Science unscripted

You've heard the complaints, and you may have even experienced it yourself: the exhaustion that comes from too much videoconferencing. But if traditional face-to-face meetings also make us yawn, then what is about the digital version that makes us feel even worse?

The data's clear, and so are the voices on the streets: After almost three months of strict lockdowns, Germans really seem to want their country to be more open than it is right now — even with daily infections at stubbornly high levels. But what is it they want to open, exactly? And what's the timeframe?

Immigration, baggage, customs, rectal probe — according to reports from diplomats and foreigners visiting China, this is the uncomfortable sequence of events that has greeted some of them upon arrival. But what is the logic behind using anal swabs as a COVID-19 diagnostic tool? And do they have any advantages over the mouth and nose swabs we've all gotten used to?

With vaccinations lagging (and infections stagnating), what is Germany's new plan to combat the COVID-19 pandemic? Also, promising new data from the UK on the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and how Guatemala got duped into counterfeit test kits.

Are there COVID-19 vaccines that don't require a needle? How, exactly, do feelings of boredom affect the spread of the coronavirus? And if we can solve math problems and answer questions while sleeping, what does that mean for the future of learning?

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?