AskScience AMA Series: I am Jonathan Berman, author of the forthcoming "Antivaxxers: How To Challenge A Misinformed Movement" from MIT press, former co-chair of the March for Science, and a renal physiologist, AMA!

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• AskScience AMA Series: I am Jonathan Berman, author of the forthcoming "Antivaxxers: How To Challenge A Misinformed Movement" from MIT press, former co-chair of the March for Science, and a renal physiologist, AMA!
• Are we born with the cells of the adaptive immune system?
• How can it use less energy to fling something out of the solar system, rather than dumping it into the sun?
• How moving parts are lubricated in curiosity rover on Mars over these years? If not what technology is used to ensure longer life?
• Can people in the Southern Hemisphere see the Milky Way?
• If photons don't have mass, why does it have momentum?
• Delta-V to Earth-Moon L2 greater than Earth-Moon L1, why? Delta-Vs for travel to L3, L4, and L5?
• Is there enough data to indicate COVID-19 transmission rates among children?
• What is the technical term for when a substance is so energetic that it emits light? An example would be fresh lava.
• Do dogs socialize differently with other members of their own breed than with others, or is all dog socializing the same regardless of breed?
• What changes when you change the intensity of visible light?
• If negative pressure (cosmological constant) expands space, does positive pressure (normal matter) contract it?
• How can biological systems count time? E.g. what triggers the production of hormones to induce puberty?
• Can someone explain to me how the type-5 and type-26 adenovirus vaccines work to fight covid?
• We know that in higher altitudes boiling point decreases, we also know that it takes more time to boil at higher altitudes. but wouldn't reaching a lower temperature require lower energy and therefore less time to boil?
• How does the cell separate exons from introns, and what enzime does the splicing?
• What is the evidence for wearing face masks to lower COVID-19 transmission?
• How do handheld police radar guns work while the operator is driving?
• How does streaming DRM work? (e.g. Netflix)
• What's the difference between chelation and precipitation?
• Do spiders use other spiders webs?
• Do your ears push earwax out naturally? If so how?

AskScience AMA Series: I am Jonathan Berman, author of the forthcoming "Antivaxxers: How To Challenge A Misinformed Movement" from MIT press, former co-chair of the March for Science, and a renal physiologist, AMA! Posted: 13 Jul 2020 04:01 AM PDT My name is Jonathan Berman and my book Antivaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement is due out on September 8th. It is about the anti-vaccine movement and its historical antecedents, as well as what makes anti-vaxxers tick. I hosted the unveiling of the world's largest periodic table of the elements. I've worked as a rickshaw driver, wing cook, and assistant professor. At various points I've been a stand up comic, carpet remover, and radio host, but mostly a scientist. Verification on twitter. Ask me anything! Out guest will be joining us at 12 ET (16 UT). Username: bermanAMA2020 submitted by /u/AskScienceModerator [link] [comments]

Are we born with the cells of the adaptive immune system? Posted: 13 Jul 2020 05:35 AM PDT I'm learning about the immune system. Most sources say that the innate immune system protects us from the moment we are born. Those same sources say that the adaptive immune system must develop over time -- learn to recognize pathogens and produce antibodies against them. But my understanding is that we are born with all the cells of the adaptive immune system, but they are naive (they've never seen a pathogen), so while they are circulating in our bodies and tissues from birth, these cells still need be exposed to unique pathogens so that they can mount a specific defense against them. Do I have that right? Are the cells of the adaptive immune system present in our bodies from birth, but they are a just naive? More specifically, are we born with millions of B cells, each with a membrane-bound antibody that only become activated when they encounter and bind to their cognate antigens? (Edit: clarity of question and typos) submitted by /u/weakDisco [link] [comments]

How can it use less energy to fling something out of the solar system, rather than dumping it into the sun? Posted: 13 Jul 2020 04:11 AM PDT Wouldn't you just have to point it at the sun and let gravity do the work? https://imgur.com/a/09uUc3D submitted by /u/Jesta23 [link] [comments]

