It’s fair to say most bosses want their employees to have high productivity. Unfortunately, the air that office workers breathe may put a damper on quick thinking and fast work. A new study found increased concentrations of fine particulate matter, called PM2.5, and lower ventilation rates were linked to slower response times and reduced accuracy.…  read on >  read on >

People who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables may have a somewhat lower risk of COVID-19 than those with unhealthy diets, a new study suggests. Of more than 590,000 adults surveyed, researchers found that the quarter with the most plant-rich diets had a 9% lower risk of developing COVID-19 than the quarter with the least-healthy…  read on >  read on >

An experimental Ebola vaccine appeared effective in children and adults in a clinical trial. Two doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Ebola vaccine appear safe, well tolerated and produce a strong immune response in people over the age of 1, according to two just-published papers. The trial was conducted in the West African nation of Sierra…  read on >  read on >

Eight in 10 older Americans think health care workers should be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a new poll. Among 50- to 80-year-olds, 61% of respondents said the vaccine should be required for all health care workers. Another 19% said vaccination should probably be required. The remaining 20% oppose mandatory vaccination, the findings showed. The…  read on >  read on >

Your favorite tabby cat may seem to have little similarity to her relatives in the wild, but all share a key gene that gives them their distinctive look. Why cats’ coats are decorated with stripes, spots and blotches has long been a mystery. Now, researchers have identified a specific gene that all domestic cats, wild…  read on >  read on >

Seeing eye to eye — literally — makes conversations more appealing, a new study finds. “Eye contact is really immersive and powerful,” said researcher Sophie Wohltjen, a graduate student in psychological and brain sciences at Dartmouth College. “When two people are having a conversation, eye contact signals that shared attention is high — that they…  read on >  read on >