Science & Society
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
A shadowy market for weight-loss drugs has emerged online
People are buying semaglutide and tirzepatide, the key ingredients in Ozempic and Zepbound, from unconventional sources. Doctors have safety concerns.
- Neuroscience
Memory manipulation is the stuff of sci-fi. Someday it could be real
Experiments point to how scientists can strengthen or weaken memories, which may eventually lead to treatments for Alzheimer’s disease or PTSD.
- Health & Medicine
How U.S. public health cuts could raise risks of infectious diseases
Deep funding cuts and widespread layoffs impact everything from local public health outreach to global disease surveillance, making us more vulnerable, experts warn.
- Physics
Calls to restart nuclear weapons tests stir dismay and debate among scientists
Many scientists say “subcritical” experiments and computer simulations make nuclear weapons testing unnecessary.
- Genetics
What 23andMe’s bankruptcy means for your genetic data
As 23andMe prepares to be sold, Science News spoke with two experts about what’s at stake and whether consumers should delete their genetic data.
- Climate
Buying carbon credits to fight climate change? Here’s what to know
Carbon credits sold on the voluntary market are under scrutiny for not offsetting greenhouse gas emissions as claimed.
- Health & Medicine
Brain implants don’t change a person’s sense of self. Hear why
In the fifth episode of The Deep End, volunteers describe what it’s like to live with the stigma of depression and the treatments they seek for it.
- Science & Society
5 years after COVID-19 became a pandemic, are we ready for what’s next?
We’ve learned a lot about COVID-19 over the last five years, but big questions remain. Recent federal actions may hinder the disease’s management.
- Science & Society
It’s ‘personal.’ What the Stand Up for Science rally meant for attendees
Stand Up for Science rallies in Washington, D.C., and across the United States drew crowds of people worried about cuts to scientific funding.
- Astronomy
Citizen scientists make cosmic discoveries with a global telescope network
On balconies and in backyards, Wi-Fi–enabled telescopes are connecting astronomy enthusiasts across six continents.
- Science & Society
Married men are doing more cleaning and laundry than in the past
Some scholars argue that efforts to equalize the time men and women spend on housework has stalled. An analysis reveals slow progress.
- Animals
How a puffin patrol in Iceland is saving the iconic seabirds
Light pollution disorients young puffins. The Puffling Patrol helps them find their way to the sea.
