The Dose: The Weirdest Deep Sea Creature
Omicron unknowns, breathtaking coral reef cuttings, and the weirdest deep sea creature
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The Serious Stuff
In this section, we share the most important pandemic and science updates.
❓ Omicron unknowns. There are more unknowns than knowns about Omicron for now. First, we don’t know how effective are our current vaccines against Omicron. Second, we don’t know whether Omicron causes more or less severe illness compared to previous variants. Third, we also don’t know if our current treatment options are effective against it. And it will be a few more weeks until we can get some answers. In the meantime…Read more
💉 Boosters work. A study found that those who received a booster had a 25-fold increase in antibody levels. The antibody levels were also 3-fold higher than those at their peak after the second dose. Most importantly, antibody levels among vaccinated people after a booster were 53-fold higher than those who previously had COVID-19 and were unvaccinated. Read more
🎉 Boosters for ≥18 years. The FDA and CDC has now recommended COVID-19 boosters to all 18 year olds in the states who are fully vaccinated. If you had previously received an mRNA vaccine, you are eligible for your booster six months after your second dose. If you had previously received the J&J vaccine, you are eligible for your booster two months after your first dose. Read more
The Beautiful Stuff
In this section, we share pieces at the intersection of science and art that have us obsessed.
🎨 Rogan Brown’s paper sculptures. Color splashes against a deathly white. We had to do a double take when we first glimpsed Brown’s breathtakingly ornate work. Here stands a hopeful paper sculpture titled “Coral Garden” meant to commemorate the efforts of climate activists who are restoring bleached reefs through replanting of corals that better tolerate warmer oceans.
Taking great care in every part of the process, Brown hand-draws the corals, cuts them with a laser, paints them and assembles them into these elaborate paper sculptures by hand. In “Ghost Coral”, the colours represent the vibrant biodiversity that our coral reefs epitomise, while the chilling, almost mystical, bone-white paper cuttings depict the often irreversible damage climate change has wrought upon our planet.
Brown is fascinated by the scale and complexity of nature, and hopes to bring that out in his art. He works primarily with paper, which he believes to embody “the paradoxical qualities that we see in nature: its fragility and durability, its strength and delicacy.” Check out his Instagram and website for more of his exquisite works.
💫 A radiant fusion. What happens at the very moment when the sperm becomes one with the egg? Fireworks. Did you also know that the size of these fireworks reveals to us the quality of the embryo? Now that’s absolutely radiant. Pair these remarkable snapshots with an article detailing the biochemical mechanisms behind fertilization’s vivid burst.
🐙 Eleven stories tall. What’s the weirdest, longest, most wonderful creature of the deep ocean? It might just be the siphonophore. At one with the jellyfish, sea anemone and coral family, this intriguing creature is made of thousands- even millions of of interconnected clones. Read more
🥶 We can’t negotiate with ice. Follow a polar bear (made of ice) in a heart-rending film as it treads across changing landscapes of melting glaciers, rising sea levels, vicious wildfires and thunderstorms. Produced for the World Wildlife fund’s Artic Programme, Nomint’s state-of-the-art stop motion film vividly captures the delicate, fragile state of our earth if we delay climate action any longer.
🌲 Forest bathing. Thinking of taking a walk? Opt for one one in the forest rather than the park beside the road. Studies have shown time and time again that nature is therapy. Spending just 20 minutes outdoors fully present has been found to alleviate anxiety and improve focus. Read more
✍🏼 All the icons you need. Involved in science or health communications project? It can be tough to find suitable graphics to bring it to the next level. Check out this life-saving resource by Daniel Burka, who promises that these icons will remain free for all projects, forever. Access here
The Personal Stuff
❤️ The Intern Corner
This week, we asked our team the question, “Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?”
Jessica Steier: “I am so stumped! So many incredible people come to mind but for some reason, I can't shake the idea of Steve Carell! Also maybe Amy Poehler. I know there are brilliant scientists out there who I should be naming right now (ha!) but, honestly, I'd want to get a beer with these people and share some laughs.”
Ilze Abersone: “I’d have to go with Damon Albarn from Blur since I’ve been totally fangirling over him for ages.”
Kelly Burke: “Lin Manuel Miranda!”
He Shiying: “Definitely Maria Popova, the writer behind The Marginalian/ Brain Pickings. Her writing is a wonderment, a gift to humanity and always, always delightful reads that are enthralling, calming, empowering all at once.
Who would you invite as a dinner guest? Hit reply and let us know!
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