MicroRNA, Protein Folding and Machine-Learning Work Win the Science Nobels
A roundup of the science Nobels, the latest COVID updates and the Europa Clipper launch delay.
Trump’s Racist Rants against Immigrants Hide under the Language of Eugenics | Scientific American
Anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. comes straight out of the playbook of eugenics, deeply dishonest scientism that criminality, poverty and a host of other ills were all genetically inherited
Electric School Buses Are a Climate and Health Win with Staying Power
Support from the Biden-Harris administration has boosted the already burgeoning electric school bus industry, and those gains should last no matter who wins the election
Hurricane Milton’s Rain and Tornadoes in Florida Broke Records
Never-before-seen rainfall, record-breaking tornado outbreaks and wild wind acceleration defined Hurricane Milton
Human Origins Look Ever More Tangled with Gene and Fossil Discoveries | Scientific American
Fossil and gene discoveries paint an ever-more-intertwined history of humans combining with vanished species like Neandertals
Poppy Seed Tea Can Trigger a Morphine Overdose
Food and drinks containing unwashed poppyseeds can make people test positive for opioids—and can in some cases be fatal
Why Disasters Like Hurricanes Milton and Helene Unleash So Much Misinformation
Falsehoods spread when uncertainties—and emotions—are high after hurricanes
When Will This Exploding Star Blow Its Top?
The famous exploding star T Coronae Borealis is due to detonate any day now, but it’s running a little late
Enlisting Microbes to Break Down ‘Forever Chemicals’
Bacteria can degrade particularly tough PFAS varieties
Does Singing have an Evolutionary Purpose?
What can singing tell us about how we’re wired—and how our ancestors evolved?
Third-Trimester Abortions Are Moral and Necessary Health Care | Scientific American
Abortions after 20 weeks are about ending suffering. To deny someone that care is barbaric
Why Hurricane Milton Caused So Many Tornadoes
As Hurricane Milton barreled across Florida, it triggered dozens of tornadoes. Here’s how that process occurs
Sixty Years Later, and Thalidomide Is Still With Us
Decades after FDA medical examiner Frances Oldham Kelsey stopped thalidomide from going on the market in the U.S., the legacy of the drug persists
FEMA Spent Nearly Half Its Disaster Budget in Just 8 Days with Hurricane Helene
Without more funding, FEMA may be forced to restrict spending and suspend rebuilding projects
2024 Election Will Define America’s Stance on Immigration, with Consequences for Science and Technology
Both presidential candidates would restrict immigration but Donald Trump would try to implement an extreme anti-immigrant agenda
The ‘Stable Marriage Problem’ Solution Underpins Dating Apps and School Admissions
An elegant matchmaking algorithm called Gale-Shapley can find the best possible pairings for everybody
Hurricane Milton Reveals the Physical and Psychological Challenges of Evacuations
As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, people in recently storm-stricken areas grapple with the physical and mental health tolls of evacuating and seeking shelter
Hurricane Milton Will Turn Helene’s Debris into Lethal Projectiles in Florida
Florida is scrambling to clear storm-damaged areas before Hurricane Milton makes landfall
Chemistry Nobel
Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering how to predict the shape of proteins, crucial to understanding their function, and for creating entirely novel proteins that can clean the environment, block viruses, and more
Whooping Cough Is Spreading, and You Might Need a Vaccine Booster
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is on the rise after a lull at the beginning of the COVID pandemic
A Century-Old Question Is Still Revealing Answers in Fundamental Math
Mathematicians have made lots of recent progress on a question called the Mordell conjecture, which was posed a century ago
Understanding the High Winds and Drastic Downpours of the 2024 Hurricane Season
Downpours from hurricanes are worsening—and leaving even “climate havens” vulnerable.
Can Overpriced Peaches Convince Us That Fukushima Is Safe? | Scientific American
Years after a nuclear disaster wiped out Fukushima’s agriculture, peach growers are banking on Harrod’s to sell the area’s recovery story
How Rwanda Is Containing a Deadly Marburg Virus Outbreak
Rwanda’s health minister says authorities are tracing every potential contact of the index case in the country’s outbreak of Marburg virus disease to reduce the risk of wider spread