
In the original black-and-white design , Cromwell is affiliated with distributing the Bible to the laity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of the page , below the figure whose features resemble Cromwell , handing the Bible ( inscribed verbum dei , or `` the Word of God '' ) to lay nobility .
He mirrors Cranmer 's image , on the other side of the page , distributing a similar book to the clergy .
This accorded with Cromwell 's central role in lay administration , as with his reformed leaning and his support for the printing of the Great Bible .
In this image , then , Cromwell is on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of the page .
In the painted version of the title page , on the other hand , Cromwell is moved up a level and transformed into the person receiving the book from Henry 's left hand .
This serves two purposes .
It enhances the affinity between Cromwell and Henry , placing them next to each other .
It also renders Cromwell in a more passive position , receiving the book from Henry rather than actively distributing it .
Given Henry 's ambivalence towards the lay readership , this was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ careful and extensive modifications of the title page demonstrate Cromwell 's political prowess and his ability to read the political map and manipulate the visual image accordingly .
This transformation was both careful and premeditated .
A back-light exposure reveals that the faces underneath the pasted elements had not been previously painted in , but rather left blank — anticipating the subsequent pasting .
The scientific analysis reveals that the two faces were painted at the same time , most likely in a setting different from the painting of other features in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used across the two faces and they differ from those employed for flesh tones in the rest of the Bible .
Similarly , the pigments used in the uppermost sections of the fur garments in which the two figures are cloaked ( those closest to the faces ) differ from those identified in the lower portions of the garments .
The same is true for the green brushstrokes surrounding the faces , painted with posnjakite ( a copper sulphate mineral ) unlike the rest of the grassy landscapes , which were painted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all suggests a targeted campaign .
The separation between the painting of the other elements of the presentation copy and the faces reveals that the latter was carried out in a different location and at a later time — most likely in England — after the Bible had arrived from Paris .
Reallocating the painting of the faces to London ensured greater accuracy , especially for those whose likeness was less well known outside of England .
In London , very few artists were capable of such skilled and intricate work .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ location where these portraits were painted and inserted into the title page .
The involvement of artists with such close ties to Henry 's court ( Horenbout was King 's Painter and court miniaturist from 1525 until his death in 1544 , and Holbein was also painting for the court by the mid-1530s ) would have guaranteed great accuracy in the depiction of key people .
The features of the upper pasted face on the title page closely resemble known depictions of Cromwell .
The image of him in the hand-colored title page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But who was the second person , distributing Bibles below Cromwell ?
There is no obvious answer .
Based on court politics at the time , and the iconography of the portrait , we believe that this could be , Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations ( responsible for dissolving English monasteries ) and Speaker of the House of Commons .
A comparison between Rich 's known portrait and the pasted face supports this hypothesis .
This would demonstrate , once again , Cromwell 's political maneuvering .
Rich , once an affiliate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court , would have been a natural ally in the dissemination of the Bible to the laity .
By placing him underneath , further removed from Henry and closer to the more tricky endeavor of empowering the lay readership , Rich was presented as subordinate to Cromwell ( which was not the case at the time ) and with a clearer evangelical stance ( again , this was not the case ) .
Rich was instrumental in facilitating the execution of Cromwell soon after and this may attest to Cromwell 's distrust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rich 's testimony was key in the executions of John Fisher and Thomas More .
The image of the woman on the bottom right of the page ( and in front of the prison in the black-and-white page ) was also changed in the painted copy .
In the printed image , a woman is sitting next to a group of children , her hair in curls , possibly with a white undercap .
Her hands instruct the children , while she is facing the man on her left ( who appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the painted image , however , this was completely transformed .
The woman now faces the children and her features are more distinct and more subtle .
Her headgear has been turned into a lavish gable hood , worn by nobility and royalty .
This sumptuous gable , trimmed in gold and possibly jeweled , together with the distinctive facial features are reminiscent of Holbein 's , painted in 1536 .
The portrait was well known at the time and served to inspire other , who was Queen of England from 1536 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One such portrait was made in 1539 — the same year as the hand-painted title page .
The importance of this figure is revealed when looking at the materials used for its creation .
The woman 's headdress and collar are the only instances where gold leaf was used on the page .
Every other gilded area was decorated using `` shell '' ( or powdered ) gold .
Pigment analysis also reveals the dress , which appears white with dark grey lines , contained tarnished silver .
This combination of dazzling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly spectacular addition to the color title page .
Cromwell and Cranmer had previously used the King 's affinity to Seymour to elicit his support for the English Bible .
In 1537 , they evoked her pregnancy in the dedication to Henry which prefaced the .
The title page of that Bible proclaimed : `` Set forth with the King 's most gracious license . ''
Seymour 's pregnancy led to the birth of the future Edward VI — Henry 's much sought-after male heir .
It is little wonder then that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instructing a group of children , with her gaze directed to them — unlike the turned head of the woman in the original image .
Seymour died shortly after labour on October 24 , 1537 .
Henry grieved for her and cherished her memory .
Her loss permeated throughout the remainder of his life and he was subsequently buried at her side at Windsor Castle .
A further change of mind about this female portrait is evident in the hand-painted title page .
The analysis of the woman 's dress reveals an additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a later transformation of the figure .
Under a microscope , it becomes evident that the white of the upper part of the dress conceals a red layer of paint .
The dress was therefore originally red with a low neckline , mirroring the dress worn by Seymour in the Holbein portrait and was later modified .
The motivation for this later transformation is not yet known .
The importance of this presentation copy of the Great Bible — and its sister copy held in Wales — should not be underestimated .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen by Henry and his court .
The modifications we have uncovered provide a unique insight into Cromwell 's thought process .
Between the design of the printed title page and the hand-coloring , he has grown more cautious and more weary of Henry 's support of the English Bible and reform in general .
As a result , he wished to distance himself from the role of distributing Bibles and instead put in his place the person who was to play a key role in his downfall and execution .
The Great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all produced in quick succession between 1539 and 1541 .
Henry approved of the printed title page , which was kept in all editions — and later even replaced the title page to the New Testament .
However , further transformations to the title page reveal the political upheavals which were to come and the ultimate fate of Cromwell .
Shortly after the appearance of the Great Bible , Cromwell devised Henry 's ill-fated in January 1540 .
The conservative faction in court used this opportunity to move against Cromwell , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which the perfidious testament of Rich was instrumental .
The printers of subsequent editions of the Great Bible faced the problem of retaining the image of a convicted traitor .
The solution was not to replace the woodcut used for printing altogether ( a cumbersome and very costly endeavor ) .
Instead of erasing Cromwell 's image entirely , they erased his coat of arms from the fourth edition of November 1540 and all subsequent editions thereafter .
Rather than completely obliterating Cromwell 's memory , the blank circle reminded readers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Henry also grew disillusioned with the dissemination of bibles to the laity .
He came to realize that reality was different to the ideal of the printed title page , and that reading the Bible did not necessarily lead people to shout `` long live the king '' , but rather to think for themselves .
Cromwell 's fear , leading him to rejig the images , became a reality .
Henry 's distrust of lay reading led to legislation in 1543 , prohibiting lay women and men of the lower classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reveals how key players reacted to political and religious changes .
The image modifications have laid bare the truth of the English Reformation period and illustrated just how dangerous and political 16th-century England was — especially in the court of King Henry VIII .
For you : more from our : — The world needs pharmaceuticals from China and India to beat coronavirus — What future do airlines have ?
Three experts discuss — Searching for Misha : the life and tragedies of the world 's most famous polar bear This article was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publication contributed the article to Live Science 's Expert Voices : Op-Ed & Insights .

