News

  1. Humans

    Ideal Justice: Mathematicians judge the Supreme Court

    The current U.S. Supreme Court of nine judges behaves as if it were made up of 4.68 "ideal" justices who make their decisions completely independently, a mathematical analysis suggests.

    By Erica Klarreich
  2. Materials Science

    Easy Repair: Novel structural model heals with heat

    The vertebrate spine has provided inspiration for making new structures that heal when heated.

    By Jessica Gorman
  3. Earth

    Slow Turnover: Warming trend affects African ecosystem

    Over the past 90 years, rising water temperatures in Lake Tanganyika have led to dramatic losses of productivity among the microorganisms that form the base of the lake's food chain.

    By Sid Perkins
  4. Astronomy

    Solar Terrain: Revealing the sun’s complex topography

    The sharpest images of the sun ever taken, released last week, show our stellar neighbor’s rugged surface in new and surprising detail.