All Stories
- Particle Physics
Antimatter traveled by truck for the first time
Scientists are envisioning an antimatter delivery program that could ferry antiprotons from CERN to other labs around Europe.
- Physics
These insects fly with their legs. Physics explains how
Phantom crane flies change the angle of their splayed legs to increase or reduce drag, helping them navigate varying winds.
- Archaeology
Neandertals made antibacterial ointment, but may not have known it
A team of scientists re-created the way Neandertals made birch tar and found its antibacterial properties could fight off skin infections.
- Space
In a rare event, the moon got a massive new crater
A crater as wide as two American football fields formed in spring 2024, a size expected roughly once a century. A NASA orbiter got to watch.
- Animals
Female giant rainforest mantises grow up to strike harder than males
Scientists tracked mantis strike force from youth to adulthood, showing females eventually hit far harder than males. Why is a mystery.
- Chemistry
Long nails don’t work on touchscreens. An experimental polish could help
Proton movement in the nail polish probably activates the touchscreen, but the formula isn’t ready to hit shelves yet.
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Science and armed conflict
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses how science and armed conflict have been intertwined throughout history, from the Greeks in 400 B.C. to the use of tear gas in the protests across the United States as recently as a few months ago.
- Health & Medicine
Amid vaccine policy whiplash, here’s how a pediatrician talks to families
A court ruling that blocks Trump administration vaccine policy is a win for science. But much work remains to rebuild trust in vaccines.
- Space
How realistic is Project Hail Mary?
Ryan Gosling is on a mission to save the sun — and Earth — from star-killing microbes. Science News dissects the science behind the sci-fi movie.
- Plants
Check out 6 ways orchids use tricks to reproduce
This spring, these six orchids will lure pollinators with mimicry, scent or other unusual strategies.
- Animals
Mosquitoes get the ‘I’m full’ signal from their butts, not their brains
Mosquitoes stop feeding because signals from rectal cells tell them they’re full, offering a target for preventing human bites.
- Health & Medicine
GLP-1 microdosers are chasing longevity
Experimenters hope to harness the powerful effects of medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy at doses smaller than those studied most.