How moving parts are lubricated in curiosity rover on Mars over these years? If not what technology is used to ensure longer life? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 08:52 AM PDT submitted by /u/varnanrav [link] [comments]

Can people in the Southern Hemisphere see the Milky Way? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 07:32 PM PDT submitted by /u/pickletuck [link] [comments]

If photons don't have mass, why does it have momentum? Posted: 13 Jul 2020 03:00 AM PDT Since momentum is p=mv submitted by /u/cadagricomiguel [link] [comments]

Delta-V to Earth-Moon L2 greater than Earth-Moon L1, why? Delta-Vs for travel to L3, L4, and L5? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 02:56 PM PDT Hi askscience! I was looking at this lovely Delta-V figure put together b /u/CuriousMetaphor: https://external-preview.redd.it/47Z8OHKj-8BImmr3bDRgrnponXxglbBbLvz0dy_3SV8.png?auto=webp&s=8f4f3021734794c6b841311f248c98b575494568 If you look at the Earth-Moon System conveyed in the top-center of the figure, you will notice that the Delta-V from Earth-Moon Transfer to L2 is 0.35, while the transfer to L1 is 0.58. This seems counter-intuitive to me, since L1 is in between the earth and the moon, while L2 is on the opposite side of the moon. Why would it be a "cheaper" delta-v budget to go to L2 rather than L1? What would be the relative delta-v values for travel to the L3, L4, and L5 points? Thanks for the information! I look forward to hearing from you soon! For curious folks who aren't familiar with Lagrange Points, here is the wikipedia article to explain them and show you their space-ial (ha) locations. Thanks again everyone! submitted by /u/NGSensibleSolutions [link] [comments]

Is there enough data to indicate COVID-19 transmission rates among children? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 05:01 PM PDT Some of the evidence supporting low transmission rates among children seem to refer to individual cases, such as a child being infected at a school, but not spreading it to other students. Other studies seem to rely on contact tracing finding that the majority of COVID infections in children are spread adult to child. However, would these findings not be skewed by the fact that children, not currently being in school, are less likely to come into contact with other children who have COVID? In that case, would adults not be the most probable source for a child to contract COVID? The article I am referring to here is COVID-19 Transmission and Children: The Child Is Not to Blame. All this to ask, is there enough evidence to support low COVID-19 transmission rates among children? Sorry for my ignorance. It is very possible that I have misinterpreted the article. I am sure there are other articles that would be beneficial for me to read as well. If anyone has information on the topic, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn more. submitted by /u/eigenludecomposition [link] [comments]

What is the technical term for when a substance is so energetic that it emits light? An example would be fresh lava. Posted: 13 Jul 2020 01:13 AM PDT More specifically, what is the term for the glow itself? My google-fu was weak on this one. submitted by /u/charisma6 [link] [comments]

Do dogs socialize differently with other members of their own breed than with others, or is all dog socializing the same regardless of breed? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 07:15 AM PDT submitted by /u/alexandros87 [link] [comments]

What changes when you change the intensity of visible light? Posted: 13 Jul 2020 12:35 AM PDT I understand that increasing the intensity increases the speed that the photons leave the surface from where the light is emitted, but what property/ies of light do you change to make the light have a higher energy while still maintaining the frequency? submitted by /u/_Mr_Pool_ [link] [comments]

If negative pressure (cosmological constant) expands space, does positive pressure (normal matter) contract it? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 10:37 AM PDT I always found this so hard to grasp. The expansion of the universe is always described just as that, an expansion of space, but I have never heard of anyone speaking of normal gravitation as a "contraction" of space. Is it not the same thing or am I failing to grasp something more basic? submitted by /u/taracus [link] [comments]

