One study promised that popular blood-pressure drugs were safe for people infected with the coronavirus. Another paper warned that anti-malaria drugs endorsed by President Trump actually were dangerous to these patients. The studies, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet, were retracted shortly after publication, following an outcry from researchers who saw obvious flaws. From a report:…
Tag: peer review
Social Distancing Is Not Enough
We will need a comprehensive strategy to reduce the sort of interactions that can lead to more infections. The Atlantic: COVID-19 has mounted a sustained attack on public life, especially indoor life. Many of the largest super-spreader events took place inside — at a church in South Korea, an auditorium in France, a conference in Massachusetts. The danger of the indoors…
2020 Coursera Virtual Conference: Reflections and Resources
By the Coursera Conference Team The Coursera Conference is an opportunity for our global community to engage around innovative teaching and learning experiences. This year, after careful consideration for the growing concerns surrounding the spread of COVID-19, the Coursera Conference transitioned from a two day, in-person event to a free, fully virtual experience focused on […]
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How coronavirus drifts through the air in microscopic droplets
Aerosols are the tiny particles of liquid and material that float around in our environment. When they come from an infected person, they may be a significant source of coronavirus transmission. The science of infectious aerosols. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/coronavirus-microscopic-droplets-infectious-aerosols…
Launching New Content As More Learners Move Online: 2 Degrees, 8 MasterTracks, and 100 Guided Projects
By Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO Coursera The profound impact of COVID-19 has forced us to rethink many aspects of our lives. Overnight, the global education system had to find ways to mitigate the impact of more than 1.5 billion students seeing their campuses closed. Since then, it has been heartwarming to witness the heroic efforts of […]
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Introducing New Tools and Features as Demand for Online Learning Grows
By Shravan Goli, Chief Product Officer Learners around the world are turning to online learning at this particularly challenging time. Overnight, universities have switched to remote teaching in order to provide academic continuity to their students. In the past month, 5.9 million learners enrolled in courses on Coursera and nearly 2,700 institutions launched Coursera for […]
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Coronavirus Tests Science’s Need for Speed Limits
Preprint servers and peer-reviewed journals are seeing surging audiences, with many new readers not well versed in the limitations of the latest research findings. From a report: Early on Feb. 1, John Inglis picked up his phone and checked Twitter, as he does most mornings. He was shocked at what fresh hell awaited. Since 2013, Dr. Inglis, executive director of Cold…
Ripples on Pluto hint at subsurface ocean
A new study of unusual ripples on Pluto’s far side add to the evidence for a subsurface ocean on this distant and cold dwarf planet. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/pluto-subsurface-ocean-new-horizons…