Omicron's Arrival Is 'Wake-Up Call' That The Pandemic Is Ongoing

Omicron's Arrival Is 'Wake-Up Call' That The ...

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Why do we kiss? It's an evolutionary conundrum

The evolutionary purpose of kissing has long eluded scientists. Smooching is risky, given things like pointy teeth, and inherently gross, given an estimated 80 million bacteria are transferred in a 10 second kiss. And yet, from polar bears to humans, albatrosses and prairie dogs, ...  Show more

AI is great at predicting text. Can it guide robots?

It seems like artificial intelligence is everywhere in our virtual lives. It's in our search results and our phones. But what happens when AI moves out of the chat and into the real world? NPR science editor and correspondent Geoff Brumfiel took a trip to the Intelligence through ...  Show more

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What We Know About the Omicron Variant
The Daily

The story of the Omicron variant began a week ago, when researchers in southern Africa detected a version of the coronavirus that carried 50 mutations. 

When scientists look at coronavirus mutations, they worry about three things: Is the new variant more contagious? Is i ...

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What We Know (And Don't Know) About The Omicron Variant
Consider This from NPR

The World Health Organization is warning that the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which was first detected in South Africa, has a "very high" global risk because of the possibility that it spreads more easily and might resist vaccines and immunity in people who were infected ...  Show more

What to Expect From the Next Phase of the Pandemic
The Daily

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is incredibly contagious — it is able to infect people with even greater frequency than the Delta variant, and it is skilled at evading the immune system’s defenses. Much is still unknown about the new variant, and scientists are racing t ...

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A New Chapter of the Coronavirus
The Daily

Recent data from the C.D.C. has found that not only can vaccinated people get infected with the Delta variant of the coronavirus, though instances are rare, but they also can potentially spread the virus just as much as an unvaccinated person.

What are the practical impl ...

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