Category: Science

Microsoft is rolling out an Outlook update to fix a strange bug for Microsoft 365 users that’s causing email text to disappear as it’s typed and incoming messages to show up blank. In other words: a productivity-killing nightmare, whether you rely on Outlook for work or for fun.While Microsoft says the bug is confined to…

Photo: Prostock-studio (Shutterstock)The CDC’s advisory panel on vaccines has now recommended the Pfizer COVID vaccine for everyone age 12 and up, in a 14-0 vote. This follows an FDA decision on Monday to extend the vaccine’s authorization to this age group. The vaccine appears to be as safe and effective in this age group as…

Photo: Pixel-Shot (Shutterstock)Just two days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children ages 12 and up, parents of adolescents got more good news: It can be given at the same time (or close to the same time) as any other vaccines they may be due to receive.Although…

Screenshot: David MurphyYou can now add your preferred pronouns to Instagram, and I highly encourage you to do so even if you feel like you don’t really need. The more people that do, the more we can normalize this behavior and make the process of sharing and accepting pronouns better for all.As the University of…

Photo: NoDerog (Getty Images)The IRS says that over $1.3 billion in 2017 tax refunds is still up for grabs—money that belongs to an estimated 1.3 million people who have yet to file their tax returns for that year. However, if you’re owed money, you’ll have to move fast—there’s only one week left to claim it,…

Scientists have for the first time revealed the structure surrounding important receptors in the brain’s hippocampus, the seat of memory and learning. The study, carried out at Oregon Health & Science University, published today in the journal Nature. The new study focuses on the organization and function of glutamate receptors, a type of neurotransmitter receptor…

Brown bears that are more inclined to grate and rub against trees have more offspring and more mates, according to a University of Alberta study. The results suggest there might be a fitness component to the poorly understood behaviour. “As far as we know, all bears do this dance, rubbing their back up against the…

Low-to-mid latitude land surfaces at low elevation cooled on average by 5.8 ± 0.6 degrees C during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), based on an analysis of noble gases dissolved in groundwater, according to a new study published in Nature. Temperature estimates in the study are substantially lower than indicated by some notable marine and…

AdaptiFont has recently been presented at CHI, the leading Conference on Human Factors in Computing. Language is without doubt the most pervasive medium for exchanging knowledge between humans. However, spoken language or abstract text need to be made visible in order to be read, be it in print or on screen. How does the way…

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis have designed a drug-like compound which effectively blocks a critical step in the malaria parasite life cycle and are working to develop this compound into a potential first of its kind malaria treatment. While drugs and mosquito control have reduced levels of…