The title page of the Great Bible, which has yielded its secrets after more than four centuries.
The Great Bible is often seen as a monument of English reform — but could it also contain the first known example of political photoshopping in early modern England? Printed in 1538-9, it was to be purchased by every parish church in the realm. Its creation was overseen by Henry VIII's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell. The Great Bible ushered in the English parish Bible and its large size and meticulous printing set the bar for centuries to come. Nowhere is its iconic appearance more evident than in a unique presentation copy made for the Tudor court. This copy was printed on vellum and hand-colored by highly skilled illuminators.
I encountered this lavish copy while carrying out an in-depth study of the production and use of Bibles in late medieval and early modern England. Researchers have long known about the Great Bible and used its striking title page for illustration. But little or no scientific analysis has ever been carried out on it. So I asked Paola Ricciardi, scientist in residence at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, to help me with a new investigation which utilized the latest technology to study the Bible in forensic detail. The results blew us away.
Our analysis revealed a new — and hitherto unknown — plot by Cromwell to literally change the balance of power on the Bible's front page, just one year before his execution for high treason. We plan to publish our research results in full later this year.
As Lord Privy Seal and Vicegerent in Spirituals (Henry's deputy in matters relating to the church), Cromwell was the most powerful man in Henry VIII's court. Henry's break from the Catholic Church and the dissolution of the monasteries became an opportunity for Cromwell to advance religious reform. For Cromwell, support for a vernacular Bible (translated into English for the general population) was linked with obedience to the King. But he had to counter a strong opposition and a substantial conservative faction in court and within the church. Henry's support for religious reform was always limited. His stance on religion was influenced more by his political aims, rather than faith, so his support for a vernacular Bible was hesitant from the start.
The Great Bible in the Old Library of St John’s College, Cambridge. (Image credit: Ian McKee/St John's College)
Cromwell thought that the best way to ensure royal support was to produce a Bible worthy of royal patronage — both in its content and in its material grandeur. Such a Bible would combine Cromwell's own evangelical leanings with the political aim of consolidating Henry's control over the English church. Production began in Paris. English printers were simply not equipped to produce a book of the magnitude sought by Cromwell.
A letter to Cromwell from the production team in Paris dated June 23, 1538, reveals that two luxurious vellum copies of the Bible were being prepared. It reads: "We have here sent unto your lordship two examples, one in parchment, wherein we intend to print one for the King's grace, and another for your lordship."
Printed on parchment and meticulously hand-colored, these copies have survived — one at the National Library of Wales and the other in St John's College, Cambridge. In November 2019, with the kind assistance of St John's College, we engaged in a technical and scientific investigation of their copy of the Great Bible.
Scientific analysis
We employed various non-invasive analytical techniques to examine the St John's Bible, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, reflectance spectroscopy (in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared range), high-resolution digital microscopy and advanced technical imaging. Scientific investigation of works of art has much to offer and is more reliable for material identification than visual analysis (historically the primary identification method for painting materials and techniques).
The focus of our technical examination of the Bible was the decoration. Knowledge of the painting materials and techniques used to decorate books can provide a wealth of information on production methods and artists' skills –and, occasionally, on their identity. All of the hundreds of black-and-white images printed in the Bible were painstakingly hand-colored by a group of talented artists for this special presentation Bible. In some cases, the artists did not simply color in the print, but made significant changes to the black-and-white printed images used in the regular editions of the Bible.
Our investigation focused on 14 images, spread out across the volume. First, we used a range of spectroscopic methods to analyze a selection of small areas in each image, allowing the identification of individual pigments. The pigments identified throughout the volume were consistent with what is known about the materials used by Continental painters and illuminators during the 16th century. One of the most interesting results of this investigation was the fact that different "palettes" can be identified in different images, which suggests the presence of no less than six (and quite possibly more) artists at work on the decoration of this Bible.
The spectroscopic analysis was followed by high-magnification digital microscopy (in direct as well as raking and transmitted light ). The close-up images captured using these methods not only provided greater insight into the stylistic preferences and working methods of the artists, but were also crucial in revealing the extent to which the printed images were modified at the painting stage.
From black and white to color
We paid special attention to the Bible's title pages. Each of the book's five parts is preceded by a full, illustrated and meticulously hand-coloured title page. The title pages depict scenes from the parts of the Bible they precede (historical books, the words of the prophets, or the New Testament). We discovered that the St John Bible's main front page was actually a hand-coloured adaption of the printed black-and-white version which would have been present in all the mass-produced Bibles. But this luxurious front page — meant for the eyes of King Henry VIII — contained some key differences, as the slider image below illustrates.
The main black-and-white title page depicts an ideal scenario in which the majestic Henry VIII distributes bibles to lay and religious subjects, assisted by two of his faithful ministers — Thomas Cranmer , Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cromwell. Renowned art historian Tatiana String believes the printed title page was the visual manifestation of Henry's authority. Henry reigns at the top of the page, distributing bibles to laypeople and clerics, aided by Cromwell to his left and Cranmer to his right (each identified by his coat of arms). The Word of God then reaches the general public in the lower part of the page, who duly proclaim "vivat rex" and "God save the king" (apart from those in prison, who are seen on the bottom right and shout nothing).
This black-and-white title page of the Bible masterminded by Cromwell, distilled his theory of scripture and obedience. The dissemination of the Bible was from top to bottom (literally), resulting in greater submission to the monarch. Its details reveal, however, that it moves away from the more radical reformation ideal of putting the Bible " in the ploughboy's hands . " The laity at the bottom of the page do not hold the Bible, they simply listen to the Word of God preached from the pulpit. This was a nuanced and hierarchical way to disseminate the book and it reflected the unease Henry had with common people reading the Bible.
In the St John's copy, the printed title pages were carefully hand painted, with the original print at times peeping through. For example, in the hand-colored version the prison was obliterated and replaced by a dedication scene. The original brick background is still visible through the red stockings of the green-clad figure.
Cut and paste politics
The edges of Cromwell's portrait are barely noticeable but reveal it was painted separately and glued on to the vellum page. (Image credit: St John's College)
The most striking modification we found has so far been hidden from scholars working on this Bible. Under a microscope with raking light, it becomes evident that some of the faces were painted on separate pieces of vellum and pasted over the existing page. A thin line can be seen under Cromwell's face where the image was pasted in. This was done in a highly professional manner, covering much of the border area with paint overlapping the edges and creating the impression of a single image. This major modification applied to Cromwell and another key figure.
We believe that the instigator of this modification was Cromwell himself and the change had much to do with his representation on the page — a page which illustrates Henry's complex attitude towards the lay readership of scripture, wavering between distribution and retraction. The same phenomenon, more nuanced but equally powerful, is evident in this careful modification. The pasting of Cromwell's portrait had reshuffled political powers and affinity to the monarch.
In the original black-and-white design, Cromwell is affiliated with distributing the Bible to the laity — his coat of arms is in the middle of the page, below the figure whose features resemble Cromwell, handing the Bible (inscribed verbum dei, or "the Word of God") to lay nobility. He mirrors Cranmer's image, on the other side of the page, distributing a similar book to the clergy. This accorded with Cromwell's central role in lay administration, as with his reformed leaning and his support for the printing of the Great Bible. In this image, then, Cromwell is on the level below the King and positioned in the middle of the page.
