The Conversation

The Conversation

The Conversation

The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, funded by the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public. The Conversation launched in Australia in March 2011.
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Is The Cure Worse Than The Disease? In The COVID-19 Public Health Versus Jobs Debate, The Same People Suffer

Is The Cure Worse Than The Disease? In The COVID-19 Public Health Versus Jobs Debate, The Same People Suffer

Throughout the pandemic, millions of Americans wondered: “Is the cure worse than the disease?” The question implies a trade-off between “the cure,” in the form of economic shutdowns, and “the disease,” COVID-19. This debate dominated headlines in the first months of the pandemic. More than a year later, it continues to be a partisan lighting rod. But our research shows that mortality during the pandemic in America has never fit the narrative that pits economic shutdowns against COVID-19.

Science Gets Closer To Making Human-Animal Chimeras

Science Gets Closer To Making Human-Animal Chimeras

The recent announcement that scientists have made human-monkey embryos and cultured them in the lab for two weeks made international headlines.The technology to make animals that contain cells from other species has been available for decades and used extensively in research. These organisms are called “chimeras”.But this latest advance highlights the need to broaden the discussion around the possible benefits of such research and, specifically, how inter-species chimeric research should be conducted in future.

Can 5G Cell Phone Tech Eventually Bring Us Tesla's Wireless Electricity?

Can 5G Cell Phone Tech Eventually Bring Us Tesla's Wireless Electricity?

At the height of his career, the pioneering electrical engineer Nikola Tesla became obsessed with an idea. He theorised that electricity could be transmitted wirelessly through the air at long distances – either via a series of strategically positioned towers, or hopping across a system of suspended balloons.Things didn’t go to plan, and Tesla’s ambitions for a wireless global electricity supply were never realised. But the theory itself wasn’t disproved: it would have simply required an extraordinary amount of power, much of which would have been wasted.

How MRNA Vaccines Work – And Why You Need A Second Dose

How MRNA Vaccines Work – And Why You Need A Second Dose

Tens of millions of people across the U.S. have received a coronavirus vaccine. So far, the majority of doses have been either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, both of which use mRNA to generate an immune response. These gene-based vaccines have been in the works for decades, but this is the first time they have been used widely in people.

Is God “Bound” By The Laws Of Physics, Or Can Physics Disprove Her?

Is God “Bound” By The Laws Of Physics, Or Can Physics Disprove Her?

I still believed in God (I am now an atheist) when I heard the following question at a seminar, first posed by Einstein, and was stunned by its elegance and depth: ‘If there is a God who created the entire universe and ALL of its laws of physics, does God follow God’s own laws? Or can God supersede his own laws, such as traveling faster than the speed of light and thus being able to be in two different places at the same time?’ Could the answer help us prove whether or not God exists or is this where scientific empiricism and religious faith intersect, with NO true answer? David Frost, 67, Los Angeles.

Which Type Of Digital Hoarder Are You?

Which Type Of Digital Hoarder Are You?

How many emails are in your inbox? If the answer is thousands, or if you often struggle to find a file on your computer among its cluttered hard drive, then you might be classed as a digital hoarder. In the physical world, hoarding disorder has been recognized as a distinct psychiatric condition among people who accumulate excessive amounts of objects to the point that it prevents them living a normal life. Now, research has begun to recognize that hoarding can be a problem in the digital world, too.

R0 And Why We'll Need 70 Percent Vaccination To Stop COVID-19

R0 And Why We'll Need 70 Percent Vaccination To Stop COVID-19

It has been clear for a while that, at least in the U.S., the only way out of the coronavirus pandemic will be through vaccination. The rapid deployment of coronavirus vaccines is underway, but how many people need to be vaccinated in order to control this pandemic?I am a computational biologist who uses data and computer models to answer biological question at the University of Connecticut. I have been tracking my state’s COVID-19 epidemic with a computer model to help forecast the number of hospitalizations at the University of Connecticut’s John Dempsey Hospital.

Forget Mrs. Claus, What About Santa Herself?

Forget Mrs. Claus, What About Santa Herself?

Can Christmas be about gender? Apparently so, if the paucity of female Santas is anything to go by. There have, in fact, been cases of Australian women donning the secular red and white Santa attire as far back as 1930 — and there is no reason why we couldn’t have more female Santas today.In 1935, Queensland’s Daily Mercury reported on aviator Nancy Bird Walton, “The Angel of the Outback”, piloting a female Santa Claus into the north-western corner of New South Wales.

If You Drink And It's Friday, You're More Likely To Believe You've Seen A UFO

If You Drink And It's Friday, You're More Likely To Believe You've Seen A UFO

If intelligent aliens visit the Earth, it would be one of the most profound events in human history.Surveys show that nearly half of Americans believe that aliens have visited the Earth, either in the ancient past or recently. That percentage has been increasing. Belief in alien visitation is greater than belief that Bigfoot is a real creature, but less than belief that places can be haunted by spirits.

The Mathematics Of Cancer

The Mathematics Of Cancer

In our daily life, we unfortunately have become used to seeing images of tumors and melanomas. You may have noticed that they’re are not entirely symmetric. This asymmetry is useful to doctors in their diagnoses, but why are they asymmetric?

Mystery Monoliths: How To Build A Better Conspiracy

Mystery Monoliths: How To Build A Better Conspiracy

The three recent appearances (and two subsequent removals) of “monoliths” in Romania, Utah and California are intriguing examples of what can capture the public’s imagination. These constructions are metallic-looking structures about three or four metres tall, with a simple geometric design and reflective surface.

COVID-19: The Immune Systems Of The Overwhelming Majority Do Quite Well

COVID-19: The Immune Systems Of The Overwhelming Majority Do Quite Well

Early in the pandemic, many researchers feared people who contracted COVID could be reinfected very quickly. This was because several early studies showed antibodies seemed to wane after the first few months post-infection.It was also partly because normal human coronaviruses, which are one cause of common colds and are cousins of SARS-CoV-2, do not generate long-lasting immunity, so we can get reinfected with them after 12 months.