How can biological systems count time? E.g. what triggers the production of hormones to induce puberty? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 07:05 AM PDT Certainly the age of puberty in some sense is not highly specific. There can be years of difference for individuals. But most people don't start puberty at say age 6 or age 20. But even in such extreme cases I wonder what was the step from "don't induce it now" to "induce it now". submitted by /u/Tuuktuu [link] [comments]

Can someone explain to me how the type-5 and type-26 adenovirus vaccines work to fight covid? Posted: 13 Jul 2020 03:06 AM PDT submitted by /u/welp_welp_welp_ [link] [comments]

We know that in higher altitudes boiling point decreases, we also know that it takes more time to boil at higher altitudes. but wouldn't reaching a lower temperature require lower energy and therefore less time to boil? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 07:20 PM PDT submitted by /u/Davidunkleman [link] [comments]

How does the cell separate exons from introns, and what enzime does the splicing? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 08:30 AM PDT submitted by /u/CellanKnight [link] [comments]

What is the evidence for wearing face masks to lower COVID-19 transmission? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 07:48 AM PDT I hear a lot of people saying "oh this is fine because everyone was wearing masks" or "they weren't wearing masks, that's why X happened". I understand the mechanistic evidence for decreased transmission, but is there actual scientific evidence? I worry that masks are being cited as major factor in transmission and I'm just unsure of the evidence, especially distinguishing mask wearing versus other social distancing behaviors submitted by /u/academicgirl [link] [comments]

How do handheld police radar guns work while the operator is driving? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 09:13 AM PDT I'm assuming they need to be synced with sensors on the patrol car and add the relative velocity between the patrol car and the target car to compute the actual speed of the target car? Also, some guy on Youtube was saying that you could aim a standalone radar gun at the interior of your own car and somehow measure your own speed using the Doppler effect. There's no way you could do this without directly measuring your relative velocity with the road, right? submitted by /u/YetiSpaghetti24 [link] [comments]

How does streaming DRM work? (e.g. Netflix) Posted: 12 Jul 2020 08:33 AM PDT I'm wondering how Netflix (and others) protect their content, from an academic standpoint. I understand that the video stream is encrypted (AES, IIUC), but the client must have the key to decrypt it and play the video, and it's not clear to me how this can be done securely. If the OS has access to the key, then it surely can be extracted, right? Even if the code is obfuscated, decrypting AES follows some pretty recognizable CPU instructions, and one could theoretically add breakpoints on these and get the key. How is this prevented in practice? Presumably, I could also capture the HDMI output and keep the video content that way, right? submitted by /u/drmthrowaway2 [link] [comments]

What's the difference between chelation and precipitation? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 05:24 AM PDT I've recently learned about chelation, and while going through the definition it seems awfully similar to precipitation (both take solute out of solution). From what I've seen, the difference is mainly in how it's taken out - chelation seems to be something about multiple bonding sites and metals, but it's not super clear to me since precipitation at the core seems to be the same thing, at least in result. Is classification the only difference? Is there some difference in terms of the actual bonds being formed? submitted by /u/ethanctrooer [link] [comments]

Do spiders use other spiders webs? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 10:13 PM PDT What happens to all the spider webs left behind by now deceased spiders? Do new fresh spiders use those webs as highways? submitted by /u/emmissary12 [link] [comments]

Do your ears push earwax out naturally? If so how? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 12:17 AM PDT submitted by /u/Jariko198 [link] [comments]

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The Human Genome Project cost $2.7 billion. 20 years later, it costs <$1000 to sequence the genome. Was the cost of the project fundamentally necessary for subsequent progress, or could we have "waited" for the technology to become cheaper?