In the painted version of the title page, on the other hand, Cromwell is moved up a level and transformed into the person receiving the book from Henry's left hand. This serves two purposes. It enhances the affinity between Cromwell and Henry, placing them next to each other. It also renders Cromwell in a more passive position, receiving the book from Henry rather than actively distributing it. Given Henry's ambivalence towards the lay readership, this was a much less hazardous position. The careful and extensive modifications of the title page demonstrate Cromwell's political prowess and his ability to read the political map and manipulate the visual image accordingly.
This transformation was both careful and premeditated. A back-light exposure reveals that the faces underneath the pasted elements had not been previously painted in, but rather left blank — anticipating the subsequent pasting. The scientific analysis reveals that the two faces were painted at the same time, most likely in a setting different from the painting of other features in the Bible. Very similar pigment mixtures were used across the two faces and they differ from those employed for flesh tones in the rest of the Bible.
Similarly, the pigments used in the uppermost sections of the fur garments in which the two figures are cloaked (those closest to the faces) differ from those identified in the lower portions of the garments. The same is true for the green brushstrokes surrounding the faces, painted with posnjakite (a copper sulphate mineral) unlike the rest of the grassy landscapes, which were painted in a different sulphate of copper.
This all suggests a targeted campaign. The separation between the painting of the other elements of the presentation copy and the faces reveals that the latter was carried out in a different location and at a later time — most likely in England — after the Bible had arrived from Paris. Reallocating the painting of the faces to London ensured greater accuracy, especially for those whose likeness was less well known outside of England.
In London, very few artists were capable of such skilled and intricate work. The workshops of either Lucas Horenbout or Hans Holbein are the likely location where these portraits were painted and inserted into the title page. The involvement of artists with such close ties to Henry's court (Horenbout was King's Painter and court miniaturist from 1525 until his death in 1544, and Holbein was also painting for the court by the mid-1530s) would have guaranteed great accuracy in the depiction of key people. The features of the upper pasted face on the title page closely resemble known depictions of Cromwell. The image of him in the hand-colored title page is probably his last accurate portrait.
Machiavellian maneuvering
Hans Holbein's portrait of Richard Rich compared to a pasted in face in The Great Bible. (Image credit: Wikimedia/Royal Collection Trust/St John's College
But who was the second person, distributing Bibles below Cromwell? There is no obvious answer. Based on court politics at the time, and the iconography of the portrait, we believe that this could be Richard Rich , Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations (responsible for dissolving English monasteries) and Speaker of the House of Commons. A comparison between Rich's known portrait and the pasted face supports this hypothesis.
This would demonstrate, once again, Cromwell's political maneuvering. Rich, once an affiliate of Cromwell and a leading politician at the court, would have been a natural ally in the dissemination of the Bible to the laity. By placing him underneath, further removed from Henry and closer to the more tricky endeavor of empowering the lay readership, Rich was presented as subordinate to Cromwell (which was not the case at the time) and with a clearer evangelical stance (again, this was not the case).
Rich was instrumental in facilitating the execution of Cromwell soon after and this may attest to Cromwell's distrust of him. A few years earlier, Rich's testimony was key in the executions of John Fisher and Thomas More.
Jane Seymour
The female image believed to represent Jane Seymour evolved from black-and-white into a more ornate figure decorated in gold leaf. (Image credit: Cambridge University Library/St John’s College)
The image of the woman on the bottom right of the page (and in front of the prison in the black-and-white page) was also changed in the painted copy. In the printed image, a woman is sitting next to a group of children, her hair in curls, possibly with a white undercap. Her hands instruct the children, while she is facing the man on her left (who appears to be the prison warden).
In the painted image, however, this was completely transformed. The woman now faces the children and her features are more distinct and more subtle. Her headgear has been turned into a lavish gable hood, worn by nobility and royalty. This sumptuous gable, trimmed in gold and possibly jeweled, together with the distinctive facial features are reminiscent of Holbein's portrait of Jane Seymour , painted in 1536.
The portrait was well known at the time and served to inspire other depictions of Jane Seymour , who was Queen of England from 1536 to 1537 as Henry's third wife. One such portrait was made in 1539 — the same year as the hand-painted title page. The importance of this figure is revealed when looking at the materials used for its creation.
The woman's headdress and collar are the only instances where gold leaf was used on the page. Every other gilded area was decorated using "shell" (or powdered) gold. Pigment analysis also reveals the dress, which appears white with dark grey lines, contained tarnished silver. This combination of dazzling gold and silver makes the woman a truly spectacular addition to the color title page.
Cromwell and Cranmer had previously used the King's affinity to Seymour to elicit his support for the English Bible. In 1537, they evoked her pregnancy in the dedication to Henry which prefaced the Matthew Bible . The title page of that Bible proclaimed: "Set forth with the King's most gracious license." Seymour's pregnancy led to the birth of the future Edward VI — Henry's much sought-after male heir. It is little wonder then that the woman in the painted title page is instructing a group of children, with her gaze directed to them — unlike the turned head of the woman in the original image.
Seymour died shortly after labour on October 24, 1537. Henry grieved for her and cherished her memory. Her loss permeated throughout the remainder of his life and he was subsequently buried at her side at Windsor Castle. A further change of mind about this female portrait is evident in the hand-painted title page. The analysis of the woman's dress reveals an additional layer of modification, which attests to a later transformation of the figure. Under a microscope, it becomes evident that the white of the upper part of the dress conceals a red layer of paint.
The dress was therefore originally red with a low neckline, mirroring the dress worn by Seymour in the Holbein portrait and was later modified. The motivation for this later transformation is not yet known.
Political upheaval and betrayal
Image shows how Cromwell's coat of arms was erased. (Image credit: University of Pennsylvania)
The importance of this presentation copy of the Great Bible — and its sister copy held in Wales — should not be underestimated. These copies were most likely the first ones seen by Henry and his court.
The modifications we have uncovered provide a unique insight into Cromwell's thought process. Between the design of the printed title page and the hand-coloring, he has grown more cautious and more weary of Henry's support of the English Bible and reform in general. As a result, he wished to distance himself from the role of distributing Bibles and instead put in his place the person who was to play a key role in his downfall and execution.
The Great Bible was reprinted in six subsequent editions, all produced in quick succession between 1539 and 1541. Henry approved of the printed title page, which was kept in all editions — and later even replaced the title page to the New Testament. However, further transformations to the title page reveal the political upheavals which were to come and the ultimate fate of Cromwell.
Shortly after the appearance of the Great Bible, Cromwell devised Henry's ill-fated marriage to Anne of Cleves in January 1540. The conservative faction in court used this opportunity to move against Cromwell, leading to his execution in July 1540 — in which the perfidious testament of Rich was instrumental.
The printers of subsequent editions of the Great Bible faced the problem of retaining the image of a convicted traitor. The solution was not to replace the woodcut used for printing altogether (a cumbersome and very costly endeavor). Instead of erasing Cromwell's image entirely, they erased his coat of arms from the fourth edition of November 1540 and all subsequent editions thereafter.
Rather than completely obliterating Cromwell's memory, the blank circle reminded readers of the fate of traitors to the Crown. Henry also grew disillusioned with the dissemination of bibles to the laity. He came to realize that reality was different to the ideal of the printed title page, and that reading the Bible did not necessarily lead people to shout "long live the king", but rather to think for themselves.
Cromwell's fear, leading him to rejig the images, became a reality. Henry's distrust of lay reading led to legislation in 1543, prohibiting lay women and men of the lower classes from accessing the Bible. Our analysis reveals how key players reacted to political and religious changes. The image modifications have laid bare the truth of the English Reformation period and illustrated just how dangerous and political 16th-century England was — especially in the court of King Henry VIII.
For you: more from our Insights series :
— The world needs pharmaceuticals from China and India to beat coronavirus
— What future do airlines have? Three experts discuss
— Searching for Misha: the life and tragedies of the world's most famous polar bear
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.


