The Zika virus has been declared a World Health Emergency by the World Health Organization. How much of a danger does the virus pose to you and your family?
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Ebola is so last year: the MERS outbreak in Korea
The latest export from the Middle East isn’t oil or textiles or natural gas: it’s a novel coronavirus that causes a disease dubbed Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS.
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Can Viruses be Beneficial?
When most people hear the word “virus,” a chill goes down their spine. Viruses are dreaded for their ability to knock us off our feet, and feared for their ability to kill us in our prime. Viruses are blamed for everything from a runny nose and a missed day of work to a pandemic that kills tens of thousands. Clearly, we should associate a negative connotation with this dastardly word, whose etymology links “virus” to snake venom and steaming poison, right? The answer may surprise you.
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The history of science is full of examples of discovery, both intentional and accidental. But how do scientists study subject matter incapable of being explained by simple models? And additionally, if science can produce favorable results (say, in the clinic), to what extent does it matter whether or not the results can be fully explained? Here, Siddhant Iyer outlines the ways in which scientists may study as-of-yet unexplained phenomena and argues for a framework involving the use of complex models while also acknowledging limitations.