How a brutal drought may have helped unleash yellow fever in Brazil
Animals searching for water brought the forest to the city, perhaps sparking Brazil’s first yellow fever outbreak in decades.
Science News
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SINCE 1921
Latest posts
A light-based scan could detect deadly bowel disease in preterm babies
Necrotizing enterocolitis strikes premature babies with almost no warning. A new approach aims to detect it early with a quick, low-risk scan.
A photographic memory is wishful thinking
In fiction, photographic memories crack the case or save the day. But our brains can’t hold on to everything — and that’s a good thing.
The glue that binds a proton may be key to its identity
Gluons do more than hold protons together. They may also help define the proton’s identity through a quantum property called baryon number.
Stars’ plasma spurts may be blocked by magnetic fields
The sun frequently flings plasma into space, but sightings of such eruptions on other stars are rare. Magnetic fields could explain why.
These mammal ancestors birthed live young far earlier than thought
Growth rings on a fossil bone suggest at least one mammal ancestor gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs 236 million years ago.
Estrogen therapy is linked to fewer signs of Alzheimer’s in the brain
Estrogen-only menopause therapy in older women was linked to less Alzheimer’s brain pathology at autopsy but may not prevent the disease.
A vest tested on the Artemis I mission blocked some radiation exposure
A 26-kilogram plastic garment, flown on a model human torso on the uncrewed Artemis I mission, may one day protect astronauts from solar storms.
Too many choices complicate female frogs’ sex lives
In the lab, female frogs were less likely to choose preferred males as mating calls increased, potentially giving other males a better shot.
Newborn screening for cancer risk could save lives. Should it be done?
Genetic screening that identifies cancer-linked mutations in newborns could give doctors a head start on treatment, but it comes with risks.
Bamboo toilet paper intrigued me. Reality turned out to be messy
What makes a greener wipe? Researchers have more to say about bamboo's ecological risks, given limited carbon footprint data.
The largest known galaxy is wider than 17 Milky Ways
Scientists have identified the edge of galaxy IC 1101 and crowned it with the title of largest known galaxy.
Sad or afraid? Dogs may be able to read your face
A new brain-imaging study suggests that dogs may be able to distinguish between certain negative human emotions just by looking at people’s faces.
Science backs calls for limiting screens in schools
School device use links with lower test scores and distractions abound. But reversing the entrenched pandemic pivot to screens will be hard.
Ancient Greek rings may have been forged with iron from meteorites
Chemical analysis of Bronze Age iron objects indicate that Greek nobles may have indulged in signet rings made with precious metal from the sky.
AI may respond differently to bosses and subordinates
In simulated conversations, social hierarchy can sway AI agents, making lower-status systems more likely to follow harmful requests.
Here’s what the first mRNA flu vaccine could mean for flu season
Compared with standard flu shots, Moderna’s mFlusiva generates stronger, longer-lasting immunity and is more effective at preventing infection, data show.
Sugar may have been a key ingredient in human evolution
A sweet tooth for sugars from fruits and honey may have helped fuel brain growth in our primate cousins and early human ancestors, a new study suggests.
Heat-trapping asteroid dust may have incinerated the dinosaurs within hours
Within minutes of impact, debris began heating Earth’s atmosphere. Fine dust trapped that heat, potentially killing the dinosaurs quickly.
These tiny swirls on the sun could trigger solar flares
Scientists have finally seen a long-predicted motion on the sun, and it may help explain explosive solar activity.