There’s some real data pointing to the effectiveness of covid-19 vaccines in the real world. In this case, it’s one of the Chinese vaccines being used in Brazil. According to the journal science, “As part of an unusual experiment to track the real-world effectiveness of CoronaVac, a COVID-19 vaccine made by a Chinese company, almost all adult residents of Serrana, in the state of São Paulo, received the required two shots between February and April, long before most would otherwise have become eligible for the vaccine. The results were dramatic. Symptomatic cases of COVID-19 have dropped by 80% since the start of mass vaccination, related hospitalizations fell 86%, and deaths plummeted 95%, the research team in charge of the experiment reported during a press conference yesterday.”  well there are still some unknowns regarding the vaccines currently being used, this is undoubtedly welcome information. http://bit.ly/3pcHnKm3

 the origins of human thoughts and cognition Have been a topic of speculation for a long time. As it turns out, some processes Are not exclusive to the human lineage. Originally, it was believed that we were the Only hominins with a capability of counting. That no longer appears to be the case. according to the journal Nature, “Cognitive scientists, anthropologists and psychologists are looking at contemporary cultures to understand differences among existing number systems — defined as the symbols that a society uses for counting and manipulating numbers. Their hope is that clues buried in modern systems might illuminate details of their origins. Meanwhile, archaeologists have begun looking for evidence of ancient numerical notations, and evolutionary biologists with an interest in language are exploring the deep origins of number words. These studies have spurred researchers to formulate some of the first detailed hypotheses for the prehistoric development of number systems.”  the more we learn about our Evolution, the less exceptional we appear to be. http://go.nature.com/3uOzgF4

At one time gene therapy appeared to be miraculous in theory but disappointing in reality.  however, as a technology caught up with the science, That has all begun to change. Little by little, Diseases are beginning to be treated with some form of gene therapy. According to an article in the Associated Press, rare diseases are being particularly Targeted with successfully. “Seven gene therapies are approved in the United States and a few more are sold in Europe or elsewhere. In 2017, when the first ones were OK’d in the U.S., 854 companies were developing them. That grew to 1,085 by the end of last year, according to the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, an advocacy group for the field. More than 400 gene therapy trials are underway now. ‘It’s really been an exciting couple of years,’ Bartek said. ‘We’re finally looking at the possibility of profoundly beneficial therapies’ for many diseases. There’s interest from not only small biotech firms but also universities and big companies such as Pfizer and Novartis, he said.” http://bit.ly/2SM8BeO

Despite the knowledge we have of how the brain functions, it is still largely a mystery. That makes it susceptible to questionable theories and outright Misinformation. One of the often repeated and broadly believed myths about the human brain is that male and females have slightly different versions. Since the 19th century this difference has been weaponized by men against women. An article in plos one,  Warns against the dangers. “In the interests of both science and society, neuroscientists need to think carefully about how they present findings about brain differences between socially segregated groups of healthy humans. They need to recognize that any neurobiological comparison between such groups raises the potential for stereotyping and stigmatization. That means ensuring that research design and methodology reflect current understanding of sex/gender. It also means paying careful attention to the impression given by selective narrative framing and inaccurate use of quantitative descriptors.” unfortunately, it seems like these enduring myths are destined to linger. http://bit.ly/34Draoh

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