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• The Human Genome Project cost $2.7 billion. 20 years later, it costs <$1000 to sequence the genome. Was the cost of the project fundamentally necessary for subsequent progress, or could we have "waited" for the technology to become cheaper?
• Does a recently administered vaccine increase your immune response overall?
• Is there a limit for how fast a solid, liquid, or gas can change temperature?
• Will the Sahara ever turn green again?
• How are tectonic fault lines locations deduced and to what accuracy are they known?
• Is the percentage of precipitation given by meteorologists a probability or coverage area?
• Does your brain absorb information while asleep?
• Is it possible for gene expression to change during your lifetime?
• What annihilates particles when Quantum Fluctuations occur in a Perfect Vacuum?
• What are the characteristics of a fluid at supersonic speed?
• How Eurozone controls the value of Euro given the existance of national central banks with their own policies?

The Human Genome Project cost $2.7 billion. 20 years later, it costs <$1000 to sequence the genome. Was the cost of the project fundamentally necessary for subsequent progress, or could we have "waited" for the technology to become cheaper? Posted: 12 Jul 2020 04:51 AM PDT I'm very much a clueless layman, but I'm learning about genetics for the first time. I don't mean this in any sort of combative way–the Human Genome Project had countless benefits that we can't possibly track, and I'd imagine $2.7 billion is a trifle compared to its broader impact. My question is just narrowly about the way that genome sequencing has dropped rapidly in cost. Was it fundamentally necessary to first use these exorbitantly pricey methods, which provided the foundation for the future research which would make it affordable? Or are the two questions inherently separate: the Human Genome Project gave us a first, initial glimpse at our mapped out genome, and then a decade later separate technological developments would make that same task much cheaper (as is commonly the case in science and technology). The "could we have waited" in the title is probably misleading–I really don't mean any sort of value judgment (the project sounds enormously important), I purely mean "could" in a narrow hypothetical (not, "would it have been a good idea to wait", which I highly doubt). submitted by /u/Ziddletwix [link] [comments]

Does a recently administered vaccine increase your immune response overall? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 12:28 PM PDT So if I received a vaccine (not an immunoglobulin one) does my immune system become more active for a short time and more likely to destroy any kind of pathogen? EDIT: I mean a very short term response. I don't suggest developing antibodies. Also, I don't imply any practical application. submitted by /u/hut_on_a_frozen_lake [link] [comments]

Is there a limit for how fast a solid, liquid, or gas can change temperature? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 04:54 PM PDT submitted by /u/Thefoad [link] [comments]

Will the Sahara ever turn green again? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 07:30 PM PDT Thousands of years ago the Sahara was Savannah. And to my understanding due to Earth's tilt shifting the Sahara began to become hotter and turn to desert. submitted by /u/historicalcylon [link] [comments]

How are tectonic fault lines locations deduced and to what accuracy are they known? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 02:29 PM PDT I was looking at maps of the San Andreas fault line and I don't understand what the line on maps represent. Is it meant to estimate the tectonic plate boundaries and if so what does it mean, is the place where one plate submerges under the other? What's the process from earthquake data to creating this line? submitted by /u/imjustaspec [link] [comments]

Is the percentage of precipitation given by meteorologists a probability or coverage area? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 11:39 AM PDT I had a coworker not long ago who said she once dated a meteorologist (or meteorology major) who told her that when you see the percentage given in a weather broadcast (ie, 30% rain), that that actually means that 30% of the coverage/broadcast area is getting rain. This runs contrary to everything I've been told wherein it's just a probability of whether or not it'll rain. The only reason I am asking here, and didn't just disregard it instantly, was that the source was (supposedly) trained in the area. submitted by /u/nobrainxorz [link] [comments]

Does your brain absorb information while asleep? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 11:15 AM PDT Does your brain absorb information while asleep Through listening does your brain feed that information into the subconscious? Has anyone tried this? Playing a lecture or a podcast but you fall asleep submitted by /u/sj2495 [link] [comments]

Is it possible for gene expression to change during your lifetime? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 12:12 PM PDT For context, as a kid I loved asparagus and thought the "makes your piss stink" was an unfounded myth. Then when I was about 23 I started smelling it, and it was awful. submitted by /u/MechaDesu [link] [comments]

