your science briefing for 03.04.2025

A new treatment for pancreatic cancer based on mRNA vaccines, Trump and Musk go after transportation research, how tardigrades can help oncologists, and more...

Pancreatic cancer is among the most aggressive and stealthy cancers out there, with the median life expectancy for those afflicted being around three years. Now, using an mRNA vaccine alongside chemotherapy and other standard treatments, there’s a new hope for slowing down the disease’s progression with a strong immune response that was able keep the cancer at bay half the time in Phase I trials… (Nature)

Amazon, like all Big Tech companies, has made no secret of its desire to replace many of its employees with AI. And yet, when those employees use AI to get an edge in the interview process, Amazon’s hiring managers and recruiters get rather upset, and say that the only way they can make good hiring decisions is if candidates reject the use of AI in a paradoxical and hypocritical double standard… (Business Insider)

Radiation is a common treatment for cancerous tumors, and while it will fry diseased tissue, it also burns healthy cells. Understanding the physics of particle decay helps in more precise aiming of radiation beams and limiting collateral damage. But thanks to a protein that allows tardigrades resist the full brunt of radiation, cancer patients may just get an extra layer of protection during treatment… (ScienceAlert)

Of the many scientific and research programs the Trump administration is hell bent on slashing and burning, some have been targeted in ways that sort of make sense. But a lot of programs are clearly only guilty of using a MAGA trigger word in its papers. This is the case for transportation research programs which try to plan an infrastructure of the future and optimize the movement of goods and people… (Bloomberg)

With just one weird glitch, your social media platforms can flood your timelines with a grisly cavalcade of gore, violence, and porn. Which is what millions of Instagram users found out last week when it appears that videos featuring everything from beheadings and school shootings, to revenge porn and rape were flipped with typical content that was cleared by moderators in a grim reminder of all the horrible things happening and being filmed in high definition around the world… (Techspot)