Coronavirus Vaccine Trials Have Delivered Their First Results—But Their Promise Is Still Unclear

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May 21, 2020

Dear Reader, Here are highlights from the latest stories on the coronavirus pandemic: a first look at results from a human trial for a vaccine, the world is a little less terrifying for wildlife while humans are in lockdown, and a new risk assessment tool could help people take preventive steps to reduce transmission. In space news, NASA has renamed its Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope to honor the renowned astronomer Nancy Grace Roman, also known as the "mother of Hubble." And, from another story, the agency is proposing a set of ideals called the Artemis Accords to guide future exploration of Earth's moon. Today you can also read about new research that shows bumblebees bite flowers to force them to bloom.

Sunya Bhutta, Senior Editor, Audience Engagement @sunyaaa

Medicine Coronavirus Vaccine Trials Have Delivered Their First Results--But Their Promise Is Still Unclear Scientists urge caution over hints of success emerging from small human and animal studies By Ewen Callaway,Nature magazine

Space NASA Renames Next-Generation Telescope after Nancy Grace Roman The pioneering astronomer and 'mother of Hubble' paved the way for revolutionary space observatories By Hanneke Weitering,SPACE.com

Evolution Bumblebees Bite Plants to Force Them to Flower (Seriously) The behavior could be an evolutionary adaptation that lets bees forage more easily By Jim Daley

Environment How the Coronavirus Has Changed Animals' Landscape of Fear The pandemic lockdowns are providing a window into how a wariness of humans uniquely shapes other species' behavior By Jason G. Goldman

Cognition What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about the Brain A close brush can leave a lasting mental legacy—and may tell us about how the mind functions under extreme conditions By Christof Koch

Climate Torrent Breaks Michigan Dam and Reveals Climate Risks The rising odds of extreme weather are putting strain on aging infrastructure By Daniel Cusick,E&E News

Space NASA Proposes New Rules for Moon-Focused Space Race The Artemis Accords could ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for lunar exploration—if everyone agrees to them By Leonard David

Conservation COVID-19 Threatens Endangered Species in Southeast Asia The coronavirus has created a survival crisis for rural communities and, consequently, for wildlife By Colin Poole

Public Health Online COVID-19 Dashboard Calculates How Risky Reopenings and Gatherings Can Be A new tool gauges the danger that someone may be infected with COVID-19 in groups of different sizes By Joshua S. Weitz,Mallory Harris,Aroon T. Chande,J. Walker Gussler,Lavanya Rishishwar,I. King Jordan

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FROM THE ARCHIVE Short Attention Spans Make Movies Popular Originally published in January 1917 | May 2020

QUOTE OF THE DAY "Looking through the atmosphere is somewhat like looking through a piece of old, stained glass. The glass has defects in it, so the image is blurred from that." Nancy Grace Roman, astronomer

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