Science unscripted

If the coronavirus crisis has shown us anything, it's that human beings apparently have an irrepressible NEED to get their hair cut, styled and colored — virus be damned. But at a time when lockdowns have effectively canceled all social events, is it really about the hair?

4 + 3? Easy. But what if someone asked you that question when you were deep in REM sleep, in the middle of the night? Depending on how you dream, you might be able to hear such questions — and respond with the correct answers — all while slumbering away.

You might think people who are "bored" would be lounging around inside, streaming content from their sofas and generally following lockdown protocols. But data from Germany shows they do the opposite — and are a threat to containing the spread of the coronavirus. Why is that?

Is it possible to take a sample of someone's blood (like a politician's) and figure out whether they "cut in line" and got vaccinated earlier than they should have? Also, why aren't more countries adopting a "one dose" policy? And if you hate needles, but want to get COVID-19 vaccine, what options do you have?

Efficacy, side effects, dosage, intervals: It seems like every day we're bombarded with new information about COVID-19 vaccines and how well they work (or don't) in the real world. But when this mishmash of headlines leads to confusion and mistrust, what can we do? Also the pandemic is shifting demographics — but in which direction?

Would you get jabbed with AstraZeneca? Your answer probably has less to do with the vaccine's actual efficacy — and more to do with recent headlines, how you consume media and a phenomenon called "social contagion."

Do vaccines actually stop people from spreading COVID-19? And is it important for them to do so? Also, did the lockdowns cause a baby boom, or was it a baby bust? And finally, a mysterious sound from nearly 20,000 years ago.

Are parents planning to vaccinate their kids? And are there any reasons not to? Also, a study reaches the strange conclusion that you actually look better with a surgical mask on.

Feeling ugly in your facemask? You couldn't be further from scientific fact. A study suggests you actually look better donning a surgical mask. The effect is even stronger in faces deemed "less attractive" without one.

Kids tend to have asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 infections. And schools don't seem to be coronavirus "hotspots." So what is the logic behind plans — and phase III trials — to vaccinate children this year?