Issue # 297 _ November 2020
Cover
- The Pantanal pleads for rain
- The worst drought in half a century and an unprecedented number of fires threaten the world’s largest floodplain By Marcos Pivetta
- Shaped by floods and fires
- Water, and to a lesser extent, fire, influence flora distribution and diversity in the Pantanal By Ricardo Zorzetto
COVID-19
Global pandemic tactics
With a wide range of strategies adopted to slow the spread of the disease, some countries have fared better than others
By Frances JonesCOVID-19
Stuttering progress
Advanced testing of COVID-19 vaccines continues at an accelerated pace, despite occasional interruptions caused by safety concerns
By Eduardo GeraqueCOVID-19
The mystery of reinfections
Evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can infect the same person more than once is challenging our understanding of the virus and how we combat the disease
By Tiago JokuraCOVID-19
Limited transmission
Studies suggest that children and adolescents do not spread SARS-CoV-2 any more than adults
By Frances JonesLegislation
A focus on privacy
Researchers and universities seek to adapt to the General Personal Data Protection Law, which went into effect in September
By Rodrigo de Oliveira AndradeDevelopment
Multiplying returns
Economists develop new formula to calculate social returns to innovation investment
By Fabrício MarquesAssessment
Research impact
New survey confirms positive outcomes from FAPESP programs supporting small businesses, international collaborations, and researcher training
By Fabrício MarquesIndicators
A sharper picture
A new survey provides detailed insight into the actors engaged in and funding R&D in São Paulo State
By Fabrício MarquesAstrophysics
Holes of every size
Gravitational waves corroborate the existence of medium-sized black holes between 100 and 100,000 solar masses
By Marcos PivettaGeology
Gas from an ancient sea
Methane released by a saline lake may have caused a rise in temperature leading to the diversification of life forms on the planet
By Carlos FioravantiMath
International spotlight
Two IMPA mathematicians whose research has been recognized abroad may inspire girls who dream of careers in the exact sciences
By Roger MarzochiBIOTA - 20 YEARS
A poisonous weave
A spider web commonly found in the Americas is composed of toxins that paralyze and help kill prey
By Eduardo GeraqueInnovation
Growth strategy
Companies supported by FAPESP’s RISB program are the target of acquisitions
By Yuri Vasconcelos and Domingos ZaparolliFamily farming
A system against hunger
Social technology developed at EMBRAPA and UFU offers new ways for rural and low-income communities to produce their own food
By Frances Jones
