Science & Society
The Smithsonian’s ‘Deep Time’ exhibit gives dinosaurs new life
The Smithsonian’s renovated fossil hall puts ancient dinosaurs and other creatures in context.
Featured Articles in this Issue
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Cover Story
Measles erases the immune system’s memory
The measles virus can usher in other infections for months, or even years.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Health & Medicine
One number can help explain why measles is so contagious
The basic reproduction number, or "R naught," of measles shows how contagious the disease is compared with other pathogens.
Notebook
Physics
Here’s what causes the aurora-like glow known as STEVE
Amateur astronomer images and satellite data are revealing what causes the strange atmospheric glow called STEVE.
Features
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Finding common ground can reduce parents’ hesitation about vaccines
Physicians are examining whether discussing shared health goals can bring vaccine-hesitant parents on board.
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How the battle against measles varies around the world
Measles is a global health threat. Snapshots of several countries show how stopping its spread depends on local conditions and beliefs.
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The Southern Ocean may be less of a carbon sink than we thought
The Southern Ocean’s ability to suck up much of the carbon that humans pump into the atmosphere is in question.
More Stories from the June 8, 2019 issue
- Chemistry
Carbon plays a starring role in the new book ‘Symphony in C’
In Symphony in C, geophysicist Robert Hazen explores carbon’s ancient origins, its role in life and its importance in the modern world.
- Astronomy
50 years ago, scientists wanted to build solar panels on the moon
In 1969, scientists proposed building solar panels on the moon to convert the sun’s energy into electricity that can be used on Earth.
- Health & Medicine
Why war’s emotional wounds run deeper for some kids and not others
Researchers examine why war’s emotional wounds run deep in some youngsters, not others.
- Health & Medicine
A mysterious dementia that mimics Alzheimer’s gets named LATE
An underappreciated form of dementia that causes memory trouble in older people gets a name: LATE.
- Artificial Intelligence
An AI used art to control monkeys’ brain cells
Art created by an artificial intelligence exacts unprecedented control over nerve cells tied to vision in monkey brains, and could lead to new neuroscience experiments.
- Quantum Physics
Antimatter keeps with quantum theory. It’s both particle and wave
A new variation of the classic double-slit experiment confirms that antimatter, like normal matter, has wave-particle duality.
- Archaeology
An ancient pouch reveals the hallucinogen stash of an Andes shaman
South American shamans in the Andes Mountains carried mind-altering ingredients 1,000 years ago, a study finds.
- Paleontology
A tiny mystery dinosaur from New Mexico is officially T. rex’s cousin
A newly identified dinosaur species called Suskityrannus hazelae fills a gap in tyrannosaur lineage.
- Life
1 million species are under threat. Here are 5 ways we speed up extinctions
One million of the world’s plant and animal species are now under threat of extinction, a new report finds.
- Physics
What a nearby kilonova would look like
Physicists imagined what we’d see in the sky if two neutron stars collided just 1,000 light-years from Earth.
- Astronomy
Dying stars called collapsars may forge much of the universe’s gold
Spinning stars that collapse into black holes could help explain the origins of heavy elements such as gold and silver.
- Earth
Only a third of Earth’s longest rivers still run free
Mapping millions of kilometers of waterways shows that just 37 percent of rivers longer than 1,000 kilometers remain unchained by human activities.
- Animals
Deep-sea fishes’ eye chemistry might let them see colors in near darkness
An unexpected abundance of proteins for catching dim light evolved independently in three groups of weird deep-sea fishes.
- Planetary Science
Apollo-era moonquakes reveal that the moon may be tectonically active
Moonquakes recorded decades ago suggest the moon is tectonically active. Knowing more about that activity could help scientists identify where to land future spacecraft.
- Genetics
Tweaking one gene with CRISPR switched the way a snail shell spirals
The first gene-edited snails confirm which gene is responsible for the direction of the shell’s spiral.
- Planetary Science
China’s lunar rover may have found minerals from the moon’s mantle
The Chang’e-4 mission spotted material on the lunar surface that appears to contain bits originating from the moon’s interior.
- Animals
Some dog breeds may have trouble breathing because of a mutated gene
Norwich terriers don’t have flat snouts, but can suffer the same wheezing as bulldogs. It turns out that a gene mutation tied to swelling could be to blame.
- Animals
Vaccines may help bats fight white nose syndrome
Researchers are developing an oral vaccine that helps little brown bats survive the fungal disease white nose syndrome.
