06/12/2022

Transmission reduction tests in clinical trials, focus on the Pfizer COVID19 vaccine 

Summary: Reduction of SARS-CoV-2 transmission is a major goal in the management of outbreaks and pandemics. Initial Pfizer/BioNTech clinical trials did not evaluate SARS-CoV-2 transmission but followed EMA’s recommendations. Clinical trials of vaccines do not usually study transmission. Instead, the reduction of infections is employed as a standard outcome. Recently, the lack of testing for the reduction of SARS-CoV-2 transmission […]

Konstanty Cieśliński COVID19 0 4 min read
08/06/2022

Is non-stick cookware safe to use?

Summary: Many non-stick cookware items contain chemicals called PFAS, that have been indicated in multiple health issues. Overheating non-stick cookware damages it and releases toxic fumes. Scratched non-stick coating leads to plastic particles in food that accumulate in the stomach and kidneys. Other cookware options exist, such as stainless steel, cast iron or enamel coated. Non-stick cookware is amazing; one […]

Max Brambach Health and Medicine 0 5 min read
25/05/2022

A skeptic’s ally – Carl Sagan and the dragon in his garage

Summary: This cycle of articles aims to introduce scientists, authors or philosophers whose works promote science, rationality, and skeptical thinking. Dr. Carl Sagan was, among others, an author, an astronomer, and science communicator. In his book “The Demon-Haunted World”, Dr. Sagan introduces a dragon to exemplify a skeptical approach to unfalsifiable claims. “A skeptic’s ally” is a new series of […]

Jacek Jabłoński A Skeptic’s Ally 0 4 min read
27/04/2022

How are different types of RNAs used in various applications?

Summary: RNAs are a diverse group of molecules that exist ubiquitously in nature. They may possess varying biological functions and can be utilised for varying therapeutic goals. The function of RNA is driven by its sequence. CRISPR sgRNA and mRNA vaccines consist of different sequences and act differently.  CRISPR sgRNA binds to its target genome sequence and Cas9 protein in […]

Konstanty Cieśliński CRISPR-Cas9 0 4 min read
12/04/2022

How much do we depend on insects?

Summary: The insect population, including that of pollinators, is constantly declining. Insects have important functions in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. Pollinators, in particular, are responsible for the fertilisation and consequent growth of many plant species. One-third of the agricultural products we consume comes from plants whose survival is at least partially dependent on animal pollination. Wasp, honeybee, or bumblebee? […]

Sara Carmignani Health and Medicine 0 4 min read
16/03/2022

The skeptic’s repertoire – the false equivalence fallacy

Summary: There are numerous speech stratagems which can be used to win an argument or influence the audience. Moral equivalence (or false equivalence) is a fallacy which consists in drawing false equivalence between two things based on shared characteristics. Moral equivalence arguments also take the form of whataboutism or whataboutery. The goal of using the false equivalence fallacy is to […]

Jacek Jabłoński The Skeptic’s Repertoire 0 4 min read
02/02/2022

How do scientists learn new things about the world?

Summary: Scientists use a formalism called the Scientific Method to gain new insights into how the world works. The Scientific Method consists of asking a question, formulating a hypothesis, testing it, and re-evaluating it based on the outcome of the test. Scientific hypotheses can never be proven, but can always be disproved. If a hypothesis has been extensively tested, it […]

Max Brambach Science Backstage 0 3 min read
19/01/2022

CRISPR/Cas9 series: a compelling journey from a primitive bacterial defence system to an advanced human gene-editing technology

The side effects of CRISPR / Cas9 and the current strategies to mitigate them Summary: The CRISPR/Cas9 system often not only cuts at the intended site of the genome, but also in other unwanted places, which are called off-targets; Off-target events are mainly due to sequence homology between sgRNA and genomic DNA other than the target one, as well as […]

Raniero Chimienti CRISPR-Cas9 0 5 min read