What annihilates particles when Quantum Fluctuations occur in a Perfect Vacuum? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 08:09 AM PDT From what I understand, even in a perfect vacuum, Quantum Fluctuations can still occur. So if a particle was created in a perfect vacuum by Quantum Fluctuation, what annihilates it? From my searches online, as far as I can understand, its antiparticles? But if I remember correctly, when particles and antiparticles annihilate one another, it discharges energy. So what really is it that annihilates the particles in a perfect vaccum? ...or am I just misunderstanding something about antiparticles or Quantum fluctuation? submitted by /u/ChaoticWriting [link] [comments]

What are the characteristics of a fluid at supersonic speed? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 05:32 PM PDT I get how Bernoulli's principle works for subsonic fluid flow, but why once it becomes sonic does it reverse. Like for a rocket engine in throat speed goes up and pressure goes down until it reaches the speed of sound, but then once it goes through the nozzle, the speed keeps going up and pressure keeps going down. submitted by /u/SkillSaga [link] [comments]

How Eurozone controls the value of Euro given the existance of national central banks with their own policies? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 03:21 AM PDT In a country it's monetary policy is determined by its Central bank which changes the amount of currency in circulation and thus modifies and controls the value of its currency. How does this work in european monetary zone (eurozone)? I know there is a central european bank, but there are also national banks in each country. Given that eurozone covers wildly different countries in terms of size and economic situation, how is joint monetary policy determined? How much control does a certain country have? For example if one country would profit from devaluation, can it do anything or did they de facto give up their control over monetary politics? submitted by /u/Ishana92 [link] [comments]

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Why does the immune system become more compromised the older we become?

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• Why does the immune system become more compromised the older we become?
• How do testing results for viral diseases get false positives?
• Does the chicken pox vaccine, varicella, prevent herpes (cold sores) outbreaks?
• Do protons and neutrons touch each other within the nucleus an atom?
• How does chickenpox recur as shingles?
• Does infection testing use bisection search?
• Can other animals besides humans get COVID-19, and if they can, would they show similar side effects from it as humans do, and could they also die from it?
• Are there any fuel/oxidizer combos which rapidly decompress or implode when burned?
• Is there a sociological minded approach to maximizing the tips placed in a tip jar?
• It’s relatively easy to go cross-eyed. Why is it so hard to go wall-eyed?
• What makes certain geographic locations that are far away from each other similar in climate?
• Do animal communities learn fear of humans?

Why does the immune system become more compromised the older we become? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 05:52 PM PDT submitted by /u/odd_lens [link] [comments]

How do testing results for viral diseases get false positives? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 06:34 AM PDT This question came about because of COVID19 of course, but I've always wondered how tests can receive false positives for something that isn't even in the body. I'm guessing it could be other viruses triggering the tests, but I'd love to know more about it. submitted by /u/6K6L [link] [comments]

Does the chicken pox vaccine, varicella, prevent herpes (cold sores) outbreaks? Posted: 11 Jul 2020 02:49 AM PDT As a sufferer of cold sores, is this a possible solution to reducing/stopping outbreaks? submitted by /u/learningaboutstuff88 [link] [comments]

Do protons and neutrons touch each other within the nucleus an atom? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 04:13 PM PDT We've all seen the models of atoms which show a pile of protons and neutrons, making of the nucleus. Is this model accurate? More specifically, is there a measurable distance between the individual protons and neutrons, or are they "touching" in the way people normally use the word? submitted by /u/cihod [link] [comments]

How does chickenpox recur as shingles? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 07:12 AM PDT submitted by /u/R3333PO2T [link] [comments]

Does infection testing use bisection search? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 03:13 PM PDT Is it feasable to pool drops of samples and bisect in the hope that one half will test negative, halfing the search space in one fell swoop? There's two sides to the question. I know that, mathematically, binary search is optimal under certain conditions, but I'm not sure the conditions are met in this context. I don't know at all if pooling samples is in any way feasable. I heard reparts meassuring about the time for a single test (taking far too long), implying only single tests are run, unless the number was amortized. submitted by /u/irieben [link] [comments]

