What are COVID-19 variants and how can you stay safe as they spread? A doctor answers 5 questions

New variants of the COVID-19 virus may be more contagious and cause more severe disease than the original. A pediatrician and infectious disease specialist explains why.

Lilly Cheng Immergluck, Professor of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine • conversation
Aug. 10, 2021 • ~9 min

Here's why the CDC recommends wearing masks indoors even if you've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19

The CDC guidance applies to areas with high coronavirus transmission rates – which on the day of the announcement covered 63% of US counties.

Peter Chin-Hong, Associate Dean for Regional Campuses, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
July 28, 2021 • ~9 min

Did primates evolve expressive faces for babysitting?

New research on primate alloparenting, or infant care by non-parents, sheds light on the evolution of facial expressions.

James Devitt-NYU • futurity
May 27, 2021 • ~6 min

Can people vaccinated against COVID-19 still spread the coronavirus?

The COVID-19 vaccines are a smash success. But that doesn't mean they keep every vaccinated person completely free of the coronavirus.

Sanjay Mishra, Project Coordinator & Staff Scientist, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University • conversation
May 25, 2021 • ~11 min

Are graphene-coated face masks a COVID-19 miracle – or another health risk?

Some face masks now come with a coating of graphene, a substance that can kill microbes. Is it safe to breathe it in?

C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut • conversation
May 4, 2021 • ~7 min

Why we can still recognise people in face masks

Even though they cover most of our features, face masks are no match for our highly-evolved capacity to recognise friends.

Kay Ritchie, Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology, University of Lincoln • conversation
April 30, 2021 • ~7 min

AI is increasingly being used to identify emotions – here's what's at stake

Emotion recognition technology raises questions about bias, privacy and mass surveillance.

Alexandra Albert, Research Fellow in Citizen Social Science, UCL • conversation
April 15, 2021 • ~7 min

No, facial features don’t indicate intelligence

Face and brain development are tightly linked, research finds, but that doesn't mean facial features indicate intelligence.

Krista Conger-Stanford • futurity
April 12, 2021 • ~8 min

‘Smiling eyes’ aren’t a perfect gauge of emotions

"Smiling eyes" aren't an automatic way to gauge whether not someone's emotions are genuine, warn researchers.

Byron Spice-Carnegie Mellon • futurity
Jan. 21, 2021 • ~6 min

These DNA locations shape the human face

"We found an extensive set of locations in our DNA that play a role in the development of the human face."

A'ndrea Elyse Messer-Penn State • futurity
Dec. 16, 2020 • ~7 min

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