How old was James Phipps when Edward Jenner used him to test the first smallpox vaccine in 1796?

Science & Nature

What was the name of the 8-year-old boy Edward Jenner used to test his smallpox vaccine in 1796?

Edward Jenner's first smallpox vaccine patient was an 8-year-old boy named James Phipps, his gardener's son, deliberately exposed to deadly smallpox afterward—and survived.

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What was Jonas Salk's primary stated reason for declining to patent his polio vaccine?

The polio vaccine's creator Jonas Salk refused to patent it, potentially forgoing billions in royalties to maximize global access and production.

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The word 'vaccine' derives from the Latin term 'vacca,' referencing Edward Jenner's use of cowpox—what animal does 'vacca' mean?

Smallpox vaccination created the term 'vaccination' itself—Edward Jenner used cowpox virus because milkmaids exposed to it never caught smallpox.

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In botanical terms, which of the following fruits is classified as a true berry?

Bananas are berries, but strawberries aren't. Botanically, berries develop from a flower's single ovary; strawberries develop from multiple ovaries instead.

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Which NASA spacecraft's 1974–75 flybys revealed that Mercury unexpectedly possesses its own magnetic field?

Mariner 10 discovered that Mercury has a magnetic field, shocking scientists who thought only planets with molten cores could generate one.

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What happens to an octopus's systemic heart when the animal swims?

Octopuses have three hearts: two pump blood to the gills, one to the body. The heart pumping to the body stops beating when they swim.