Mike May is a freelance writer and editor based in Bradenton, Fla.
After COVID-19 Successes, Researchers Push to Develop mRNA Vaccines for Other Diseases
mRNA vaccines are now in the limelight as a key tool for tackling COVID-19, but the technology was originally developed for other diseases, such as cancer, that researchers are now hoping to treat
Tomorrow’s Biggest Microbial Threats
Health experts around the world are focused on SARS-CoV-2, but similar viruses and microbial organisms such as bacteria could create the next global killer
Cancer Death Rate Depends on Geography
Despite a huge amount of funding and research, regional and individual differences in cancer trends make it a hard disease to wipe out
Electronic Pathogens
The first computer virus spawned an arms race in software
Thorny Fence
The invention of barbed wire was a huge commercial success--and the subject of furious legal battles
On the Parasite's Trail
Scientists have traced malaria to its first human victims a mere 10,000 years ago
Origins: Going Back to Where the Story Really Starts
Sometimes we forget where a story really starts. Are electric cars new? Where did malaria start? Who invented spaghetti? Read on, for the surprising origins of many strange and familiar things
Noodling the Noodles
It took thousands of years to go from mush to spaghetti
Snap, Crackle, Bang
The ancient Chinese invented fireworks to scare off 10-foot-tall mountain men
Scrubs
A rise in maternity ward deaths led one physician to discover the importance of hand washing
Former Life of the Electric Car
A century ago taxicabs had batteries, not gas guzzlers, under their hoods
A Better Lens on Disease
Computerized pathology slides may help doctors make faster and more accurate diagnoses
Type It Anywhere
An alumni reunion leads to technology that could banish undersize keypads
Adding Sugar to Bioscience
A tennis game leads to a method for sequencing polysaccharides