livescience--2020-08-13--Cretaceous 'terror crocodile' crushed dinosaurs with banana-size teeth

An enormous Cretaceous relative hunted , ripping them apart using powerful jaws lined with teeth `` the size of bananas , '' researchers say .
Known as Deinosuchus , which means `` terrible crocodile '' in Greek , this lineage of semiaquatic reptiles certainly lived up to its name .
They were among the biggest predators in their watery North American habitats , where they lived between 75 million and 82 million years ago .
And with bodies at least 33 feet ( 10 meters ) long , they could subdue just about any animal that wandered within reach — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three species of the terror crocs .
But some experts argued that fossil evidence defining the species was incomplete , and that the three species could just be one that ranged across the continent .
Scientists recently re-evaluated fossils of so-called terror crocodiles , combining existing species and describing a new one , Deinosuchus schwimmeri , in a new study .
In addition to having banana-size teeth , the newly described D. schwimmeri was `` a bizarre , monstrous predator , '' said lead study author Adam Cossette , an assistant professor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University .
Cossette and his colleagues described the new species by sampling fossils from across North America , and by evaluating new terror croc fossils from western Texas , according to the study .
`` Until now , the complete animal was unknown , '' Cossette said in a statement .
The species name honors paleontologist David Schwimmer , a professor at Columbus State University in Georgia ( not to be confused with the actor David Schwimmer , who played a paleontologist from the American Museum of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the TV show `` Friends '' ) .
Deinosuchus are crocodylians — the group that includes modern and gharials — and despite the name `` terrible crocodile , '' the Deinosuchus lineage was more closely related to alligators , the researchers determined .
They also found that the species D. rugosus was likely misidentified .
D. rugosus fossils ( of which there are very few ) likely came from two other species — D. riograndensis or D. schwimmeri — both of which were described later but boasted more complete sets of fossils @ @ @ @ @ @ @ croc D. hatcheri , also based on scant and fragmented fossil evidence , is also questionable , the authors reported .
D. schwimmeri inhabited North America 's eastern shores and the coastal Atlantic , while D. riograndensis and D. hatcheri lived in the West ; at the time , the Western Interior Seaway geographically separated the eastern and western species , the study authors wrote .
But no matter the species , `` Deinosuchus was a giant that must have terrorized dinosaurs that came to the water 's edge to drink , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ features with its crocodylian relatives , a couple of peculiarities set them apart .
Their broad , elongated heads ended in a bulbous snout — a shape that is unique among this group of reptiles , according to the study .
At the end of the snout are two large vents , which are also unique to Deinosuchus .
Scientists have yet to uncover the function of the apertures and snout shape , though they may be linked to thermoregulation , and may have helped the terror crocs keep cool , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strange animal , '' said study co-author Christopher Brochu , a paleontologist and professor in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iowa .
The findings were published online Aug. 10 in the .

An enormous Cretaceous crocodile relative hunted dinosaurs , ripping them apart using powerful jaws lined with teeth "the size of bananas," researchers say.
Known as Deinosuchus, which means "terrible crocodile" in Greek, this lineage of semiaquatic reptiles certainly lived up to its name. They were among the biggest predators in their watery North American habitats, where they lived between 75 million and 82 million years ago. And with bodies at least 33 feet (10 meters) long, they could subdue just about any animal that wandered within reach — including dinosaurs.
Paleontologists had previously identified three species of the terror crocs. But some experts argued that fossil evidence defining the species was incomplete, and that the three species could just be one that ranged across the continent. Scientists recently re-evaluated fossils of so-called terror crocodiles, combining existing species and describing a new one, Deinosuchus schwimmeri, in a new study.
Related: Crocs & dinos: See images of 25 amazing ancient beasts
In addition to having banana-size teeth, the newly described D. schwimmeri was "a bizarre, monstrous predator," said lead study author Adam Cossette, an assistant professor in the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University. Cossette and his colleagues described the new species by sampling fossils from across North America, and by evaluating new terror croc fossils from western Texas, according to the study.
"Until now, the complete animal was unknown," Cossette said in a statement. The species name honors paleontologist David Schwimmer, a professor at Columbus State University in Georgia (not to be confused with the actor David Schwimmer, who played a paleontologist from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, in the TV show "Friends").
Image 1 of 4 A reconstruction of a Deinosuchus hatcheri skull at the Natural History Museum of Utah. (Image credit: Mark A. Wilson, CC0 1.0) Deinosuchus schwimmeri skull. A, left lateral view. B, right lateral view. Scale bar equals 2 inches (5 centimeters). (Image credit: Adam Cossette) An illustration of Deinosuchus. (Image credit: Tyler Stone) A Deinosuchus, an ancient crocodylian with banana-size teeth, lunges at an Albertosaurus dinosaur. (Image credit: National Geographic Image Collection / Alamy Stock Photo)
Deinosuchus are crocodylians — the group that includes modern alligators, crocodiles and gharials — and despite the name "terrible crocodile," the Deinosuchus lineage was more closely related to alligators, the researchers determined. They also found that the species D. rugosus was likely misidentified. D. rugosus fossils (of which there are very few) likely came from two other species — D. riograndensis or D. schwimmeri — both of which were described later but boasted more complete sets of fossils.
The species status of the terror croc D. hatcheri, also based on scant and fragmented fossil evidence, is also questionable, the authors reported.
D. schwimmeri inhabited North America's eastern shores and the coastal Atlantic, while D. riograndensis and D. hatcheri lived in the West; at the time, the Western Interior Seaway geographically separated the eastern and western species, the study authors wrote.
But no matter the species, "Deinosuchus was a giant that must have terrorized dinosaurs that came to the water's edge to drink," Cossette said.
An illustration of Deinosuchus. (Image credit: Tyler Stone)
While Deinosuchus shared many features with its crocodylian relatives, a couple of peculiarities set them apart. Their broad, elongated heads ended in a bulbous snout — a shape that is unique among this group of reptiles, according to the study. At the end of the snout are two large vents, which are also unique to Deinosuchus.
Scientists have yet to uncover the function of the apertures and snout shape, though they may be linked to thermoregulation, and may have helped the terror crocs keep cool, according to the study.
"It was a strange animal," said study co-author Christopher Brochu, a paleontologist and professor in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iowa. The findings were published online Aug. 10 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-14--Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

