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Paleontology

Insects had flashy, noise-making wings as early as 310 million years ago

The structure of a grasshopper-like insect’s fossilized wing suggests it crackled and reflected light, perhaps to attract mates or warn off predators.

Health & Medicine

Millions of kids have missed routine vaccines thanks to COVID-19

Missed shots due to the pandemic may have cut vaccination rates for measles, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis to their lowest levels in over a decade.

Animals

Would dogs return the favor if you gave them treats? It’s complicated

An experiment in which dogs did not reciprocate food giving with humans may reveal something about the dogs, or about how science is done.

Animals

Climate change may rob male dragonfly wings of their dark spots

Less colorful, cooler wings may be advantageous to dragonflies in a warmer world. But the change could mess with the insects’ mating.

Earth

Mixing trees and crops can help both farmers and the climate

Agriculture is a major driver of climate change and biodiversity loss. But integrating trees into farming practices can boost food production, store carbon and save species.

Animals

Froghoppers are the super-suckers of the animal world

To feed on plant xylem sap, a nutrient-poor liquid locked away under negative pressure, froghoppers have to suck harder than any known creature.

Climate

Hurricanes may not be becoming more frequent, but they’re still more dangerous

A new study suggests that there aren’t more hurricanes now than there were roughly 150 years ago.

Humans

‘The Joy of Sweat’ will help you make peace with perspiration

Dripping with science and history, a new book by science journalist Sarah Everts seeks to take the stigma off sweat.

Climate

The first step in using trees to slow climate change: Protect the trees we have

In all the fuss over planting trillions of trees, we need to protect the forests that already exist.

Animals

Dogs tune into people in ways even human-raised wolves don’t

Puppies outpace wolf pups at engaging with humans, even with less exposure to people, supporting the idea that domestication has wired dogs’ brains.

Earth

Satellites show how a massive lake in Antarctica vanished in days

Within six days, an Antarctic lake with twice the volume of San Diego Bay drained away, leaving a deep sinkhole filled with fractured ice.

Science & Society

How science overlooks Asian Americans

Existing scientific datasets fail to capture details on Asian Americans, making it hard to assess the group’s overall well-being.