Vol. 199 No. 9
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May 8, 2021 cover

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More Stories from the May 8, 2021 issue

  1. Particle Physics

    Muon magnetism could hint at a breakdown of physics’ standard model

    After two decades, a new measurement of the muon magnetic anomaly reinforces earlier hints that its value disagrees with standard physics.

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  2. Genetics

    Europe’s oldest known humans mated with Neandertals surprisingly often

    DNA from ancient fossils suggests interbreeding regularly occurred between the two species by about 45,000 years ago, two studies find.

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  3. Psychology

    People add by default even when subtraction makes more sense

    People default to addition when solving puzzles and problems, even when subtraction works better. That could underlie some modern-day excesses.

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  4. Anthropology

    A coronavirus epidemic may have hit East Asia about 25,000 years ago

    An ancient viral outbreak may have left a genetic mark in East Asians that possibly influences their responses to the virus that causes COVID-19.

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  5. Anthropology

    Ancient humans may have had apelike brains even after leaving Africa

    Modern humanlike brains may have evolved surprisingly late, about 1.7 million years ago, a new study suggests.

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  6. Paleontology

    The dinosaur-killing asteroid impact radically altered Earth’s tropical forests

    The asteroid impact fundamentally reset the nature of Earth’s tropical rainforests, decreasing diversity at first and making them permanently darker.

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  7. Life

    Yawning helps lions synchronize their groups’ movements

    A lion yawn is contagious, and when lions start yawning together, they start moving together. Synchronization may be key for group hunters like lions.

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  8. Climate

    A trek under Thwaites Glacier’s ice shelf reveals specific risks of warm water

    An underwater autonomous craft collected the first data on the chemistry of seawater eroding the icy underbelly of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier.

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  9. Planetary Science

    Earth sweeps up 5,200 tons of extraterrestrial dust each year

    Thousands of micrometeorites collected from Antarctica come from both comets and asteroids, a new study suggests.

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  10. Astronomy

    A record-breaking, oxygen-starved galaxy may be full of gigantic stars’ shrapnel

    The newly discovered galaxy may have once been home to stars more than 300 times as massive as the sun — a peek at conditions in the early universe.

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  11. Science & Society

    STEM’s racial, ethnic and gender gaps are still strikingly large

    Black and Hispanic professionals remain underrepresented in STEM, while women’s representation varies widely by STEM field, according to a new report.

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  12. Materials Science

    Microscopic images reveal the science and beauty of face masks

    Important insights into the particle-filtering properties of different fabrics also offer a sense of the unseen, textured world of face masks.

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  13. Earth

    A spike in Arctic lightning strikes may be linked to climate change

    Global warming may be revving up summer thunderstorms in the Arctic, leading to skyrocketing numbers of lightning strikes.

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  14. Life

    These are the 5 costliest invasive species, causing billions in damages

    Invasive species have cost the global economy at least $1 trillion since 1970 and $162.7 billion in 2017 alone. The annual cost is increasing.

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  15. Sponsored Content

    Conversations with Maya: Roald Hoffmann

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  16. 50 years ago, NASA relaxed quarantine rules for returning moon missions

    Fifty years after NASA declared that moon missions returning to Earth weren’t a contamination risk, protocols for planetary missions are under review.

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