All Stories
- Health & Medicine
‘Outbreak’ puts the life cycle of an epidemic on display
At the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the exhibit “Outbreak” highlights how infectious diseases shape our world.
- Genetics
What consumer DNA data can and can’t tell you about your risk for certain diseases
Consumers face lots of choices and unanswered questions when they get personal genomic information related to disease risk from the Internet.
- Health & Medicine
Blame opioids for a fifth of young adult deaths in the United States
Of young adults aged 25 to 34 who died in 2016, 20 percent of those deaths were opioid-related.
- Particle Physics
Mysterious neutrino surplus hints at the existence of new particles
Neutrinos show up in greater numbers than expected in an experiment, possibly bolstering the idea of a fourth type of the particle.
- Astronomy
A neutron star crash may have spawned a black hole
The neutron collision that took the astronomical community by storm last year probably created a black hole, researchers say.
- Tech
Future smart clothes could pack serious gadgetry
Casual daywear may someday contain some serious tech. But engineers have to take conventional electronics and make them comfortable to wear.
- Neuroscience
Here’s why scientists are questioning whether ‘sonic attacks’ are real
Sonic attacks would be hard to pull off and a terrible way of incapacitating diplomats, experts say.
- Planetary Science
Never-before-seen dunes on Pluto spotted in New Horizons images
Images from the New Horizons spacecraft reveal dunes on Pluto — but the sand-sized grains must have had an unusual boost to get moving.
- Health & Medicine
Experts advise: Start colorectal screening at 45, not 50
The American Cancer Society recommends that colorectal screening begin at the age of 45 for average-risk individuals.
- Astronomy
Two-faced star reveals a pulsar’s surprising bulk
An ultramassive pulsar is frying its stellar companion so that the star shows two different temperatures.
- Genetics
Guidelines call for limits to whole genome testing for fetuses
Powerful tests offer unprecedented detail about fetal genomes. But whole-genome tests aren’t ready for widespread use yet, doctors caution.
- Environment
Treating roads with oil and gas wastewater may spread harmful pollution
When spread on roads, wastewater from oil and gas production can leach radium and other contaminants into the environment, a new study finds.
