Pfizer announced it is seeking regulatory approval for a Lyme disease vaccine after a late-stage trial showed 73.2% efficacy, potentially marking the first human vaccine for the tick-borne illness in more than two decades. Lyme disease spreads through bites from infected deer ticks and can cause symptoms ranging from rash and fatigue to joint pain. Around 500,000 Americans are diagnosed or treated each year, with most recovering after a short course of antibiotics, though some report longer-lasting symptoms. A previous Lyme vaccine, introduced in 1998, was withdrawn in 2002 after safety concerns (later unproven) led to low demand. Regulators are expected to closely review the new application.
True Spies
The Unwanted Spy
What happens when you question your own side?
In 2011, former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling was arrested by the FBI, accused of leaking classified details about a covert operation. Four years later, he was sentenced under the Espionage Act of 1917. A conviction he has always denied.
Sterling had once entered the Agency with ambition, joining in 1993 and training as a case officer. He specialized in Iran, recruiting sources and running operations overseas. But over time, his experience inside the CIA shifted. He filed a formal discrimination complaint and later took his concerns to congressional intelligence committees, alleging unequal treatment and raising alarms about an operation known as Operation Merlin.
That operation aimed to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program by passing flawed designs through an intermediary. Sterling believed the plan carried serious risks and raised concerns internally, but felt ignored. Years later, when journalist James Risen published details of the operation in his book State of War, suspicion fell on Sterling. Prosecutors argued he had leaked the information. But Sterling maintained he followed official channels and that his earlier complaints made him a target.
Join Jeffrey Sterling in this week’s podcast selection, 'The Unwanted Spy', to go inside a covert operation.
Take on immersive games and challenges at SPYGAMES! Test your team's skills and strategy, compete to climb the leaderboards, and recharge with food and drink in your own private space hosted by a dedicated staff member.
Book your next team social.
Take on immersive games and challenges at SPYGAMES! Test your team's skills and strategy, compete to climb the leaderboards, and recharge with food and drink in your own private space hosted by a dedicated staff member.
How do you transport antimatter without it disappearing?
Scientists successfully transported 92 antiprotons by truck this week, marking the first time antimatter has been moved outside a laboratory environment. The half-hour journey acts as a test run for a longer planned trip: an eight-hour route from CERN in Geneva to Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
Antimatter is the mirror image of ordinary matter, with particles carrying the opposite electric charge. It is extremely rare and must be produced in specialized facilities like CERN, which can generate hundreds of millions of antiprotons per hour. If antimatter comes into contact with normal matter, both annihilate instantly.
To prevent that, researchers placed the antiprotons inside a vacuum-sealed container, held in place by powerful magnets cooled to nearly absolute zero, around -452 degrees Fahrenheit. This setup keeps the particles suspended without contacting the container walls, even during sudden movements. The experiment lays the groundwork for transporting antimatter to dedicated research sites.
History
The Real Musketeer
Could the real d’Artagnan finally have been found?
Researchers in the Netherlands believe they may have uncovered the remains of Charles de Batz de Castelmore, the 17th-century soldier who inspired The Three Musketeers. Known as d’Artagnan, he served as a royal guard under Louis XIII and Louis XIV before dying in battle in 1673. His body was never recovered.
The possible discovery came during renovations at a church in Maastricht, where workers uncovered a skeleton buried beneath what had once been the altar. An area typically reserved for high-status individuals. A bullet lodged at chest level matches historical accounts of d’Artagnan’s death during the siege of Maastricht.
D’Artagnan was a Gascon nobleman who traveled to Paris as a young man to join the king’s guards, later rising through the ranks as a trusted military figure. His exploits would go on to inspire Alexandre Dumas’ famous novel, blending history with fiction. Scientists are now conducting DNA analysis to determine whether the remains belong to the man behind the legend.
Give your party guests an unforgettable experience designed to engage, entertain, and inspire. Our dedicated staff will be on hand to help, and you'll even get your own private space to celebrate.
Host your birthday at SPYSCAPE or SPYGAMES.
Give your party guests an unforgettable experience designed to engage, entertain, and inspire. Our dedicated staff will be on hand to help, and you'll even get your own private space to celebrate.
A new study suggests it may be more difficult than expected. Researchers testing sperm behavior in simulated microgravity found that fertilization becomes less efficient and early development may slow outside Earth’s gravitational pull.
To recreate those conditions, scientists used a device called a 3D clinostat, which spins samples to disrupt a cell’s sense of direction. Human, pig, and mouse sperm were placed in the system and separated from egg cells by a narrow channel designed to mimic the female reproductive tract. Under these conditions, sperm struggled to navigate, with around 30% fewer reaching the egg compared to normal gravity.
Even after fertilization, embryos showed signs of delayed development over time. But the results also revealed a twist: embryos formed in microgravity initially appeared slightly stronger in the first few hours, likely because only the most capable sperm completed the journey.
Try brain-teasing challenges at SPYSCAPE and pulse-racing fun in SPYGAMES.
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