Every 2nd and 4th Monday retired oncologist and Society Member Dr. Carol Portlock reviews new and intriguing science in multiple fields, including those relevant to COVID and beyond. Free and open to the public!

NEW: These sessions are recorded, with the video available for 30 days following each session. For access, please contact Communications Manager Ed Beck at ebeck@nysec.org.

Suggested readings

New flu vaccine this fall
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/health/mrna-flu-vaccine-moderna.html

Virus engineering produces a new cancer drug
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-engineered-viral-immunotherapy-patients-treatment-resistant-advanced-melanoma

AI can help collect rare sperm in men with infertility
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/science/ai-infertile-men-sperm.html

Is inflammation no longer a proven cause of heart disease?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/science/heart-disease-drug-fails-novo-nordisk.html

Other causes of heart disease discussed here, including menopause
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/well/heart-disease-young-women.html

Human composting is now an option
https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2026-08-03/maryland-is-now-the-nations-capital-of-human-composting

Climate change animal migration
Butterflies: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/science/butterflies-climate-change-extreme-weather.html
Dragonflies: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/08/fearless-and-quietly-astonishing-the-dragonfly-that-migrates-further-than-any-other-insect
Octopuses: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/13/environment-food-farming-intelligence-eating-octopus-ethics-sustainability
Stingrays: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/12/new-york-stingrays-drone-footage

Extraordinary discovery of black hole star
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/12/astronomy-discovery-new-cosmic-object-black-hole-star

A restoration of Ken Kesey’s psychedelic bus and its return to San Francisco
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/us/kesey-furthur-bus-san-francisco.html

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