If the great dinosaurs had not gone extinct, would one of their species have dominated Earth today? In a parallel universe, would there be intelligent feathered giants relaxing and reading Scientific American? But the number of neurons may not be enough. For intelligence, brain architecture also matters. And this could have been the Achilles’ heel of dinosaurs,… Read More
The antiviral interferon might help early but exacerbate disease in later stages. “The interferon response is a little bit tricky,” says Rudragouda Channappanavar, a viral immunologist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, who was not involved with the new studies. The response protects the body from infections by thwarting viral replication. “The body… Read More
Kirby Stafford, Connecticut’s state entomologist, knows only one surefire way to reduce tick populations enough to cut Lyme disease rates: killing deer. Otherwise, he says, “very little by itself really reduces tick numbers enough.” But in some Connecticut neighborhoods Stafford has been testing a new strategy, one he hopes might show real promise after years… Read More