Can other animals besides humans get COVID-19, and if they can, would they show similar side effects from it as humans do, and could they also die from it? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 01:34 PM PDT submitted by /u/Rishil_Emperor [link] [comments]

Are there any fuel/oxidizer combos which rapidly decompress or implode when burned? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 11:05 PM PDT I know when most things burn they release gas and if contained some can explode. I'm wondering if anything does the opposite. submitted by /u/Cheeseman54703 [link] [comments]

Is there a sociological minded approach to maximizing the tips placed in a tip jar? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 09:47 PM PDT I work at a takeout counter and my coworkers all have different approaches they say get the most tips, from trying to keep the jar empty, to making sure there's always only a few dollars in it, to leaving a $5 or $10 in there to entice others to give more. I figure there's got to have been some serious study or at least a couple published experiments on stuff like this, but I don't feel like I have the context or background on the field to work them into a proper approach. submitted by /u/Panda_Lock [link] [comments]

It’s relatively easy to go cross-eyed. Why is it so hard to go wall-eyed? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 10:50 PM PDT submitted by /u/Random-Mutant [link] [comments]

What makes certain geographic locations that are far away from each other similar in climate? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 10:18 PM PDT I have noticed that certain locations (for example, the coast of Chile and the coast of California, longitude-wise, or the American Northeast and Germany, latitude-wise) seem to have similar climates, even though they are far away from each other. What factors contribute to this phenomenon? submitted by /u/mell0wyell0w-86 [link] [comments]

Do animal communities learn fear of humans? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 10:55 PM PDT I have heard about animals on the Galapagos being not fearful of humans bec they had not seen any or been exposed to violence. Now there are reports of animals who have been left alone w humans all quarantining walking about towns and supermarkets into open doors at houses, all of them seemingly less fearful of humans. What is this phenomenon? Is it an actual thing and how does it develop? How can animals learn fear of humans if upon experiencing say a hunter the organism dies and can not contribute adaptation towards that experience or pass it on? Isn't a longer period of time necessary for the change in behavior of many animals? It also seems that it's the whole community of animals sharing this learning? Is that possible? And can it be btw different species communities? Has that ever happened? I need an animal behaviorist to explain, . Ty. submitted by /u/Ologyteacher [link] [comments]

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Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States

Around 9% of Coronavirus tests came positive on July 9th. Is it reasonable to assume that much more than ~1% of the US general population have had the virus?

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• Around 9% of Coronavirus tests came positive on July 9th. Is it reasonable to assume that much more than ~1% of the US general population have had the virus?
• What’s the relationship between entropy and compressible information?
• How does the body “kill” COVID-19 if the person is asymptomatic and there are no medical interventions?
• Do viruses remain in the body forever?
• Is it theoretically possible to test for t-cell immunity?
• Is Asthma risk factor for coronavirus?
• What are the major breakthroughs made in dentistry over the last 20 years?
• Can molecules with permanent dipole interactions also have London forces?
• Can there be 2 or more pandemics of different diseases at the same time? Has this ever happened?
• What does the new theory of SARS-Cov-2 being capable of hanging in the air for 16 hours means for containment attempts?
• Can rabies be spread through the breathing of infected bats?
• How does a vine "know" where to go?
• How does photography (both traditional and digital) works?
• How do sea otters pick up and even break the shell of sea urchins and not feel pain?
• Are whirlpools in lakes a real thing?
• Is there such a thing as a “positive” virus? Not man made ones, but naturally occurring that’s beneficial for our human bodies?
• Is it possible for plants to develop cancer like mammals?
• If Black Plague descendants are immune to HIV, could descendants of another plague be immune to COVID or similar?
• Do Pirahnas and Dolphins Cohabitate?
• How are clinical trial groups decided?

