5,016 results
- Space
How brightly the moon glows is a mystery, but maybe not for long
The best estimates for the moon’s brightness are still somewhat unsure. A new experiment is trying to fix that.
- Life
A glowing zebrafish wins the 2020 Nikon Small World photography contest
The annual competition features snapshots that use microscopy to reveal some of Earth’s smallest hidden marvels.
- Space
December’s stunning Geminid meteor shower is born from a humble asteroid
Most meteor showers arise from comets, but the robust Geminid shower comes from an asteroid, Phaethon, which scientists are still trying to figure out.
- Health & Medicine
Readers seek answers to stories about shingles, Neandertal spears and more
Readers had questions about Neandertal spears, Earth’s inner core and more.
- Physics
How understanding nature made the atomic bomb inevitable
On the anniversary of Hiroshima, here’s a look back at the chain reaction of basic discoveries that led to nuclear weapons.
- Health & Medicine
As 2020 comes to an end, here’s what we still don’t know about COVID-19
After making fast progress understanding COVID-19, researchers are still in search of answers.
- Space
To rehearse Perseverance’s mission, scientists pretended to be a Mars rover
Seven Mars scientists pretended to be the Mars Perseverance rover on a training exercise in the Nevada desert.
- Science & Society
Seeking a panacea in the gut’s microbiome
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses the potential role of the gut microbiome in Parkinson's disease and one reporter's connection to the story.
- Science & Society
‘A Polar Affair’ delves into a centurylong cover-up of penguin sex
In a new book, Lloyd Spencer Davis seeks to understand why an Antarctic explorer kept some of his penguin observations a secret.
- Science & Society
This COVID-19 pandemic timeline shows how fast the coronavirus took over our lives
Look back on how the coronavirus pandemic took over 2020 and how efforts to fight back evolved.
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General relativity reshaped our universe
Our cosmos is home to space-bending beasts, dramatic collisions and mysterious forces.
- Health & Medicine
COVID-19 is hitting some patients with obesity particularly hard
Doctors say some of their sickest COVID-19 patients are young and obese. One study shows they have higher rates of hospital admission and death.
