Not all the scientists researching a Covid vaccine or cure are professionals working in labs. Anika Chebrolu, 14, from Texas, has been named America’s Top Young Scientist 2020 for finding a compound that could bind to the distinctive spike protein in the SARS-Cov-2 virus and potentially inhibit its ability to infect human cells. Anika is … Continue reading “Teen Scientist Looking for a Covid Cure”
It’s the traditional time of year for dictionary publishers to announce their “word of the year”. In a year dominated by the pandemic, Oxford Dictionaries decided to choose several, whereas Collins chose “lockdown” from a shortlist dominated by the health emergency. Merriam Webster in the States went with the word “pandemic” itself. Frequently-used words this … Continue reading “2020: A Year in Language”
Many countries in Europe have instituted lockdowns with the aim of reducing coronavirus transmissions enough to allow their populations to have a semblance of a normal Christmas. In the U.S., the problem of family get-togethers is a whole month earlier, with Thanksgiving, which falls this year on Thursday 26 November. With COVID-19 infections spiking all … Continue reading “Thanksgiving Despite Coronavirus”
After four days of tense waiting, demonstrations and threats of legal challenge, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris emerged as the next President and Vice-President of the United States on Saturday 7 November. In the absence of a national election body, it was the media organisation Associated Press which called wins for the Democratic ticket in … Continue reading “Finally…. a Result”
Until the recent past, the electoral college was barely mentioned in descriptions of the U.S. Presidential electoral system. But then came the 2000 election, when George W. Bush lost the popular vote, but won the majority of electoral college votes. And 2016, when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by a 3 million margin, but … Continue reading “Explaining the Electoral College”
Judge Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as the Supreme Court replacement for Ruth Bader Ginsburg on 27 October, barely a week before the presidential election. After Justice Ginsburg’s death on 18 September, the nomination of a new Justice became a political battle. Justice Ginsburg was one of the four Democratic-nominated Justices out of the nine … Continue reading “Supreme Court Confirmation Rushed Through”
New Zealand’s 17 October election was originally scheduled on a historically significant day: 19 September, the annual anniversary of the date in 1893 when New Zealand women became the first in the world to legally vote. It was postponed because of Covid but was historic anyway: the Labour party became the first in 24 years … Continue reading “New Zealand gives Jacinda Ardern and Labour a Landslide”
American poet Louise Glück won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature for “her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal”, the Swedish Academy said on Thursday. "It's too new … it's too early here." Take a listen to this brief conversation with new Literature Laureate Louise Glück, recorded shortly after the … Continue reading “2020 Nobel Prize in Literature for American poet Louise Gluck”
On 2 October, the White House announced that President Trump and the First Lady, Melania, had both tested positive for Covid 19, and were self-isolating in the presidential residence. Mr Trump therefore has to interrupt his campaign for re-election and the remaining presidential TV debates are put in doubt. Mr Trump announced the news in … Continue reading “Campaign Interrupted”
It’s already been an unusual election year in the U.S.A., with the later Democratic primaries cancelled because of Covid and delayed party conventions held online. As the virus continues to progress in the U.S.A., what are the possible consequences for the election? The parties are continuing as near to normal as they can. The focus, … Continue reading “U.S. Elections: the Year of the Unknowns”