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90-year-old woman in the UK receives first dose of Pfizer vaccine, FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman (who will turn 91 next week) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, according to the BBC. Margaret Keenan, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was given the vaccine at the University Hospital in Coventry, England. She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks, according to the BBC. "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19," Keenan said, according to the BBC."It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year." "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too," she added. Up to four million doses of Pfizer's vaccine is expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month. Meanwhile, a 53-page Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review published Tuesday (Dec. 8) confirmed that Pfizer's vaccine is safe and effective, according to The Washington Post.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine starts to protect people from the novel coronavirus just 10 days after the first dose, according to new documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The documents were released on Tuesday (Dec. 8), two days before a meeting of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel, which will vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine in the U.S, Live Science reported . The FDA analyzed data from Pfizer's phase 3 clinical trial, which included some 44,000 people in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Turkey, about half of whom received the vaccine while the other half received a placebo. Both groups received two shots, 21 days apart. About 10 days after the first dose, there was a noticeable drop-off in new COVID-19 cases in the vaccine group compared with the placebo group, indicating that even one dose provides some protection, the report said. However, scientists don't know how long the protection from a single dose will last, so it will still be important for people to receive two shots, according to The New York Times . Overall, the vaccine was 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose, the report said.
People with significant allergies should avoid Pfizer vaccine, UK warns The U.K.'s Regulatory Agency is advising people with a history of "significant" allergic reactions to avoid Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, after two National Health Service members developed severe allergic reactions to it on Tuesday (Dec. 8), Live Science reported. "As is common with new vaccines the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday," Stephen Powis, the national medical director for England's National Health Service said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9). Both workers have a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline auto injectors (such as EpiPens) around with them, according to The Guardian. Shortly after receiving the vaccine, both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms, or severe allergic reactions, but have recovered after receiving treatment. The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation, according to Reuters. "Allergic reaction occurs with quite a number of vaccines, and perhaps even more frequently with drugs. So it is not unexpected," Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in remarks to journalists published by Britain's Science Media Center. “What would be wise, as the MHRA have already advised, would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen, to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified," he said. For the general population this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination, he added. "One has to remember that even things like marmite [a quintessential British food spread] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.”
Canada approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Canada has authorized Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine, with the first doses expected to be administered there as early as next week. Health Canada, the country's health regulatory agency, said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9) that it had determined that the vaccine "meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada," according to CTV News . "We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [Dec. 14]. It takes time to prepare the vaccine," said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the top military general leading the vaccine rollout for the Public Health Agency of Canada, according to CTV News. The first doses could be administered by the middle of next week, he said. Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine, following the United Kingdom and Bahrain. The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December, and has purchased 20 million doses total, with the option to purchase more, CTV News reported.
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high, surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday (Dec. 9), the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily death toll to date, according to CNN . In comparison, 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. has now recorded 280,488 deaths related to the virus, according to The COVID Tracking Project . A forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by January 2, according to CNN. There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S.; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator, according to the COVID Tracking Project. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet to discuss an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
FDA panel recommends authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine A panel of experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the panel voted 17 to 4 to recommend that the vaccine receive emergency use authorization (EUA) for people ages 16 and older, according to The New York Times . The FDA typically follows the advice of its panels, and so today's vote is an important step towards the vaccine's authorization. It is anticipated that the agency will officially authorize the vaccine on Saturday (Dec. 12), the Times reported. Several countries have already authorized Pfizer's vaccine, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Bahrain.
Vaccine approval could come this weekend, as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday (Dec. 10), the U.S. recorded another 2,902 COVID-19 deaths, a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths, according to Reuters . “Probably for the next 60 to 90 days, we’re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor,” Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, according to Reuters. "The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really impact that, I think, to any degree for the next 60 days." On Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed, voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved in the U.K. and in Canada, and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend.
Australia abandons local COVID-19 vaccine after it caused false-positive HIV tests An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in early trials is being abandoned after researchers found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests. On Friday (Dec. 11), Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine, which was being developed by The University of Queensland and CSL Ltd., a local biotech company, according to The New York Times . In an early trial with 216 participants, the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19, according to a statement from CSL . But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV, which officials feared would undermine trust in the vaccine, the Times reported. The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein, which helped stabilize the vaccine. Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments, and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests. It's important to note that there is no way for the vaccine to cause an HIV infection, because it contains harmless fragments of the virus.
ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York, the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic, just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, kicking off a long, massive effort to vaccinate the American people, Live Science reported. Around 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday (Dec. 14), the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, according to The New York Times. This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Since the start of the pandemic, New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths, according to The Times. "This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination. "It's the beginning of the last chapter of the book, but now we just have to do it."
FDA analysis confirms Moderna's vaccine is safe and effective, emergency authorization is likely to come Friday A new briefing document from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released on Tuesday (Dec. 15) confirmed that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, according to NPR . Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 94% effective and has "a favorable safety profile," according to the document. A panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday (Dec. 17) to discuss the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and vote on whether or not the FDA should grant emergency approval to the vaccine. Last week, the same panel voted that the FDA should grant emergency approval to Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine; the authorization came a day late and the first doses were given on Monday (Dec. 15). The FDA will likely approve Moderna's vaccine for emergency use on Friday (Dec. 18), according to The New York Times .
FDA authorizes first over-the-counter COVID-19 test The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test, which can be done at home and does not need a prescription. The test, made by the Australia-based company Ellume, provides results in as little as 20 minutes, according to a statement from the FDA . It is a "lateral flow antigen test," meaning it works in a similar way to a home pregnancy test, by running a "liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules," the FDA said. The test works in conjunction with a smartphone app. Users take a nasal swab and place their sample in an analyzer, which communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The results are delivered through the app, and also reported to public health authorities (based on a user's zip code) through a secure cloud connection, the company said . Ellume is ramping up production of its test, and expects to produce three million tests in January 2021, and 20 million within the first half of 2021.
A wild mink tested positive for the coronavirus, it may be the first wild animal to have a confirmed case A wild mink in Utah may be the first "free-ranging, native wild animal" confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Live Science reported. The mink was found near a mink farm and likely picked up the infection from the farmed mink. There's no evidence that the virus spread to other minks or wild animals; but if the virus does begin circulating in wild animals, it could pick up mutations that COVID-19 vaccines may not protect well against if it spreads back to humans, according to the report. "If it does [establish a reservoir], then we've got a long-term issue here, where this virus has the potential to be with us for millennia," Sarah Olson, associate director of the health program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told Vox. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has screened other animal species for the virus near mink farms in Utah, Michigan and Wisconsin, but all of them have tested negative so far, according to a statement.
An FDA advisory panel will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval On Thursday (Dec. 17), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee will meet to determine whether to recommend that Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval, according to The New York Times . This panel, composed of independent experts, will vote on whether to recommend the vaccine after hearing from the company, FDA scientists and the public, according to The Times. Last week, the same panel of experts met to discuss Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and voted to recommend emergency authorization; the authorization came the next day. There have now been more than 16.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 307,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard . There are currently 113,090 people hospitalized across the country with more than 21,900 of them in the ICU and 7,778 on a ventilator, according to The COVID Tracking Project .
California becomes new epicenter of COVID-19 in U.S. California, once praised for its early pandemic response, is now the new U.S. hotspot for COVID-19 infections. The state has reported an alarming surge in cases, breaking previous records for daily cases. On Thursday (Dec. 17), the state reported some 50,000 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours, and nearly 100,000 in 48 hours, according to The Washington Post . That's more than the daily cases reported in many countries, including India, Germany and Britain, the Post reported. The state also set a record for daily deaths on Thursday, with 379 fatalities reported, up from the previous high of 293. Capacity in intensive care units has also dropped dramatically, with hospitals in Southern California reporting zero percent capacity on Thursday. "I want to be very clear: Our hospitals are under siege, and our model shows no end in sight," said Christina Ghaly, director of Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services, the Post reported.
FDA expected to authorize Moderna's vaccine on Friday The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday (Dec. 18). Once authorized, it will be the second coronavirus vaccine to get the green light from the agency in just a week, with Pfizer's vaccine gaining authorization on Dec. 11. Moderna is expected to begin shipping 5.9 million doses of its vaccine on Sunday (Dec. 20), with the first deliveries arriving Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna's vaccine does not require storage in extremely cold temperatures, and states are hoping to distribute the vaccine to rural hospitals and community health centers, the Times reported.
COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the U.S. There have now been more than 17 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 300,000 deaths, according to The COVID Tracking Project . There are currently 114,237 people hospitalized across the country and 21,900 people in the ICU. California is facing a massive surge in cases; the state reported 41,012 new COVID-19 cases and 300 new deaths on Thursday (Dec. 17), according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard . By comparison, at the start of November, California was reporting a seven-day average of 4,183 cases, compared to an average of 38,774 on Thursday, according to CNN . "We're experiencing an explosive and very deadly surge," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director said, according to CNN. Intensive care unit beds are rapidly filling up across the state; there are only 1,234 ICU beds left available in California, according to the dashboard. Current closures across California are impacting around 98% of the state's population, according to CNN.
London and southeast England are under an emergency lockdown Following concerns of a new version of the coronavirus that might be more transmissible, London and most of southeast England are now under an emergency lockdown, according to The New York Times . Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown on Saturday (Dec. 19) citing concerns that the mutated virus — which was detected a couple of weeks ago in southeast England — may be as much as 70% more transmissible than previous versions, according to the Times. The new version of the coronavirus is detected in more than 60% of new infections in London and have also been detected in several other countries, according to the Times. But it's not yet clear if this coronavirus version is any more infectious than the last and thorough analyses will need to be conducted before conclusions are made, scientists cautioned. In South Africa, a similar version of the virus has been found in up to 90% of new cases detected since mid-November, according to The Times . It's common for viruses to mutate, and this particular coronavirus has mutated many times since the start of the pandemic. But experts told The Times that it would take years for the virus to mutate enough such that it would make the current vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 ineffective.
Biden gets Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine President-elect Joe Biden received a dose of Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine on Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . He received the shot on camera at the Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. "I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about," Biden said.
Antarctica has its 1st COVID-19 outbreak The first COVID-19 cases have been reported in Antarctica , meaning the disease has now spread to every continent in the world. On Tuesday (Dec. 22), Chilean officials reported an outbreak of 36 COVID-19 cases at the Chilean research base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to the BBC . Of these, 26 cases were military personnel and 10 were maintenance workers, the BBC reported. All of these cases have been evacuated from Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile, according to The Guardian . Antarctica had been COVID-19 free up until the current outbreak. The continent has no permanent residents, but about 1,000 people, including scientists and other workers, stayed there this past winter, The Guardian reported.
Live updates will continue in 2021!


