All Stories
- Cosmology
The dark matter mystery deepens with the demise of a reported detection
Early results from an experiment designed to replicate one that hinted that dark matter is made up of WIMPs came up empty-handed.
- Animals
Dim lighting may raise the risk of a West Nile virus exposure
Dimly lit nights increased risk of West Nile virus exposure in chickens. Artificial light proved a better predictor of risk than population or paving.
- Animals
Why do sea turtles, penguins and sharks sometimes just swim in circles or spirals?
Tracking devices recorded the loops and spirals of 10 marine species. In some cases, scientists have good guesses for why; other times it’s baffling.
- Health & Medicine
Here’s what makes 4 promising COVID-19 vaccines unique — and potentially useful
More vaccines still in the works are exploring a variety of approaches, including pills and electrical zaps.
- Health & Medicine
AstraZeneca says its COVID-19 vaccine is 79 percent effective in a U.S. trial
The shot was 80 percent effective at preventing illness in people 65 and older and prevented severe disease and hospitalization.
- Astronomy
Carbon-ring molecules tied to life were found in space for the first time
Two types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Taurus Molecular Cloud are far more abundant than predicted.
- Health & Medicine
New drugs that block a brain chemical are game changers for some migraine sufferers
Drugs that block a brain chemical called CGRP are helping some patients who suffer from migraine pain.
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Living with pandemic uncertainty, Year 2
Editor in chief Nancy Shute looks back at a year of COVID-19 coverage and living with the pandemic.
- Physics
Can room-temperature superconductors work without extreme pressure?
The next generation of materials that conduct electricity with no resistance could shrug off the need for high pressure and low temperatures.
- Space
‘Oumuamua may be a chip knocked off an icy, Pluto-like exoplanet
If the first interstellar visitor were a shard of nitrogen ice, it would explain some of its unusual behavior when it passed through our solar system.
- Genetics
‘The Code Breaker’ tells the story of CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna
In his latest book, Walter Isaacson chronicles the discovery of CRISPR and delves into the ethics of gene editing.
