All Stories

  1. Health & Medicine

    AI could take medical imaging to the next level 

    Artificial intelligence in medical imaging is taking off. Experts share what they see as the promise — and potential pitfalls — of AI technology.

    By
  2. Plants

    This tentacled, parasitic ‘fairy lantern’ plant is new to science

    The bizarre new plant from Malaysia parasitizes subterranean fungi and only briefly erupts from the soil to flower.

    By
  3. Celebrating the second law of thermodynamics

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute talks about the history and enduring mysteries of the second law of thermodynamics.

    By
  4. Readers react to a rare visual disorder, microplastics in arteries and more

    By
  5. Quantum Physics

    Physicists measured Earth’s rotation using quantum entanglement

    The experiment is a step toward testing how quantum physics interfaces with gravity.

    By
  6. Paleontology

    Early ants may have had complex social lives, fossil data suggests

    The earliest ants may have been primed for a highly social life — 100 million years ago, the insects had antennae tuned to key communication functions.

    By
  7. Climate

    The Arctic is warming rapidly. These clouds may hold clues as to why

    Climate simulations can’t fully handle towering Arctic thunderclouds. So scientists have been flying a C-130 into and around the clouds to learn more.

    By
  8. Health & Medicine

    A malaria drug could be used to treat PCOS, a common hormone disorder

    Artemisinin is known to be effective against malaria, lupus, cancer and now possibly polycystic ovarian syndrome.

    By
  9. Paleontology

    ‘Echidnapus’ hints at a lost age of egg-laying mammals

    The fossil discoveries double the number of known monotreme species during the Cretaceous Period.

    By
  10. Physics

    The second law of thermodynamics underlies nearly everything. But is it inviolable?

    Two centuries on, scientists are still seeking a proof of the Second Law and why heat always flows from hot to cold.

    By
  11. Anthropology

    Child sacrifices at famed Maya site were all boys, many closely related

    DNA analysis shows victims in one underground chamber at Chichén Itzá included twins, perhaps representing mythological figures.

    By
  12. Health & Medicine

    Long COVID finally gets a universal definition

    If broadly adopted, this inclusive description of long COVID will help legitimize the ongoing struggles millions of people are facing post-infection.

    By