livescience--2020-08-14--Scientists probe the weird, alien water inside of Uranus and Neptune

Researchers are investigating an alien version of water inside the strange , icy interiors of and .
In a new study , scientists have devised a theoretical computer model and used it to peer inside the ice giants Uranus and Neptune .
With this tool , the team studied the thermal and electrical conductivity of the unusual water inside of these planets .
In simulating these physical processes on the teeny-tiny atomic scale , the researchers hope that this new model will reveal information about the icy bodies ' internal structure , , how they evolved and exactly how old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neptune with this model , the researchers , who stem from the International School for Advanced Studies ( SISSA ) in Trieste , Italy and the University of California at Los Angeles , estimated that the two planets are likely primarily composed of water in some form and Uranus might even have a frozen core , .
Related : What is Uranus made of ?
`` Hydrogen and oxygen are the most common elements in the Universe , together with helium .
It is easy to deduce that water is one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the researchers said in the same statement .
The team looked at three different phases of water that could exist in these planets interiors : ice , liquid and superionic ( superionic water exists at extremely high temperatures and pressures . )
But , as the researchers explained in the statement , water on ( and inside of ) an alien planet is far different from water on .
`` In such exotic physical conditions , we can not think of ice as we are used to , '' SISSA professors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in the statement .
`` Even water is actually different , denser , with several molecules dissociated into positive and negative ions , thus carrying an electrical charge .
Superionic water lies somewhere between the liquid and solid phases . ''
So what did they find about the water inside of these ice giants ?
The researchers hypothesize , they explained in the statement , that Uranus might actually have .
This would explain why the planet is n't very luminous , as a frozen core would mean that very little heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the statement .
The scientists also found that superionic water in Uranus and Neptune is more electrically conductive than water on Earth , and they think that superionic water could compose a large portion of the dense inner layers of these .
These results further our understanding of exactly how the two bodies are composed and how they came to be , the study suggests .
As the two scientists said in the statement , `` Thermal and electrical conduction dictates a `` planet 's history , how and when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
It is therefore crucial to analyze them with the appropriate tools , like the one we have developed . ''
This in the journal Nature Communications .
Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd @ space.com or follow her on Twitter @ chelsea_gohd .
Follow us on Twitter @ Spacedotcom and on Facebook .

Researchers are investigating an alien version of water inside the strange, icy interiors of Uranus and Neptune .
In a new study, scientists have devised a theoretical computer model and used it to peer inside the ice giants Uranus and Neptune. With this tool, the team studied the thermal and electrical conductivity of the unusual water inside of these planets. In simulating these physical processes on the teeny-tiny atomic scale, the researchers hope that this new model will reveal information about the icy bodies' internal structure, magnetic fields , how they evolved and exactly how old they are.
In studying Uranus and Neptune with this model, the researchers, who stem from the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy and the University of California at Los Angeles, estimated that the two planets are likely primarily composed of water in some form and Uranus might even have a frozen core, according to a SISSA statement .
Related: What is Uranus made of?
"Hydrogen and oxygen are the most common elements in the Universe, together with helium. It is easy to deduce that water is one of the major constituents of many celestial bodies," the researchers said in the same statement.
The team looked at three different phases of water that could exist in these planets interiors: ice, liquid and superionic (superionic water exists at extremely high temperatures and pressures.) But, as the researchers explained in the statement, water on (and inside of) an alien planet is far different from water on Earth .
"In such exotic physical conditions, we cannot think of ice as we are used to," SISSA professors and study co-authors Federico Grasselli and Stefano Baroni said in the statement. "Even water is actually different, denser, with several molecules dissociated into positive and negative ions, thus carrying an electrical charge. Superionic water lies somewhere between the liquid and solid phases."
So what did they find about the water inside of these ice giants? The researchers hypothesize, they explained in the statement, that Uranus might actually have a frozen core . This would explain why the planet isn't very luminous, as a frozen core would mean that very little heat would move towards the planet's surface, according to the statement.
The scientists also found that superionic water in Uranus and Neptune is more electrically conductive than water on Earth, and they think that superionic water could compose a large portion of the dense inner layers of these gas giants . These results further our understanding of exactly how the two bodies are composed and how they came to be, the study suggests.
As the two scientists said in the statement, "Thermal and electrical conduction dictates a "planet's history, how and when it was formed, how it cooled down. It is therefore crucial to analyze them with the appropriate tools, like the one we have developed."
This work was published July 17 in the journal Nature Communications.
Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.


