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physiology

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How Many Microbes Does It Take to Make You Sick?

By Tara C. Smith
September 27, 2023
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Exposure to a virus isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. The concept of “infectious dose” suggests ways to keep ourselves safer from harm.

The Joy of Why

Can Math and Physics Save an Arrhythmic Heart?

By Steven Strogatz
July 12, 2023
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Abnormal waves of electrical activity can cause a heart’s muscle cells to beat out of sync. In this episode, Flavio Fenton, an expert in cardiac dynamics, talks with Steve Strogatz about ways to treat heart arrhythmias without resorting to painful defibrillators.

microbiology

Microbes Gained Photosynthesis Superpowers From a ‘Proton Pump’

By Saugat Bolakhe
July 5, 2023
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New research reveals how marine microbes use an extra membrane that once had digestive functions to boost their yield from photosynthesis.

Illustration of a brain surrounded by castle walls that keep out blood vessels.
explainers

How the Brain Protects Itself From Blood-Borne Threats

By Yasemin Saplakoglu
June 20, 2023
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To buffer the brain against menaces in the blood, a dynamic, multi-tiered system of protection is built into the brain’s blood vessels.

bird's eye view of an illustrated red ant against a leafy background with golden fungal spores coming up out of its brain
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Can Our Brains Be Taken Over?

By Tara C. Smith
February 23, 2023
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Several real-life pathogens can change a host’s behavior against their will. Here’s what we know about these zombie-like infections.

Drawing of a man connected by viruses to mice, horses, camels and more animals
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What We Know About Monkeypox

By Tara C. Smith
September 29, 2022
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Even though we’ve learned a lot about this relative of smallpox, some mysteries remain due to a lack of political will.

A human figure’s brain with a “low battery” icon on it.
neuroscience

The Brain Has a ‘Low-Power Mode’ That Blunts Our Senses

By Allison Whitten
June 14, 2022
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Neuroscientists uncovered an energy-saving mode in vision-system neurons that works at the cost of being able to see fine-grained details.

Illustration of a red human figured amid blue silhouettes of animals, in front of a red background.
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What Happens When We Give Animals Our Diseases?

By Tara C. Smith
April 27, 2022
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While it’s understandable to focus on the diseases affecting humans, it’s important to study how our illnesses may affect animals.

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Will We Ever Get Rid of COVID-19?

By Tara C. Smith
November 30, 2021
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No matter how much we’d like to eradicate SARS-CoV-2, it may be better to settle for other forms of control.


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