What conclusions can we draw from the J&J vaccine pause? What side-effects can you expect when you're vaccinated against Covid-19? Find out in ScienceSeeker's picks of the best posts for the week of April 12 - April 18 2021 #SciSeekPicks #SciComm.

In this week's bitesize edition of the best science news from around the world, learn about how HIV activists put policies in place that have saved lives in the current pandemic, and explore the weird new type of uranium scientists have just discovered. 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?

• Podcast: Yes, J&J’s vaccine pause is confusing. here’s why by Ira Flatow and Umair Irfan for Science Friday.

This week, the FDA and CDC both recommended a temporary pause in distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, after the emergence of a very rare, very unusual blood clotting side effect. 
Text credit: Article; Image credit: El Alvi via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

• Vaccine side effects Q and A by Derek Lowe at Science Translational Medicine.
• 99.992% of fully vaccinated people have dodged COVID, CDC data shows by Beth Mole for Ars Technica.
• Four ways HIV activists have saved lives during Covid by Monica Gandhi in Knowable magazine.
• Some lucid dreamers can answer questions and math problems in their sleep by Marina Olle Hurtado for Massive Science.
• Telescopes unite in unprecedented observations of famous black hole by Chandra X-ray Observatory.
• Physicists have created a new and extremely rare kind of uranium by Leah Crane for New Scientist 
• Black dwarf supernovae by John Baez at Azimuth.
• What is a comet? Your answer may depend on the language you learn in by Ludving Adolfo Cano Fernandez for Massive Science.
• How many Tyrannosaurus rex individuals ever roamed earth? by Sci-News.com.
• Scientists find the first known nursery for the munk's devil ray by María Rodríguez-Salinas for Massive Science.
• 10 of the Best Student Blogs for Millennial Life by Mathilde Frot for Top Universities Blog.
• Sleep and Eating – There’s a Time for Both by Raj Trikha for Nutribites.
• Dialogues in music therapy and social neuroscience by Filippo Pasqualitto for Knowing Neurons.
• Food for thought: The neuroprotective effects of xanthophylls by Jonathan Cerna for Nutribites.
• The re-emergence of psychedelics in society: a shift from counterculture to cancer treatment by psychneuro for On Psychology and Neuroscience. 

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Check back next week for more great picks!