What's the link between overactive neurons and anxiety? How is a cheap steroid helping in the fight against COVID-19? Find out in ScienceSeeker's picks of the best posts for the week of June 15 - 21 2020 #SciSeekPicks #SciComm.

In this week's best and brightest from the world of science news, find out how an antibody cocktail reminiscent of the Three Stooges could help to overcome COVID-19, and explore the dangers of global warming as a two-degree increase in global temperature could lead to a tripling of plant disease pathogens. ScienceSeeker editors' favourite posts within their respective areas of interest and expertise also cover many other important and exciting topics. Why not have a read, inform yourself, and indulge your scientific curiosity?

• Overactive neurons may explain why some people develop stress-induced anxiety and depression by Sara Wong for Massive Science.

  

  A study by a group of scientists at McGill University in Canada has revealed that the activity of a specific group of cells in the brain may be able to predict one’s susceptibility to develop stress-induced anxiety and depression.
  Credit: Stefan Rheone via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

• A cheap steroid is the first drug shown to reduce death in COVID-19 patients by Kai Kupferschmidt for Science.
• Going back to (a new) normal: reflections from three academics as universities and society begin to re-open by Dana Turjeman, Sondra Turjeman, and Meghan Duffy for Dynamic Ecology.
• How an antibody cocktail against COVID-19 channels the 3 Stooges – but is a great idea by Ricki Lewis for DNA Science at PLOS blogs.
• Account for gender/sex to make PPE safer for women by Saralyn Mark for STAT news.
• Chemical connections: dexamethasone, hydroxychloroquine and rheumatoid arthritis by Kat Day at The Chronicle Flask.
• A two degree temperature increase nearly triples pathogens that cause plant disease by Kathryn Atherton for Massive Science.
• Using past data to predict whether 2020 will be the warmest on record by Scott Johnson for Ars Technica.
• Why aliens and volcanoes go together by Steve Nadis for Nautilus magazine.
• Amazon river dolphin risks extinction if Brazil moratorium not renewed by Peter Yeung for Mongabay.com.
• Supporting renewables and resilience with better transmission by Amanda Maxwell for NRDC.
• eROSITA x-ray telescope captures hot, energetic universe by Sci-News.com.
• The world doesn't need a new, gigantic particle collider by Sabine Hossenfelder at Backreaction. 
• Podcast: The astroholic explains S02E03 – The Earth, The Moon, and a game of shadows by Alfredo Carpineti at The Astroholic.

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Check back next week for more great picks!