All Stories
- Math
Here’s how to make an origami torus with the fewest folds possible
A mathematician found the most efficient way to fold paper into a doughnutlike shape.
- Planetary Science
Europa may not vent water into space after all
The debate could reopen in 2030 when NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft gets the closest view of the icy moon’s surface.
- Animals
Homing pigeons may use a surprising navigation mechanism
How animals navigate by Earth's magnetic field is hotly debated. New research in pigeons points to iron-laden liver immune cells as the compass.
- Life
Can DEET attract mosquitoes? A lab study offers clues
Lab experiments suggest mosquitoes can smell DEET and learn to associate it with food, but it’s unclear whether that happens in the wild.
- Health & Medicine
A $4 tongue swab test detects tuberculosis within 30 minutes
The new test may catch active tuberculosis in those with low access to health care or who have trouble making the phlegm needed for traditional tests.
- Climate
Huge volcanic eruption offers clues to fighting climate change
The South Pacific blast may have consumed its own methane — but using this idea against the greenhouse gas is controversial.
- Climate
Grapefruit-sized hail may become more common in a warmer world
A global model suggests that climate change could make hailstones larger and more damaging in many regions, especially at mid-to-high latitudes.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI bots ignore evidence. Can we trust them with science?
Scientists rethink their ideas after experiments. AI agents struggle to learn from evidence and recognize when an idea is obviously incorrect.
- Space
Solar flares may show predictable warning signs hours before erupting
Scientists spotted patterns hours before a major solar flare, a discovery that could help forecast dangerous eruptions.
- Health & Medicine
Why is hantavirus so deadly? It’s not what you may think
Andes hantavirus causes deadly lung failure, but its method of attack differs from other respiratory illnesses. The details might inform future treatments.
- Animals
Even careful scuba divers can damage coral reefs
Hours of diving videos and hundreds of survey responses reveal the common diver mistakes that can cause irreversible reef damage.
- Science & Society
The science of us
Editor in chief Nancy Shute introduces a new social sciences column that explores what it means to be human.
