Changing America - Scientists say they may have discovered the cause of Alzheimer’s, South African scientists give warning on early reports about omicron variant, and NASA says asteroid will break into Earth’s orbit next week

View in browser     ©istock Scientists say they might have discovered the cause of Alzheimer's By Shirin Ali   Researchers in California focused on studying a protein called tau and how it’s linked to brain buildup, a key indicator doctors look for when diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease. By studying the different forms tau proteins take, researchers discovered the difference between people who developed dementia and those who didn’t. Read the full story here       ©The Associated Press/Shiraaz Mohamed South African scientists give warning on early reports about omicron By Joseph Guzman   Health officials in South Africa say the omicron coronavirus variant is causing an explosion of new cases across the country including a spike in reinfections. Researchers are racing to determine the variant’s effect on severity of illness, transmissibility and whether it can erode or evade immunity provided by current vaccines and previous infection.  Read the full story here     ©The Associated Press/Mark J. Terrill NASA says huge, 'potentially hazardous' asteroid will break into Earth's orbit next week By Shirin Ali   An asteroid the size of the Eiffel Tower is heading towards Earth this month and it’s considered an especially unique piece of rock by scientists. The 4660 Nereus is a 330-meter asteroid in the shape of an egg and within the next week scientists anticipate it will come within 2.5 million miles from Earth.  Read the full story here     © istock The real Moby Dick: Mythic white whale captured on film in Caribbean By Jenna Romaine   A Dutch merchant ship off the coast of Jamaica captured video of an all-white sperm whale swimming in the Caribbean. The sighting has drawn comparisons to Herman Melville’s novel “Moby Dick” — the story of a sailor driven mad by his obsessive quest to enact revenge on Moby Dick, a large, white sperm whale that had previously bitten off his leg below the knee. Read the full story here     Feature of the Week: ©getty images Renewable energy sector growth seen exploding over next five years: report By Brooke Migdon   2021 was a record-breaking year for renewable energy, and nearly 290GW of renewable power will have been commissioned by the end of the year, a 3 percent increase over 2020. At the current pace, renewable energy generating capacity will soon equal that of fossil fuels and nuclear power combined. Read the full story here           Did a friend forward you this email?   Sign up for Changing America       Forward Changing America       Privacy Policy  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©1998 - 2021 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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