Animals
Here’s the real story on jellyfish taking over the world
In 'Spineless,' a former marine scientist reconnects with the seas and science through her obsession with these enigmatic creatures.
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Cover Story
Defining ‘species’ is a fuzzy art
Here's why scientists still don't agree on what a species is.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Planetary Science
See a new mosaic of images of comet 67P from the Rosetta mission
A montage of images taken by the Rosetta spacecraft and its lander, Philae, recap the daring mission to comet 67P.
Notebook
Science & Society
Trauma surgeon studies gun violence stats — and was one
Joseph Sakran is trying to help counter the U.S. epidemic of gun violence with data.
Features
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Hybrids reveal the barriers to successful mating between species
Scientists don’t understand the process of speciation, but hybrids can reveal the genes that keep species apart.
More Stories from the November 11, 2017 issue
- Physics
Proton size still perplexes despite a new measurement
Study of hydrogen atoms supports the case for a smaller proton.
- Tech
New atomic clock is most precise yet
This next-gen atomic clock ticks at a steady beat, but time will tell just how well it tells time.
- Archaeology
Europe’s Stone Age fishers used beeswax to make a point
Late Stone Age Europeans made spears with beeswax adhesive.
- Tech
Superbugs may meet their match in these nanoparticles
Quantum dots and antibiotics hit bacteria with a one-two punch.
- Astronomy
Oddball dwarf planet Haumea has a ring
The dwarf planet Haumea is now the most distant ringed object spotted in the solar system.
- Health & Medicine
In many places around the world, obesity in kids is on the rise
The last 40 years saw a big leap in obesity among children, totaling an estimated 124 million boys and girls in 2016.
- Tech
Watch this cuttlefish-inspired ‘skin’ morph into a 3-D shape
New silicone material mimics cephalopod shape-shifting for quick camouflage.
- Astronomy
Neutron star collision showers the universe with a wealth of discoveries
A collision of neutron stars was spotted with gravitational waves for the first time. Telescopes captured gamma rays, visible light and more from the smashup.
- Animals
To understand the origins of pain, ask a flatworm
A danger-sensing protein responds to hydrogen peroxide in planarians, results that hint at the evolutionary origins of people’s pain sensing.
- Earth
How volcanoes may have ended the dynasty of Ptolemy and Cleopatra
Volcanic ash in polar ice reveal a link between eruptions and the timing of revolts in Cleopatra’s Egypt.
- Artificial Intelligence
The newest AlphaGo mastered the game with no human input
AlphaGo Zero is the first AI system of its kind to learn the game just by playing against itself.
- Life
The physics of mosquito takeoffs shows why you don’t feel a thing
Even when full of blood, mosquitoes use more wing force than leg force to escape a host undetected — clue to why they’re so good at spreading disease.
- Life
The next wave of bird flu could be worse than ever
Deadly bird flu can pass between ferrets through the air.
- Genetics
Doubling up on ‘junk DNA’ helps make us human
DNA duplicated only in humans may contribute to human traits and disease.
- Genetics
Mating with Neandertals reintroduced ‘lost’ DNA into modern humans
Neandertal DNA brought back some old genetic heirlooms to modern humans.
- Genetics
Inbreeding hurts the next generation’s reproductive success
Inbreeding has evolutionary consequences for humans.
- Ecosystems
Invasive species are a growing global threat
'The Aliens Among Us' describes how invasive species are colonizing — and disrupting — ecosystems worldwide.
- Health & Medicine
Zika hasn’t been in the news much, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone
Cases of Zika have dropped as more people become exposed, but the virus will likely emerge again in the future.
- Paleontology
This giant marsupial was a seasonal migrant
A new analysis suggests that Diprotodon optatum, a giant plant-eating marsupial that went extinct about 40,000 years ago, migrated long distances, much like today’s zebras and wildebeests.
- Astronomy
Measured distance within the Milky Way gives clues to what our galaxy looks like
Astronomers used an old but challenging technique to directly measure the distance to a star on the opposite side of the galaxy for the first time.
