The Dose: The Plankton Evangelist
Children have milder side effects, the plankton evangelist and the ultimate scicomm guide
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The Serious Stuff
In this section, we share the most important pandemic and science updates.
⛹️♂️ Vaccinate to keep healthy. Did you know that 30% of children who were hospitalized with COVID-19 had no risk factors or other diseases? This means that even if your kid is healthy, they are still at risk of contracting COVID-19. Further, while most children do not become severely sick from COVID-19, we have seen a five-fold increase in hospitalizations among children since Delta. These vaccines have been rigorously studied and tested and are found to be both safe and effective. Read more
🤾 Nearly 1 million vaccinated. Children aged 5-11 years taking the recently-approved Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine can expect to experience milder side effects compared to adolescents and adults. The most common ones included pain at the injection site, mild redness and swelling, fever, fatigue and headache, which usually occurred within two days of vaccination. Read more
💉 What’s the difference? A third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine refers to a necessary, additional dose for people who are immunocompromised. A booster shot is an additional dose of the vaccine given to those whose protection from initial doses have decreased over time. If you’re in the US, whether you are eligible for a booster depends on the vaccine you received for your initial doses. Read more
The Beautiful Stuff
In this section, we share pieces at the intersection of science and art that have us obsessed.
🎨 Meet Mahnaz Yazdani, a director, animator, cartoonist and scriptwriter from Iran. She creates artfully heart-rending pieces that are simultaneously tender, urgent and loud. Here is a piece that honours the families of healthcare workers during the pandemic:
✍🏼 And her messages reverberate. Her art sometimes treads between political and scientific commentary, with each being equally poignant, incisive and resolute. Check out this piece with the caption, “Those who give hope…”
😷 Here is another piece by her, honouring the sacrifices healthcare workers make while fully decked out in protective gear, while calling out the groups that bemoan the heat in their surgical masks. Check out her other compelling works here.
🌳 Stop, I’m blushing. Why do the crowns of tree canopies appear not to touch one another? Also known as crown shyness or canopy disengagement, this phenomenon has been found to serve certain protective functions.
🌊 The planet’s mysterious powerhouse. Beneath the ocean sing one of the most majestic microscopic life our earth has known- the plankton, also known as ‘drifter’ or ‘wanderer’ in Greek.
✨ The plankton evangelist. What makes Jan Van IJken’s film so exquisite? He’s captured shots of this creature that plankton experts never got to see. Created with time-lapse photography and video, Van Ijken’s winning film manages to capture the ethereal nature of the very organism that generates much of the air we breathe. Full link here.
📘 Scicomm 101. Need some practical tips on sharing science in an engaging way? Check out this free 104-page resource that is packed with golden nuggets on everything science comms. It covers everything from the most important dos and don’ts, how to locate funding, the networks you can reach out to, and more.
💩 And, just for laughs this week, here’s the very best stool sample there is.
The Personal Stuff
❤️ The Intern Corner
This week, we asked our team the question, “What’s your favourite holiday and why?”
Jessica Steier: “I am Jewish but my husband isn't, and now my family celebrates Christmas and I am absolutely OBSESSED with all things Christmas. I love the smell of a Christmas tree and decorating and just the general spirit of the holiday! I love that my kiddos get to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas!”
Myriam Bostwick: “Chanukah! It’s a whole week of fried foods, presents, and fun. My daughter and I start decorating this weekend. It’s earlier than usual this year, but we have some fun outdoor events and activities planned and kind of hoping the weather will stay ok for that :)”
Maria Victoria Dreher: “Definitely Christmas! Our Christmas is adapted to have Brazilian and Canadian traditions, we always celebrate on the 24th because that’s what we do in Brazil and the food has a little bit of both countries. I LOVE Christmas food so thats a plus. We love getting dressed up just to sit all together and eat! Another reason I love Christmas is that it’s normally when I can see my family from Brazil!
Michaela Davies: “I’m all about spooky season. I wait for Halloween all year! We live in a neighbourhood that’s prime for kiddos going trick or treating - our peak year we had 700 come to the door. We go all out - haunted alley set up, live bands playing in the local park, it’s a big to do.”
What is your favourite holiday? Hit reply and let us know!
That’s it for this issue!
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