Yesterday I noted the petition to ban intelligence involvement in public health campaigns. While exploring We the People I found another interesting petition, this one to secure resources and funding to build a Death Star by 2016. Because it garnered over 34,000 signatures, it was noted by the White House and ...

A petition has been created which asks the Obama Administration to ban intelligence involvement in public health campaigns: We petition President Obama to amend Executive Order 12333, adding a paragraph after the prohibition on covert action related to US domestic politics. The amendment should ban persons in the intelligence community ...

On episode #215 of the science show This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Kathy review the finding that rabies virus infection alters but does not kill neurons, and provide an update on the novel coronavirus in the Middle East. You can find TWiV #215 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.

Poliovirus has made the cover of Time magazine. The Time cover image for the 14 January 2013 issue is a model of poliovirus bound to a soluble form of its cellular receptor, CD155. I was part of the team that solved the structure of this complex in 2000, together with ...

Yesterday many US newspapers carried front-page stories on the severity of influenza so far this season. The New York Times story began with "It is not your imagination,more people you know are sick this winter, even people who have had flu shots." Is this really a bad flu season? Before we answer ...