Uncategorized
- Animals
Rumors of a ‘murder hornet’ apocalypse may have been exaggerated
Murder hornets sightings in the Pacific northwest inspired a mix of concern and delight.
- Animals
Clearing land to feed a growing human population will threaten thousands of species
Changing where, how and what food is grown could largely avoid biodiversity losses, scientists say.
- Climate
Wildfires, heat waves and hurricanes broke all kinds of records in 2020
Climate change did not take a break during the pandemic.
- Health & Medicine
How does the newly authorized Moderna COVID-19 vaccine compare to Pfizer’s?
The FDA has granted emergency use authorization to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, bringing the number of vaccines available in the United States to two.
- Animals
Bonobos, much like humans, show commitment to completing a joint task
Experiments with bonobos suggest that humans aren’t the only ones who can feel a sense of mutual responsibility toward other members of their species.
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After a year like no other, new challenges and hope
Editor in chief Nancy Shute reflects on covering COVID-19, the things we've learned along the way, and some of the stories that sparked joy this year.
- Science & Society
What will life be like after the coronavirus pandemic ends?
Researchers offer a range of perspectives on the possible long-term social consequences of COVID-19.
- Archaeology
Ivory from a 16th century shipwreck reveals new details about African elephants
Ivory from the sunken Portuguese trading ship Bom Jesus contains clues about elephant herds that once roamed Africa, and the people who hunted them.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, urea showed promise as a sickle-cell treatment
In 1970, scientists found the first treatment for sickle-cell disease. 50 years later, they’re trying to cure it with CRISPR.
- Science & Society
From Elvis worms to the Milky Way’s edge, these science stories sparked joy in 2020
During a gloomy year dominated by a pandemic, these scientific discoveries were reminders that we live in a world of wonder.
- Animals
A mink in Utah is the first known case of the coronavirus in a wild animal
A U.S. mink is so far the only known free-ranging animal to have contracted the coronavirus and likely got infected from a nearby mink farm.
- Animals
These Arctic squirrels recycle bits of their own bodies to survive winter
Arctic squirrels not only slow their metabolism while hibernating, but also harvest crucial substances from their muscles.
