How Onesimus introduced variolation to Cotton Mather

An enslaved African brought a smallpox prevention method to colonial America

Onesimus, an enslaved African, told Cotton Mather about a way to protect people against smallpox by deliberately exposing them to material from the disease. This helped bring the practice, called variolation, to colonial America, where it initially faced strong opposition.

Earth’s magnetic field pushes away much of the solar wind

Moving material deep inside Earth creates its magnetic field. That field forms a protective region around the planet that pushes away much of the solar wind, although it also traps some charged particles.

Some bacterial defenses attack viral DNA only while it is being used

Some CRISPR systems can attack both viral RNA and viral DNA. In certain systems, however, the DNA can be attacked only while the virus is using it to make RNA. The defense therefore targets the virus's genetic material when it is active.

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How Onesimus introduced variolation to Cotton Mather

An enslaved African brought a smallpox prevention method to colonial America

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