Feature

Life

Life on Earth may have begun in hostile hot springs

What researchers learn at hot springs and seafloor vents may guide the search for life on icy moons and Mars.

Animals

Cheap, innovative venom treatments could save tens of thousands of snakebite victims

Momentum is building to finally tackle a neglected health problem that strikes poor, rural communities.

Agriculture

How does a crop’s environment shape a food’s smell and taste?

Scientific explorations of terroir — the soil, climate and orientation in which crops grow — hint at influences on flavors and aromas.

Computing

How next-gen computer generated maps detect partisan gerrymandering

The U.S. census will trigger a new round of redistricting beginning in 2021. Researchers have developed numerous tests to identify gerrymandering.

Humans

Puberty can repair the brain’s stress responses after hardship early in life

Puberty may erase the shadow of trauma for children who had a difficult start.

Earth

Improved three-week weather forecasts could save lives from disaster

Meteorologists are pushing to make forecasts good enough to fill the gap between short-term and seasonal.

Psychology

Why do we miss the rituals put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Even solitary rituals bind us to our groups and help calm anxieties. What happens when those traditions are upended?

Anthropology

Better playground design could help kids get more exercise

Playgrounds designed for imaginative play can make a difference in how much kids move

Ecosystems

To save Appalachia’s endangered mussels, scientists hatched a bold plan

Biologists have just begun to learn whether their bold plan worked to save the golden riffleshell, a freshwater mussel teetering on the brink of extinction.

Planetary Science

NASA’s Perseverance rover will seek signs of past life on Mars

NASA’s Perseverance rover will collect rocks and search for past life on Mars using lasers and zoomable cameras among other instruments.

Space

What will astronauts need to survive the dangerous journey to Mars?

Going to Mars, astronauts will need protections from microgravity and radiation, plus miniature medical devices to diagnose problems and help handle emergencies.

Planetary Science

How upcoming missions to Mars will help predict its wild dust storms

Predicting the weather on Mars is essential for landing and keeping rovers — or astronauts — safe on the surface. The next Mars missions will give forecasts a boost.