A Long, Lonesome Look at America

I was only a few days into a meandering trip across America, and already I was easing into something of a nighttime routine. Earlier in the day I’d pinpointed a promising campsite in Ozark National Forest. Now, I found myself ascending an isolated forestry road to get to it, my tires crackling over its rough,…

Shopping for Kettles

A kettle is equal parts kitchen workhorse and decorative accessory. So choosing one isn’t just a matter of finding something that can boil water. “Look at it as art, as well as a functional element,” suggested Sarah Blank, a kitchen designer based in Greenwich, Conn. “When you do a kitchen and have this gorgeous range…

Why Are We So Afraid of Fevers?

So why are we so hellbent on suppressing fevers? Fear is one reason, said Dr. Gordon, the Brooklyn pediatrician, who said frantic parents often call in the middle of the night when a child’s fever spikes. She suggested that doctors warn parents ahead of time to expect a nighttime rise in a child’s fever and…

Advances in understanding autism, based on “mosaic” mutations

Two studies in today’s Nature Neuroscience, led by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and Harvard Medical School (HMS), implicate mosaic mutations arising during embryonic development as a cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings open new areas for exploring the genetics of ASD and could eventually inform diagnostic testing.…

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awards $2.65M to innovative scientists

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation announced that seven scientists with novel approaches to fighting cancer have been named 2021 recipients of the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award. Five initial grants of $400,000 over two years were awarded to early career scientists whose projects have the potential to significantly impact the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of…