Around 9% of Coronavirus tests came positive on July 9th. Is it reasonable to assume that much more than ~1% of the US general population have had the virus? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 10:09 PM PDT And oft-cited figure in the media these days is that around 1% of the general population in the U.S.A. have or have had the virus. But the percentage of tests that come out positive is much greater than 1%. So what gives? submitted by /u/kamenoccc [link] [comments]

What’s the relationship between entropy and compressible information? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 04:42 AM PDT I'm trying to remember what I read in a book about information theory. If I recall right, the idea is that if you compare the state of a deck of cards in its original order to a shuffled deck of cards, the first deck has lower entropy (not thermodynamically but in terms of information?) because you can describe the order of the deck in a simpler, more compressed way as compared to the shuffled deck. submitted by /u/thisthinginabag [link] [comments]

How does the body “kill” COVID-19 if the person is asymptomatic and there are no medical interventions? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 09:35 AM PDT I was taught that symptoms of disease (i.e. the seasonal flu) were your body's attempt to kill the disease. How do diseases "die off" in your body if there are no symptoms or medical interventions? submitted by /u/Red_Socks_Defrocked [link] [comments]

Do viruses remain in the body forever? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 05:21 AM PDT I was speaking with a coworker who claimed that once a virus enters the body, it is always present in the body from that point onward. I think he was conflating how viruses change the DNA of a cell to make it produce more viruses with the longevity of viruses such as HSV and HIV, but some cursory Internet searches didn't give me a definite answer. Do viruses remain in the body forever, with the immune system simply adapting to their presence? If not, how do chronic viruses such as HSV and HIV remain over years? submitted by /u/Sharrakor [link] [comments]

Is it theoretically possible to test for t-cell immunity? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 05:17 AM PDT I have been seeing reports of studies indicating that antibodies for COVID may disappear in a few weeks to months of infection, but that t-cell immunity may remain longer than that. Is t-cell immunity something that we could develop a test for? Is anybody working on that for COVID? submitted by /u/vanyali [link] [comments]

Is Asthma risk factor for coronavirus? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 04:43 AM PDT Has anyone seen any good research/articles that answer this question? And if it is, how serious of a risk factor is it? How does it compare to others such as diabetes? submitted by /u/chunkydrizzle [link] [comments]

What are the major breakthroughs made in dentistry over the last 20 years? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 11:16 AM PDT As somebody who's currently dreading a visit to the dentist, I'm curious, how has dentistry advanced over the last couple of decades? submitted by /u/ooopsmymistake [link] [comments]

Can molecules with permanent dipole interactions also have London forces? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 03:53 AM PDT submitted by /u/BDEboy [link] [comments]

Can there be 2 or more pandemics of different diseases at the same time? Has this ever happened? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 01:16 AM PDT submitted by /u/chrissyduhblack [link] [comments]

What does the new theory of SARS-Cov-2 being capable of hanging in the air for 16 hours means for containment attempts? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 09:06 AM PDT I have had this debate a few times both online and in real life and it all seems to hang on just how bad it is that SARS-Cov-2 can be airborne for 16 hours. I am not an expert but with many friends and family in the field of medicine and/or biology it was my perspective that such a revelation means that the virus is much more infectious then we at first believed. Where the problem comes in is that I would think then that even the super-strict lockdowns like in New Zealand should therefore of not been enough to reduce the cases to such an extent which then makes me doubt that the virus is indeed able to hang around for that long. This point is further hammered upon by the other theories of it being mostly asymptomatic and capable of reinfection. So am I overestimating the infectiousness of the virus or (as I have posited) this new theory not as widespread and agreed upon by scientists as the tabloids would have us believe? submitted by /u/Wisdom_Pen [link] [comments]

