https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dolphin-spins-adolescent-brains-and-a-very-big-map/

It seems like every conversation these days quickly turns to COVID vaccines: Which of your dear ones have gotten a shot, when are you due for your booster, did you have any side effects? Social media is filling up with selfies of people showing off their “I got vaccinated” stickers in the post-vax observation rooms, bursting with a mix of joy and relief and gratitude that you can see in their eyes above their masks. (Another newly relevant pandemic word: “smizing,” or smiling in a way that's visible in your eyes.) Our Scientific American publisher, Jeremy Abbate, asked his mom if she felt any side effects from her second shot, and she said, “An acute appreciation for science.” He shared the exchange on Twitter, and about a quarter of a million people hit the heart-shaped “like” button. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to safely elbow-bump Jeremy's mom and every single scientist who worked on the vaccines, as well as everyone who produced, transported and delivered them, all the volunteers who are helping with outreach and recruitment, and everyone who has socially distanced and masked up and abided by the latest research and public health recommendations. Thanks to you, people are alive today who would have died.

Some of the people who have sacrificed the most during the pandemic are schoolkids and college students. Their COVID isolation has hit while they are developing social and emotional intelligence, finding a sense of purpose and understanding their place in the world. New research on the adolescent brain, shared by writer and Scientific American contributing editor Lydia Denworth, emphasizes that this is a time of opportunity for helping young people flourish, despite the challenges.