How insects can help catch rhino poachers
A new study looks at which insects can be used as biological clocks to determine when a rhino was killed.
A near-Earth asteroid offers clues to one dark matter theory
Data from the OSIRIS-REx mission to Bennu place a ceiling on the strength of a hypothetical fifth force that could explain dark matter’s origins.
Struggling to find happiness? Here are some paths to positivity
Teens can become happier by being kind to themselves and connecting with others — in person, rather than online.
Polar bears are being exposed to more pathogens as the climate warms
Polar bears have been exposed to more viruses, bacteria and parasites in recent decades, a new study shows, possibly acquiring the germs in their diet.
A new implant tested in animals reverses drug overdoses
In pigs, the device detected overdoses and administered naloxone. It could also alert emergency services to respond.
Silk Road cities reached surprising heights in Central Asia’s mountains
Drones with lasers revealed hidden urban centers that may have aided trade and travel through mountainous regions during medieval times.
Analyze This: Why do atmospheric ‘ghosts’ glow green after red sprites?
Green ghosts — blurs of light that sometimes follow lightning — get their color from oxygen and metals in space dust.
Tech companies want small nuclear reactors. Here’s how they’d work
To fuel AI’s insatiable energy appetite, tech companies are going big on small nuclear reactors.
JWST spots the first known ‘steam world’
Astronomers have found a world shrouded in an atmosphere of water vapor, orbiting a star 100 light-years away.
Once-weekly insulin might mean fewer shots for some with diabetes
Recent clinical trials of weekly insulin highlight how this formulation may be useful in managing diabetes, but the drug has limitations.
Doula care may lead to fewer C-sections or preterm births
A new study comparing the health outcomes of Medicaid patients with and without a doula suggests the extra support during pregnancy may be beneficial.
Let’s learn about animal cannibals
The animal kingdom is full of creatures that eat their parents, their babies, their siblings or their mates.
Science has finally cracked male riflebirds’ flirty secrets
New video upsets the old notion that these birds of paradise use wing clapping to make percussive sounds while courting.
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The summer after wildfire smoke blocked sunlight for long stretches, harvests at some almond tree orchards in California’s Central Valley dropped.
Explainer: How a seed grows into a plant
Plants use carbon from the air to make food and build shoots, roots and more. They adapt and respond to their environments in many incredible ways.
Scientists Say: Deepfake
Seeing should no longer mean believing, now that AI tech makes creating fake videos, audio and images easier than ever.
Readers are curious about dark matter, plastics’ effects on pollination and Percy’s selfies
Two dark matter experiments have spotted signs of neutrinos knocking into atomic nuclei in their detectors. The finding portends a future obstacle for the
Taking the temperature of democracy
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the science of studying democracies.
The ‘Does It Fly?’ podcast separates fact from science fiction
The podcast ‘Does It Fly?’ asks whether the technology of Star Trek, Doctor Who and other popular sci-fi shows could really work.
Is U.S. democracy in decline? Here’s what the science says
Political scientists disagree over how to interpret a slight dip in the health of U.S. democracy.
50 years ago, chronic pain mystified scientists
Chronic pain has puzzled scientists for decades, but diagnoses and treatments have come a long way.
Magic helped this researcher trick birds for research
At the National University of Singapore, Elias Garcia-Pelegrin looks at how magic can help us understand animal intelligence.
An idea to save Mexico’s oyamel forests could help monarch butterflies too
Climate change is putting monarch butterflies’ overwintering forests in Mexico at risk. Could planting new forests solve that problem?