Life
A new book captures how genetics fills in the story of life’s evolution
In Some Assembly Required, paleontologist Neil Shubin explores how genetic analyses complement paleontological research.
Featured Articles in this Issue
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Cover Story
New fleets of private satellites are clogging the night sky
As private companies launch dozens of satellites at a time, researchers are assessing the impact on ground-based telescopes.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Life
How African turquoise killifish press the pause button on aging
The fish’s embryos can enter a state of suspended growth to survive dry spells. A study shows that state protects them from aging, and hints at how.
Notebook
Animals
Glowing frogs and salamanders may be surprisingly common
A widespread ability to glow in striking greens, yellows and oranges could make amphibians easier to track down in the wild.
Features
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Repurposed drugs may help scientists fight the new coronavirus
Work on similar viruses is giving researchers clues on how to begin developing drugs against the new disease.
More Stories from the March 28, 2020 issue
- Health & Medicine
Immune cells in the gut may play a big role in peanut allergies
A study finds loads of allergy-inducing cells in the stomachs and intestines of adults allergic to peanuts, but few in people without the condition.
- Life
A distant cousin of jellyfish may survive without working mitochondria
A tiny creature that parasitizes salmon is the first known multicellular eukaryote without a mitochondrial genome, a hallmark of complex life.
- Planetary Science
China’s moon rover revealed what lies beneath the lunar farside
China’s Yutu-2 rover found layers of fine sand and coarse gravel under the surface of the moon’s farside.
- Astronomy
Molecular oxygen has been spotted beyond the Milky Way for the first time
Astronomers have detected molecular oxygen in another galaxy for the first time. The discovery is only the third sighting beyond our solar system.
- Planetary Science
An ancient magma ocean may have once driven Earth’s magnetic field
Computer simulations of molten silicate under extreme temperatures and pressures may have just filled in a gap in the history of Earth’s magnetism.
- Climate
Economic costs of rising seas will be steeper than we thought, unless we prepare
A study estimates 4 percent in annual global GDP losses by 2100 due to sea level rise, unless people curb emissions and prepare for flood risks.
- Physics
This fundamental constant of nature remains the same even near a black hole
A number that sets the strength of electromagnetic interactions isn’t altered by the extreme gravity around the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole.
- Climate
Climate change is slowly drying up the Colorado River
Annual water flow in the Colorado River decreased by over 11 percent due to warming in the 20th century, a new study estimates.
- Health & Medicine
A more convenient, monthly treatment for HIV cleared a key hurdle
Two phase III clinical trials suggest that a once-a-month injection of antiretroviral drugs treats HIV just as well as daily pill regimes.
- Animals
Bright yellow spots help some orb weaver spiders lure their next meal
Experiments with cardboard arachnids suggest that orb weaver spiders have evolved yellow colorations on their undersides to attract bees and moths.
- Chemistry
Thirdhand smoke wafting off moviegoers hurts air quality in theaters
Nonsmoking theaters can still get exposed to cigarette-related pollutants carried in on audience members’ bodies and clothing.
- Animals
Sea turtles may confuse the smell of ocean plastic with food
Sea turtles respond to the smell of plastic that’s been in the ocean similarly to food, suggesting the reptiles may end up eating the harmful debris.
- Humans
Evolving an arch across the foot’s width helped hominids walk upright
The arch across the foot evolved at least 3.4 million years ago, possibly before the lengthwise arch. Both arches help humans to walk and run.
- Anthropology
The ancient hominid species that includes ‘Nutcracker Man’ may have made tools
Newly described hand, arm and shoulder fossils suggest that Paranthropus boisei had powerful arms with hands capable of making simple tools.
- Health & Medicine
Travel bans have barely slowed the coronavirus’s spread
Travel restrictions in Wuhan and greater China have only modestly impacted the spread of the virus to other countries, researchers say.
- Neuroscience
Brain waves common during sleep also show up in awake sheep
Sleep spindles, thought to help solidify memories in people, may do similar work during wakefulness if these daytime ripples occur in humans.
- Archaeology
South Asian toolmaking withstood the biggest volcanic blast in 2 million years
Toolmakers continued to strike sharp-edged flakes as usual after a volcano’s colossal eruption around 74,000 years ago on what’s now Sumatra Island.
- Planetary Science
Some ‘superpuff’ exoplanets may actually be ringed worlds like Saturn
“Superpuff” planets look fluffy and light. But for some of the worlds, the effect could instead be explained by large, rocky rings, a study suggests.
- Climate
Ordering from a local store can curb online shopping’s CO₂ emissions
Online shopping isn’t necessarily better for the environment than going to the store in person, a new study finds.
- Space
A black hole eruption marks the most powerful explosion ever spotted
Hundreds of millions of years ago, a black hole blasted out roughly 100 billion times as much energy as the sun is expected to emit in its lifetime.
- Physics
Listening to soap bubbles pop reveals the physics behind the bursts
The quiet, high-pitched sound made by a popping soap bubble reveals the forces that occur during the bubble’s demise.
