Notebook
- Climate
Some trees are coping with extreme heat surprisingly well
Rising temperatures could reduce trees' ability to photosynthesize. Scientists are trying to figure out just how close we are to that point.
- Astronomy
Citizen scientists make cosmic discoveries with a global telescope network
On balconies and in backyards, Wi-Fi–enabled telescopes are connecting astronomy enthusiasts across six continents.
- Health & Medicine
These scientists have a plan to demystify the vaginal microbiome
Vaginal microbes play a huge role in overall health, but researchers know relatively little about them. Citizen science could help change that.
- Psychology
Breaking negative thought patterns could ward off anxiety, depression
Getting stuck in a negative loop is part of many mental health disorders. A new therapy focuses more on these thought patterns than the thoughts themselves.
- Ecosystems
Like flyways for birds, we need to map swimways for fish
Mapping fish migration routes and identifying threats is crucial to protecting freshwater species and their habitats, ecologists argue.
- Health & Medicine
Obesity needs a new definition beyond BMI, health experts argue
Experts say clinical obesity is more than a high BMI and instead is a disease in which excess body fat harms tissues, organs or doing daily activities.
- Space
50 years ago, astronomers saw the surface of a distant star for the first time
In the 1970s, technological advances let scientists peer through stars’ atmospheres. Now, scientists can measure roiling gas in the stars themselves.
- Health & Medicine
During an allergic response, some immune cells digest others
Mast cells lure and trap other immune cells during allergic reactions, using their compounds to increase inflammation in a process dubbed nexocytosis
- Plants
Meet a scientist tracking cactus poaching in the Atacama Desert
Botanist Pablo Guerrero has been visiting Atacama cacti all his life. They’re not adapting well to a drier climate, booming mining and plant collection.
- Particle Physics
50 years ago, physics underwent a major revolution
The discovery of new subatomic particles cemented quarks as a cornerstone of the standard model of particle physics.
- Health & Medicine
Dengue is classified as an urban disease. Mosquitoes don’t care
Infectious diseases are often labeled “urban” or “rural.” Applying political labels to public health misses who is at risk, experts argue.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, U.S. drinking water sparked health and safety concerns
The discovery of potential cancer-causing agents in tap water led to the Safe Drinking Water Act — a law that continues protecting public health.
