News
- Health & Medicine
How to choose a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot
To help you choose between the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 boosters, one reporter looked to the evidence and consulted experts.
- Earth
Earth’s lower atmosphere is rising due to climate change
In the Northern Hemisphere, the upper boundary of the troposphere, the slice of sky closest to the ground, rose 50 to 60 meters a decade from 1980 to 2020.
- Space
Here’s what the next 10 years of space science could look like
In the latest Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey, astronomers have their sights set on a whole fleet of next-generation space telescopes.
- Anthropology
A child’s partial skull adds to the mystery of how Homo naledi treated the dead
The isolated discovery of a Homo naledi child’s skull fragments and teeth plays into idea that small-brained species ritually placed the dead in caves.
- Animals
Baleen whales eat (and poop) a lot more than we realized
The sheer volume of food that some whales eat and then excrete suggests the animals shape ecosystems to a much larger degree than previously thought.
- Physics
Neutron star collisions probably make more gold than other cosmic smashups
Smashups of two neutron stars produce more heavy elements than when a black hole swallows a neutron star, calculations suggest.
- Planetary Science
Pluto’s dark side reveals clues to its atmosphere and frost cycles
Light from Pluto’s moon Charon illuminated the dwarf planet’s farside offering clues about how nitrogen cycles between its surface and its atmosphere.
- Space
A rush to watch a supernova exposed its last gasp before exploding
By studying the final years of stars, scientists hope to find clues to help them recognize when other stars are about to blow.
- Materials Science
Lithium-ion batteries made with recycled materials can outlast newer counterparts
Batteries with recycled cathodes outperformed batteries with new cathodes, lasting for thousands more charging cycles before their capacity waned.
- Life
Gene-edited stem cells help geckos regrow more perfect tails
Regenerated gecko tails are a far cry from perfect. Now experiments have coaxed geckos to regrow better ones with nerve tissue and bonelike cartilage.
- Health & Medicine
What parents need to know about Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11
Federal health officials authorized the Pfizer vaccine for this age group on October 29.
- Math
An elusive equation describing bird eggs of all shapes has been found at last
A new mathematical equation describes bird eggs of all shapes found in nature, and it could have applications in food and agricultural research.
