Science & Society
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, scientists warned of marijuana’s effects on the unborn
In 1969, scientists warned about prenatal marijuana exposure. Researchers today are still untangling drug’s effect on fetuses.
- Climate
How climate change is already altering oceans and ice, and what’s to come
A new IPCC report gives the lowdown on how climate change is already wreaking havoc on Earth’s oceans and frozen regions, and how much worse things could get.
- Science & Society
3-D printed ‘ghost guns’ pose new challenges for crime-scene investigators
Researchers are analyzing the ballistics of 3-D printed guns and the plastic they leave behind to help forensic scientists track these DIY weapons.
- Science & Society
How circling the globe has evolved in the 500 years since Magellan’s famous trip
Humankind has found new and improved ways to circle the globe in the five centuries since Magellan set sail.
- Science & Society
‘The Nature of Life and Death’ spotlights pollen’s role in solving crimes
In ‘The Nature of Life and Death,’ botanist Patricia Wiltshire recounts some of her most memorable cases.
- Humans
Culture helps shape when babies learn to walk
The culture in which a baby is raised can accelerate or slow down the development of early motor skills. Does it matter?
- Science & Society
‘End Times’ explores the catastrophic events that could kill us all
A new book looks at the threats that could wipe out humankind and what can be done to counteract them.
- Earth
Climate misinformation may be thriving on YouTube, a social scientist warns
Analyzing 200 climate-related videos on YouTube shows that a majority challenge widely accepted views about climate change and climate engineering.
- Science & Society
Murray Gell-Mann’s ‘totalitarian principle’ is the modern version of Plato’s plenitude
The ancient principle of plenitude is reborn in the modern belief that whatever can exist must exist.
- Science & Society
We’re closing down our comment section
Science News’ forthcoming website won’t feature comment sections on stories, but instead will invite e-mail feedback so readers can make their voices heard.
- Life
CRISPR enters its first human clinical trials
The gene editor will be used in lab dishes in cancer and blood disorder trials, and to directly edit a gene in human eyes in a blindness therapy test.
- Science & Society
How the 5 riskiest U.S. cities for coastal flooding are preparing for rising tides
The five U.S. cities most at risk of coastal flooding from rising sea levels are in various stages of preparedness.
