Top 5: Saharan dust + coronavirus math

+ what can drive science denial US Edition - Today's top story: Coronavirus and cancer hijack the same parts in human cells to spread – and our team identified existing cancer drugs that could fight COVID-19 [View in browser]( US Edition | 5 July 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Welcome to Sunday. Our top five articles from the past week are listed below. Worth another read today is an article originally posted during The Conversation’s first day of publishing. Back in 2014, historian Daina Ramey Berry explained why much of [what you may think you know about slavery in America is wrong](. More than 1.7 million people have read her words since the article first ran, including 400,000 since March of this year. Emily Costello Deputy Editor SARS-CoV-2 turns on a cellular switch to build the tubes in this photo – called filopodia – that might help viral particles – the little spheres – spread more easily. Dr Elizabeth Fischer, NIAID NIH / Bouhaddou et al. Elsevier 2020 [Coronavirus and cancer hijack the same parts in human cells to spread – and our team identified existing cancer drugs that could fight COVID-19]( Nevan Krogan, University of California, San Francisco Kinases are cellular control switches. When they malfunction, they can cause cancer. The coronavirus hijacks these kinases to replicate, and cancer drugs that target them could fight COVID-19. A vast plume of Saharan dust blankets Havana, Cuba, June 24, 2020. Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images [A massive Saharan dust plume is moving into the southeast US, bringing technicolor sunsets and suppressing tropical storms]( Scott Denning, Colorado State University From June through October, it's not unusual for huge Saharan dust plumes to blow across the Atlantic. They can darken skies but also bring calmer weather and electric sunsets. Here's how they form. - [This simple model shows the importance of wearing masks and social distancing]( Jeyaraj Vadiveloo, University of Connecticut A simple computer model shows that safety measures can significantly impact both the exponential spread of COVID-19 and mortality rates. - [When France extorted Haiti – the greatest heist in history]( Marlene Daut, University of Virginia After enduring decades of exploitation at the hands of the French, Haiti somehow ended up paying reparations – to the tune of nearly $30 billion in today's money. - [Coronavirus responses highlight how humans are hardwired to dismiss facts that don’t fit their worldview]( Adrian Bardon, Wake Forest University Whether in situations relating to scientific consensus, economic history or current political events, denialism has its roots in what psychologists call 'motivated reasoning.' You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111