All Stories
- Physics
Can time travel survive a theory of everything?
It’s not yet clear whether a theory that unites general relativity and quantum mechanics would permit time travel.
- Plants
Why tumbleweeds may be more science fiction than Old West
A tumbleweed is just a maternal plant corpse giving her living seeds a chance at a good life somewhere new.
- Life
We’ve lost 3 billion birds since 1970 in North America
Scientists estimated the change in total number of individual birds since 1970. They found profound losses spread among rare and common birds alike.
- Humans
Alcohol-producing bacteria could cause liver disease in some people
A majority of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease also had gut bacteria churning out medium to high levels of ethanol.
- Humans
Ancient DNA reveals the first glimpse of what a Denisovan may have looked like
A controversial technique reconstructs a teenage Denisovan’s physical appearance from genetics.
- Health & Medicine
1 in 4 U.S. high school seniors has vaped recently — up 4.5 percentage points from 2018
A 2019 survey finds the number of high school and middle school students who report using e-cigarettes recently continues to grow.
- Physics
A new experiment slashes the maximum possible mass of tiny neutrinos
The KATRIN experiment suggests that the tiny subatomic particles have masses a minuscule fraction of an electron’s.
- Climate
Expanding ice slabs are increasing Greenland’s contribution to sea level rise
Since 2001, melting and refreezing have created vast ice layers near the surface that could drastically amp up meltwater runoff and sea level rise.
- Humans
Babies born by C-section have more potentially infectious bacteria in their guts
Microbial mixes in babies’ guts differ depending on birth method.
- Health & Medicine
Mucus prevents hand sanitizers from quickly killing the flu
Flu viruses can hold out for minutes against ethanol when encased in wet mucus.
- Astronomy
How an astrophysicist chased a star from the Halo games to real life
Julián Alvarado Gómez has devoted his career to a star called Iota Horologii. His former life as a Halo video gamer helps fuel that devotion.
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Finding the stories and growing the next crop of science journalists
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses how an intern wrote about 3-D printed guns.