livescience--2020-08-14--These armored sea bugs from a half-billion years ago had 'disco ball' eyes filled with tiny lenses

Trilobites — those ubiquitous , half-billion-year-old armored sea bugs — had eyes that were faceted like disco balls .
Now , new images reveal that these eyes were remarkably similar to those of bees and dragonflies .
Trilobites were buglike , many-legged marine arthropods that appeared during the ( 543 million to 490 million years ago ) and died out about 250 million years ago .
Paleontologists have found many fossils of trilobites ' tough exoskeletons .
And while trilobite eyes are sometimes preserved as well and bear a surface resemblance to insects ' eyes , prior analysis merely hinted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time , researchers have described the internal structures that made up the eyes of the trilobite Aulacopleura koninckii , which lived about 429 million years ago .
The composition and arrangement of light-sensitive receptor cells in these lenses offered scientists a glimpse into trilobite vision , and also hinted at the early evolution of compound eyes .
Though the specimen was collected in 1846 near Loděnice in the Czech Republic , this is the first time its preserved eye has been imaged using microscopy .
The technique revealed optical units called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the compound eyes in modern crustaceans and insects .
Examining the trilobite 's tiny eyes was challenging ; A. koninckii is `` rather flat '' — about 0.04 inches ( 1 millimeter ) high , the scientists reported in a new study , published online today ( Aug. 13 ) in the journal .
In this species , the two protruding oval-shaped eyes are located on the back of the head and are especially vulnerable to damage ; only the left eye of the specimen was still intact when the researchers found it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of them — process visual input and send signals to the brain , working together to form a mosaic of images .
And inside the single remaining trilobite eye , the study authors detected structures that are still present in modern arthropod eyes .
Each of the trilobite 's ommatidia contained eight light-detecting cells `` forming a kind of rosette , '' the scientists wrote .
The cells were grouped around a translucent , light-channelling cylinder called a rhabdom , and a thick lens covered the ommatidia at the top , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cells formed a `` cellular basket '' around the optical units , and there was some evidence of a thin , crystalline cone , `` although its shape is not very distinct , '' according to the study .
The study found that together , these structures formed `` a classical apposition compound eye , '' which looks a bit like a disco ball .
This type of compound eye is found in insects and crustaceans that are active during the day , such as bees and dragonflies .
A. koninckii was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hoovering up particles of organic material .
The diameter of the facets , or ommatidia , also told scientists about the trilobite 's habitat , said lead study author Brigitte Schoenemann , a paleontologist in the Institute of Biology Education at the University of Cologne in Germany .
Compound eyes with large ommatidia help animals navigate low-light conditions .
But A. koninckii 's eye facets each measured just 0.001 inches ( 35 micrometers ) in diameter — on the smaller side for compound eyes .
This meant that the trilobite `` surely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , light-flooded waters , '' Schoenemann told Live Science in an email .
The number of facets in each eye gave A. koninckii 's mosaic vision a `` resolution '' of about 200 `` pixels , '' which would have been sharp enough for it to navigate obstacles and avoid cephalopod predators , she said .
Even the earliest trilobites , dating to about 522 million years ago , show signs of having complex compound eyes , Schoenemann said .
This type of eye likely evolved much earlier , perhaps in shell-less creatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The scientists ' findings show that the vision of most modern day-active insects and crustaceans `` is an enormously old and effective system , quite unchanged since our trilobite , '' Schoenemann said .

Trilobites — those ubiquitous, half-billion-year-old armored sea bugs — had eyes that were faceted like disco balls. Now, new images reveal that these eyes were remarkably similar to those of bees and dragonflies.
Trilobites were buglike, many-legged marine arthropods that appeared during the Cambrian period (543 million to 490 million years ago) and died out about 250 million years ago. Paleontologists have found many fossils of trilobites' tough exoskeletons. And while trilobite eyes are sometimes preserved as well and bear a surface resemblance to insects' eyes, prior analysis merely hinted at their complexity.
Now, for the first time, researchers have described the internal structures that made up the eyes of the trilobite Aulacopleura koninckii, which lived about 429 million years ago. The composition and arrangement of light-sensitive receptor cells in these lenses offered scientists a glimpse into trilobite vision, and also hinted at the early evolution of compound eyes.
Related: Cambrian creatures: Primitive sea life (image gallery)
Though the specimen was collected in 1846 near Loděnice in the Czech Republic, this is the first time its preserved eye has been imaged using microscopy. The technique revealed optical units called ommatidia, hundreds of which make up the compound eyes in modern crustaceans and insects.
Examining the trilobite's tiny eyes was challenging; A. koninckii is "rather flat" — about 0.04 inches (1 millimeter) high, the scientists reported in a new study, published online today (Aug. 13) in the journal Scientific Reports . In this species, the two protruding oval-shaped eyes are located on the back of the head and are especially vulnerable to damage; only the left eye of the specimen was still intact when the researchers found it.
In compound eyes , individual lenses — sometimes thousands of them — process visual input and send signals to the brain, working together to form a mosaic of images. And inside the single remaining trilobite eye, the study authors detected structures that are still present in modern arthropod eyes.
Complete compound left eye of Aulacopleura kionickii. (Image credit: Brigitte Schoenemann)
Each of the trilobite's ommatidia contained eight light-detecting cells "forming a kind of rosette," the scientists wrote. The cells were grouped around a translucent, light-channelling cylinder called a rhabdom, and a thick lens covered the ommatidia at the top, the scientists wrote. Dark rings of pigmented cells formed a "cellular basket" around the optical units, and there was some evidence of a thin, crystalline cone, "although its shape is not very distinct," according to the study.
The study found that together, these structures formed "a classical apposition compound eye," which looks a bit like a disco ball. This type of compound eye is found in insects and crustaceans that are active during the day, such as bees and dragonflies.
A. koninckii was a bottom dweller, gliding over the seafloor and hoovering up particles of organic material. The diameter of the facets, or ommatidia, also told scientists about the trilobite's habitat, said lead study author Brigitte Schoenemann, a paleontologist in the Institute of Biology Education at the University of Cologne in Germany.
Compound eyes with large ommatidia help animals navigate low-light conditions. But A. koninckii's eye facets each measured just 0.001 inches (35 micrometers) in diameter — on the smaller side for compound eyes. This meant that the trilobite "surely was day active and lived in shallow, light-flooded waters," Schoenemann told Live Science in an email.
The number of facets in each eye gave A. koninckii's mosaic vision a "resolution" of about 200 "pixels," which would have been sharp enough for it to navigate obstacles and avoid cephalopod predators, she said.
Even the earliest trilobites, dating to about 522 million years ago, show signs of having complex compound eyes, Schoenemann said. This type of eye likely evolved much earlier, perhaps in shell-less creatures that didn't fossilize, she added.
The scientists' findings show that the vision of most modern day-active insects and crustaceans "is an enormously old and effective system, quite unchanged since our trilobite," Schoenemann said.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-14--Famous alien-hunting telescope slashed to pieces in mysterious midnight accident

