Science & Society
- Animals
Part donkey, part wild ass, the kunga is the oldest known hybrid bred by humans
Syria’s 4,500-year-old kungas were donkey-wild ass hybrids, genetic analysis reveals, so the earliest known example of humans crossing animal species.
- Science & Society
Why do some people succeed when others fail? Outliers provide clues
A close look at outliers — people or communities that defy expectations — reveals what could be.
- Science & Society
How some of 2021’s major science stories evolved over time
Tulsa massacre analysis and a genetically modified mosquito release are two important updates to 2021 stories.
- Science & Society
6 surprising records science set in 2021
Ancient mammoth DNA and a new source of gravitational waves set new records this year.
- Health & Medicine
These are the viruses that mRNA vaccines may take on next
Now that mRNA vaccines have proved effective against the coronavirus, scientists are taking aim at influenza, HIV and other viruses.
- Health & Medicine
Why it matters that health agencies finally said the coronavirus is airborne
Recognizing that the coronavirus spreads through the air reinforced the importance of wearing masks and altered public health recommendations.
- Health & Medicine
In 2021, COVID-19 vaccines were put to the test. Here’s what we learned
Vaccines can’t single-handedly end the pandemic, but they are still essential in the fight against the coronavirus.
- Science & Society
These are Science News’ favorite books of 2021
Our favorite books covered the Big Bang theory, human evolution, gene editing, how to define life, pseudoscience and more.
- Health & Medicine
A massive 8-year effort finds that much cancer research can’t be replicated
A project aiming to reproduce nearly 200 top cancer experiments found only a quarter could be replicated.
- Climate
Climate change could make Virginia’s Tangier Island uninhabitable by 2051
Tangier Island could be lost to rising seas sooner than previously realized. Whether to save the island or move its residents remains undecided.
- Science & Society
How missing data makes it harder to measure racial bias in policing
Police officers rarely record nonevents, such as drawing a gun without firing. Failing to account for that missing information can obscure racial bias.
- Life
‘Life as We Made It’ charts the past and future of genetic tinkering
A new book shatters illusions that human meddling with nature has only just begun.
