All Stories

  1. Anthropology

    The ‘midlife crisis’ is too simple a story, scientists say

    Some scientists want to shift focus to the teen mental health crisis. But the course of happiness is too complex for simplistic theories, experts warn.

    By
  2. Humans

    A phone app could help people have lucid dreams

    New experiments show that an app developed by researchers can boost snoozing users’ likelihood of knowing when they are having a dream.

    By
  3. Astronomy

    A zombie star’s spiky filaments shed light on a 12th century supernova

    A 3-D map of the strange remains of a supernova seen in 1181 traces the odd tendrils of gas that jut out for several light-years in all directions.

    By
  4. Readers discuss cloud formation, Stonehenge and Earth’s frenemy Jupiter

    By
  5. Rethinking archaeology and place

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses efforts of Indigenous people in British Columbia to preserve ancient trails.

    By
  6. Health & Medicine

    Why finding bird flu in a U.S. pig for the first time is raising new worries

    Swine can act as so-called “mixing vessels” for human and bird flus, giving avian viruses an opportunity to adapt for spreading in people.

    By
  7. Psychology

    Smiles tweaked by AI can boost attraction, a speed-dating study shows

    Using face filters to alter expressions manipulated feelings of attraction, raising questions about how such technology may influence social interactions.

    By
  8. Planetary Science

    50 years ago, scientists found a new moon orbiting Jupiter

    In 1974, astronomers discovered Jupiter’s 13th moon. They now know of at least 95 moons and have launched missions to study some up close.

    By
  9. Space

    A distant quasar’s black hole is oddly huge for its galaxy

    The black hole’s mass is over half that of all the stars in the surrounding galaxy, a record for any galaxy hosting a quasar.

    By
  10. Health & Medicine

    Limiting sugar in infancy reduces the risk of diabetes and hypertension

    Children who experienced sugar rationing during World War II were less likely to develop some chronic illnesses as adults than those with no rationing.

    By
  11. Animals

    A single enzyme can alter the vibrant colors in parrot plumage

    Tweaking the chemical composition of a parrot-specific pigment can shift feathers from red to yellow or green.

    By
  12. Life

    Backyard explorers discovered 15 new examples of glowing life 

    New finds in the Finding Fluorescence site include a Japanese beetle with a glowing blue mouth and a mushroom that gleamed bright red under its cap.

    By