The — a gargantuan telescope in Puerto Rico famous for scouring the cosmos for and alien life — went quiet this week , following a devastating accident that left the telescope 's reflector dish in pieces .
On Monday ( Aug. 10 ) at approximately 2:45 a.m. local time , a metal cable at the facility snapped , slashing through the radar dish and tearing open a 100-foot-long ( 30 meters ) hole , according to a from the University of Central Florida , which operates the National Science Foundation-owned facility .
The snapped cable also smashed through several other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , causing debris to rain down on the ground below and making it harder for technicians to access the site .
`` We have a team of experts assessing the situation , '' Francisco Cordova , the director of the observatory , said in the statement .
`` Our focus is assuring the safety of our staff , protecting the facilities and equipment , and restoring the facility to full operations as soon as possible , so it can continue to assist scientists around the world . ''
Related : 9 strange , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found aliens yet Arecibo began operating in 1963 from the bottom of a natural sinkhole in Puerto Rico .
At the time of its completion , Arecibo was the world 's largest single-dish telescope , stretching 1,000 feet ( 305 m ) in diameter .
While you may not know the telescope by name , you might know it by sight , thanks to the 1997 movie `` Contact . ''
That film 's protagonist is an astronomer working at Arecibo , who hopes to make first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of the 1995 James Bond flick , `` GoldenEye . ''
) Though we 're still waiting for that epic first DM from aliens , Arecibo has played a central role in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence ( ) since the 1970s .
In 1974 , astronomers used the radio telescope to transmit a binary code toward a dense cluster of stars 25,000 away , hoping the message might get picked up by another technologically-advanced civilization .
( It was n't ) .
SETI experiments have remained a key part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so has planetary defense .
Arecibo 's Planetary Radar Project , part of NASA 's Planetary Defense program , is responsible for detecting and studying near- objects , such as asteroids , that could pose a threat to our planet .
That project , along with all other Arecibo projects , has been suspended due to the damage .
But Arecibo has bounced back from damage before , including the fallout from and Hurricane Maria , and this accident will hopefully be no exception .
Still … it would be a lousy time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call .

Arecibo Observatory’s main collecting dish, which is among the world’s largest single-dish radio telescopes, was badly damaged when a cable snapped on Monday, Aug. 10. (Image credit: University of Central Florida)
The Arecibo Observatory — a gargantuan telescope in Puerto Rico famous for scouring the cosmos for asteroids and alien life — went quiet this week, following a devastating accident that left the telescope's reflector dish in pieces.
On Monday (Aug. 10) at approximately 2:45 a.m. local time, a metal cable at the facility snapped, slashing through the radar dish and tearing open a 100-foot-long (30 meters) hole, according to a statement from the University of Central Florida, which operates the National Science Foundation-owned facility. The snapped cable also smashed through several other cables and platforms that support the dish, causing debris to rain down on the ground below and making it harder for technicians to access the site.
"We have a team of experts assessing the situation," Francisco Cordova, the director of the observatory, said in the statement. "Our focus is assuring the safety of our staff, protecting the facilities and equipment, and restoring the facility to full operations as soon as possible, so it can continue to assist scientists around the world."
Related: 9 strange, scientific excuses for why humans haven't found aliens yet
Arecibo began operating in 1963 from the bottom of a natural sinkhole in Puerto Rico. At the time of its completion, Arecibo was the world's largest single-dish telescope, stretching 1,000 feet (305 m) in diameter. While you may not know the telescope by name, you might know it by sight, thanks to the 1997 movie "Contact." That film's protagonist is an astronomer working at Arecibo, who hopes to make first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. (The observatory's gargantuan reflector dish also stole the show at the end of the 1995 James Bond flick, "GoldenEye.")
Though we're still waiting for that epic first DM from aliens, Arecibo has played a central role in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence ( SETI ) since the 1970s. In 1974, astronomers used the radio telescope to transmit a binary code toward a dense cluster of stars 25,000 light-years away, hoping the message might get picked up by another technologically-advanced civilization. (It wasn't).
SETI experiments have remained a key part of the observatory's agenda — and so has planetary defense. Arecibo's Planetary Radar Project, part of NASA's Planetary Defense program, is responsible for detecting and studying near- Earth objects, such as asteroids, that could pose a threat to our planet.
That project, along with all other Arecibo projects, has been suspended due to the damage. But Arecibo has bounced back from damage before, including the fallout from earthquakes and Hurricane Maria, and this accident will hopefully be no exception. Still … it would be a lousy time for the aliens to finally return our call.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-08-14--Live Science podcast 'Life's Little Mysteries' special report: Coronavirus (Aug. 13)

In this special episode of Life 's Little Mysteries , we focus on a serious topic that everybody is talking about : SARS-CoV-2 , and the disease it causes , COVID-19 .
Every day at Live Science , our reporters and editors track the latest coronavirus developments around the world : from global case numbers and quarantines , to vaccine development , to best practices for safety , prevention and treatment .
Here to talk about the latest coronavirus news is Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese , who is at the forefront of our coronavirus coverage .
This episode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nicoletta 's weekly coronavirus video update and Q & A .
Listen to Coronavirus : A Life 's Little Mysteries Special Report below , and subscribe to Life 's Little Mysteries on Apple Podcasts and Spotify , so you don ’ t miss out on new episodes .
You can find all the latest Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our `` Coronavirus '' topic page .
We 'll also be refreshing our live coronavirus updates and our map of U.S. coronavirus cases and news , as information becomes available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for even more Life 's Little Mysteries , and catch up on the latest Life 's Little Mysteries articles .
You can also join the conversation in our forums , where you can pose Life 's Little Mysteries questions of your own , or even suggest topics for upcoming podcast episodes .

In this special episode of Life's Little Mysteries, we focus on a serious topic that everybody is talking about: SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it causes, COVID-19.
Every day at Live Science, our reporters and editors track the latest coronavirus developments around the world: from global case numbers and quarantines, to vaccine development, to best practices for safety, prevention and treatment.
Here to talk about the latest coronavirus news is Live Science health reporter Nicoletta Lanese, who is at the forefront of our coronavirus coverage. This episode was recorded on August 13 and features Nicoletta's weekly coronavirus video update and Q&A.
Life's Little Mysteries co-hosts: Jeanna Bryner and Mindy Weisberger
Guest host: Nicoletta Lanese, staff writer at Live Science
Listen to Coronavirus: A Life's Little Mysteries Special Report below, and subscribe to Life's Little Mysteries on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so you don’t miss out on new episodes.
You can find all the latest Live Science coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 on our "Coronavirus" topic page. We'll also be refreshing our live coronavirus updates and our map of U.S. coronavirus cases and news, as information becomes available.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for even more Life's Little Mysteries, and catch up on the latest Life's Little Mysteries articles. You can also join the conversation in our forums, where you can pose Life's Little Mysteries questions of your own, or even suggest topics for upcoming podcast episodes.
Originally published on Live Science.