Can rabies be spread through the breathing of infected bats? Posted: 10 Jul 2020 12:34 AM PDT I've read that bats can sometimes carry rabies and can transmit it through bites or saliva that reaches a open wound/mucus. But I'm wondering if rabbid bats breathing can cause the virus to spread in the air and land on your eyes etc? I have found no real answer on the internet at this point. submitted by /u/antonymus1911 [link] [comments]

How does a vine "know" where to go? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 09:20 AM PDT This morning I woke up to a vine from the neighbors' yard that had reached over 4-5 feet and grabbed on to our clothes line. The vine definitely wasn't there yesterday as we were using the line. Here are pictures: https://imgur.com/a/UCAiLj8 https://imgur.com/a/BPRdx8V https://imgur.com/a/jvplQ5z The trippy thing to me is that there is nothing else nearby to really grab on to, but the plant found the clothes line and tied itself around it overnight. How does the vine "know" where to go? Is it just swinging around randomly in hope of connecting to something? How does it "know" when it has grabbed something potentially useful? submitted by /u/b5jeff [link] [comments]

How does photography (both traditional and digital) works? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 07:55 PM PDT I know that early photographers exploited the darkening effects of silver atoms, but I want to know the chemical process behind them. Specifically, how does photons become film pictures? Also, do modern digital cameras use the same technology? Or do they use other methods of capturing and developing light? submitted by /u/keulludus [link] [comments]

How do sea otters pick up and even break the shell of sea urchins and not feel pain? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 08:17 AM PDT Hey! So I was watching the "our planet" series, and one of the episodes showed a sea otter literally grabbing sea urchins, and bitting them to break their shells. I tried looking up how they did that on the internet but wasn't really helpful 😅🤷🏻‍♀️ submitted by /u/_Spitfire024_ [link] [comments]

Are whirlpools in lakes a real thing? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 05:39 PM PDT I saw the former glee star recently passed away in Lake Piru, CA. There are tweets and petitions going around saying that she was drowned by an underwater whirlpool. I googled it and only found examples of this happening because of tides, etc. Can anyone explain this to me? submitted by /u/rschnitzer [link] [comments]

Is there such a thing as a “positive” virus? Not man made ones, but naturally occurring that’s beneficial for our human bodies? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 06:47 AM PDT Say, if you "catch" it, it hijacks your cells and helps to reproduce some unanimously agreed health benefits. submitted by /u/RohanThatte [link] [comments]

Is it possible for plants to develop cancer like mammals? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 06:59 AM PDT submitted by /u/HelpMeILostMyAccount [link] [comments]

If Black Plague descendants are immune to HIV, could descendants of another plague be immune to COVID or similar? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 06:41 PM PDT First of, I don't even know if the HIV stuff is true, I did not see any reliable sources on the net. Second, yeah that's really it. submitted by /u/BrokenWoodenDrawer [link] [comments]

Do Pirahnas and Dolphins Cohabitate? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 06:50 AM PDT When I was younger, I remember reading or hearing the statement "if you see dolphins in the water, its safe to swim, since dolphins and pirahnas don't swim together". Is this generally true? I did a little bit of research and it looks like the Amazon's river dolphins are carnivorous and their diet includes pirahnas as well. That obviously means they swim together, but the pirahna packs probably leave when the dolphins come hunting in self preservation, making the statement true. submitted by /u/swimzone [link] [comments]

How are clinical trial groups decided? Posted: 09 Jul 2020 08:03 AM PDT 100% not politically motivated, just filling gaps in my knowledge. I was reading this study into Hydroxychloriquine released recently - https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(20)30534-8/fulltext It seems promising but in table it lists 2500 or so patients in 4 - 5 groups but the group given the drug alone make up nearly half the participants where as the other half is divided between the other variations. Also the mortality rates are improved with Hydroxy against the 'none' group and seem to be worse with azithromycin, yet the conclusion seems to say the combination is the most effective? Like is say, I'm a complete amateur so some clarification on what I'm missing would be much appreciated. submitted by /u/BaronBoodum [link] [comments]

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