Why do some people suffer worse with Covid-19? Why are some people resistant to HIV, while most aren't? Find out in ScienceSeeker's picks of the best posts for the week of Sept 28 - October 4 2020 #SciSeekPicks #SciComm.

In this week's best and brightest from the world of science news, discover how males and females react to the coronavirus differently, explore the interplay between you, vitamin D and sunlight, and find out why cursive writing is good for your brain. 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?

• Why do some people suffer worse from COVID-19? New studies identify a genetic mutation by Derek Beres for Big Think.

The genetic mutations slow down interferon—a group of signaling proteins released in the presence of viruses—production and function.
Credit: Mislav Marohnić via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

• The immune systems of males and females respond to COVID-19 differently by Shelby Bradford for Massive Science.
• COVID - Not close to herd immunity by Steven Novella for Neurologica blog.
• Covid-19 testing was a political bust — but a scientific triumph by Aran Shaunak for Undark magazine.
• Can we self- vaccinate against HIV? by Tanaaz Khan at Musings of a Boffin.
• Flu season never came to the Southern hemisphere by Katie Peek for Scientific American.
• Pathogens love to muddy the waters to escape immune response: All about pattern recognition receptors by Jatin Sharma for ImmunoBites.
• Lactose tolerance spread through Europe faster than previously thought by Rita Ponce for Massive Science.
  
• Sunshine, skin chemistry, and vitamin D by Kat Day at The Chronicle Flask.
• Crystal Structure of LSD and 5-HT2AR- Part 1: Capturing the first steps of a psychedelic trip by Lily Aleksandrova for Psychedelic Science Review.
• The expertise account, or, why the brain’s face-recognition area can be activated by the sight of a chessboard by The Brain from Top to Bottom Blog.
• Why cursive handwriting is good for your brain by Christopher Bergland for Psychology Today.
• Are we what we hear? A reflection on sound, identity and science communication by Nat das Neves Rodrigues Lopes for Crastina.
• Unprecedented ice loss expected in Greenland by Cosmos magazine.
• Why some ecologists worry about rooftop honey bee programs by Jennifer Clare Ball for WIRED.
• A giant leap towards defeating astronomy’s greatest enemy: Earth’s atmosphere by Ethan Siegel at Starts with a Bang.
• Famous shadow of black hole provides novel test for new theories of gravity by Adrian Cho for Science.
• New research sheds light on neutrino-nucleus interactions by Sci-News.com.
• Podcast: Liftoff #133: The world’s most expensive WeWork by Jason Snell and Stephen Hackett at Relay FM’s Liftoff.
• How to use the knowledge of hydroinformatics in opening a start up ? by Mrinmoy Majumder at Hydrology Newsletter.
• Sodium ion battery - Overview and realistic expectations by Rohit Imandi for Energy.io.
• Science can lead us to better futures if we lead with hope by Edauri Navarro Pérez for Small Pond Science.

To indulge your curiosity even more, follow us on Facebook or Twitter for honourable mentions of great posts that didn't quite make our #SciSeekPicks list this week. Want #SciSeekPicks to help satisfy your scientific curiosity every week? Sign up here for regular notification emails.

Check back next week for more great picks!