Interim trial data shows low effectiveness for CureVac shot

German vaccine maker CureVac said Wednesday that interim data from late-stage testing of its coronavirus shot show a comparatively low effectiveness in protecting people against COVID-19.

Microsoft gives more power to chief Satya Nadella with board election

Microsoft on Wednesday named chief executive Satya Nadella as chair of its board, strengthening his grip on a pioneering US technology company he rejuvenated for a new age.

Japan to lift virus emergency one month before Olympics

Japan plans to lift Tokyo's virus emergency on June 20, a month before the Olympics, the government announced Thursday as reports said only 10,000 spectators would be allowed at Games events.

Facebook AI software able to dig up origins of deepfake images

Facebook scientists on Wednesday said they developed artificial intelligence software to not only identify "deepfake" images but to figure out where they came from.

Southwest still struggling with flight delays, cancellations

Passengers on Southwest Airlines had to deal with canceled flights and delays for a third day on Wednesday, as the airline tried to recover from technology problems that started earlier this week.

Heat wave grips US West amid fear of a new, hotter normal

An unusually early and long-lasting heat wave brought more triple-digit temperatures Wednesday to a large swath of the U.S. West, raising concerns that such extreme weather could become the new normal amid a decades-long drought.

Rocket blasts off carrying first Chinese crew to new space station

The first astronauts for China's new space station blasted off Thursday for the country's longest crewed mission to date, a landmark step in establishing Beijing as a major space power.

Japan to issue vaccine passport for travel abroad

Japan said on Thursday it will make a vaccine passport available from next month for Japanese travellers, as governments around the world experiment with ways to relaunch tourism and business trips.

Australia further restricts AstraZeneca vaccine over clotting concerns

Australia recommended that AstraZeneca's COVID-19 jab should not be given to people under 60 on Thursday, a fresh blow to the country's glacial vaccine rollout.

Dread and disinfectant: cleaning COVID wards in Japan

Naho has played a crucial role in fighting Japan's two deadly coronavirus waves this year, the worst the country has faced since the pandemic began.

China's 'space dream': A Long March to the Moon and beyond

The liftoff of three astronauts for China's new space station on Thursday marks a landmark step in its space ambitions, its longest crewed mission to date.

Pandemic-era crowdfunding more common, successful in affluent communities

During the first several months of the pandemic—when communities locked down, jobs were lost, PPE was scarce and store shelves were cleared —thousands of people turned to online crowdfunding to meet their needs.

Scientists unravel the function of a sight-saving growth factor

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have determined how certain short protein fragments, called peptides, can protect neuronal cells found in the light-sensing retina layer at the back of the eye. The peptides might someday be used to treat degenerative retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The study published today in the Journal of Neurochemistry.

Red meat consumption may promote DNA damage-associated mutations in patients with colorectal cancer

Genetic mutations indicative of DNA damage were associated with high red meat consumption and increased cancer-related mortality in patients with colorectal cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Discovery.

Stress during pandemic linked to poor sleep

Many people likely lost sleep over COVID-19. A study of twins led by Washington State University researchers found that stress, anxiety and depression during the first few weeks of the pandemic were associated with less and lower quality sleep.

New models predict fewer lightning-caused ignitions but bigger wildfires by mid century

Human-caused wildfire ignitions in Central Oregon are expected to remain steady over the next four decades and lightning-caused ignitions are expected to decline, but the average size of a blaze from either cause is expected to rise, Oregon State University modeling suggests.

Underwater robot offers new insight into mid-ocean 'twilight zone'

An innovative underwater robot known as Mesobot is providing researchers with deeper insight into the vast mid-ocean region known as the "twilight zone." Capable of tracking and recording high-resolution images of slow-moving and fragile zooplankton, gelatinous animals, and particles, Mesobot greatly expands scientists' ability to observe creatures in their mesopelagic habitat with minimal disturbance. This advance in engineering will enable greater understanding of the role these creatures play in transporting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the deep sea, as well as how commercial exploitation of twilight zone fisheries might affect the marine ecosystem.

Concrete wall seismic test data wins NHERI DesignSafe Dataset Award 2021

An earthquake ripped through the South Island of New Zealand on September 2, 2010, its epicenter narrowly missing the city of Christchurch by about 40 kilometers, or 25 miles. Disaster struck nearly six months later, when an aftershock centered on the city, killing 185 people and injuring many more. The sequence also caused an estimated 40 billion dollars in damage.

Children with asymptomatic malaria a 'hidden risk' to disease control efforts

The role of people infected with malaria without showing symptoms presents a hidden risk to efforts to control the disease after they were found to be responsible for most infections in mosquitoes, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Focus on emotions is key to improving heart health in people living with obesity

People living with obesity who attended a non-judgemental and personalised lifestyle modification programme improved their cardiovascular and mental health during just 10 weeks, according to a study presented today at EuroHeartCare—ACNAP Congress 2021, an online scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Participants lost weight and achieved benefits in anxiety and depression and physical measurements including blood pressure.

1 in 6 families in new study spent more than $5,000 to have a baby

The price tag for giving birth in America may bring some families sticker shock—even for those with private insurance.

'Smart' segmented ring device delivers medications to stop HIV transmission

Researchers have designed a device that delivers two medications that help stop HIV transmission.

Seabird eggs contaminated with cocktail of plastic additives

Chemical additives used in plastic production have been found in herring gull eggs, new research shows.