Science NewsThe 2004 tsunami killed hundreds of thousands. Are we better prepared now?Twenty years after the deadliest wave in recorded history, most oceans have warning systems and communities have learned how best to escape the danger.Dec 11, 2024
Science NewsThe benefits of Ozempic and its kin may extend far beyond weight lossStudies suggest that semaglutide reduces heart attack and stroke and may curb addiction and more. Scientists reflect on the future of GLP-1 drugs beyond weight loss.Dec 11, 2024
Science NewsU.S. hospitals continue to shut down labor and delivery servicesMore than half of rural hospitals and more than one-third of urban hospitals did not offer labor and delivery services in 2022.Dec 11, 2024
Science NewsThe screams of thirsty plants may prompt some moths to lay eggs elsewhereFemale moths may pick up on the ultrasonic wailing of distressed plants and opt to lay their eggs on different, healthier plants.Dec 11, 2024
Science NewsSome countries have eliminated malaria, but cases are growing elsewhereEgypt was added to the list of malaria-free places in 2024, but climate change, conflict and other threats could increase cases especially in Africa.Dec 11, 2024
Science NewsThe best science books of 2024Books about killer asteroids, human consciousness, nuclear weapons and the collapse of the Late Bronze Age were among our top reads this year.Dec 10, 2024
Science NewsDuring an allergic response, some immune cells digest othersMast cells lure and trap other immune cells during allergic reactions, using their compounds to increase inflammation in a process dubbed nexocytosisDec 10, 2024
Science NewsThe oldest known ritual chamber in the Middle East has been foundEngravings and other evidence suggest ancient humans attended religious ceremonies in the cave as early as 37,000 years ago.Dec 09, 2024
Science NewsGenerative AI is an energy hog. Is the tech worth the environmental cost?Generative AI and the hype around it has rung in excitement and alarm bells this year. Here’s how to consider climate, energy and AI's intersection.Dec 09, 2024
Science NewsA squid-inspired medical device could reduce the need for needlesThe device, which directs a liquid by mimicking squids’ high-pressure jets, could provide alternative delivery methods for injectable drugs.Dec 09, 2024
Science NewsProposed time limits on anesthesia may have jeopardized patient safetyBlue Cross Blue Shield’s now rescinded plan to put time limits on anesthesia put a spotlight on a poorly understood profession.Dec 06, 2024
Science NewsNotre Dame is reopening. What does that mean for its acoustics? Researcher Brian Katz is studying the acoustics of the Paris cathedral and how it’s been altered throughout the centuries.Dec 06, 2024
Science NewsSpace missions spanned the solar system in 2024Humankind accomplished new feats in space this year, including scooping up some of the moon’s farside and launching a probe to Jupiter’s moon Europa.Dec 06, 2024
Science NewsAstronomers detect the first astrosphere around a sunlike starFinding a bubble of hot gas blown by the stellar wind from a young star gives researchers a peek at what our sun was like when it was young.Dec 06, 2024
Science NewsHow the weight loss drug tirzepatide is also helping heart failure patientsData continue to show that tirzepatide, called Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss, is safe and effective, but side effects remain.Dec 06, 2024
Science NewsClimate change made 2024 the hottest year on record. The heat was deadlyHeat waves fueled by climate change killed scores of people and upended daily life. Here are some of those stories.Dec 05, 2024
Science NewsMeet a scientist tracking cactus poaching in the Atacama DesertBotanist Pablo Guerrero has been visiting Atacama cacti all his life. They’re not adapting well to a drier climate, booming mining and plant collection.Dec 05, 2024
Science NewsClimate stress may undermine male spiders’ romantic gift givingEven spider love lives show an effect of climate uncertainty: Stressed males may offer a bit of silk-wrapped junk rather than a tasty insect treat.Dec 05, 2024
Science NewsA spacecraft duo will fly in formation to create artificial solar eclipsesESA’s Proba-3 mission will use one satellite to block out the sun for another satellite, bringing the sun’s middle corona into new focus.Dec 05, 2024
Science NewsDietary evidence bolsters Clovis hunters’ reputation as mammoth killersMammoths made up as much as 40 percent of the ancient North Americans’ diet, a chemical analysis of human remains reveals.Dec 04, 2024
Science NewsClimate change is driving trees away from crucial fungiWithout a fungal support network, trees can lose their ability to adapt to changing climatic conditions, increasing their extinction risk.Dec 04, 2024
Science NewsNew videos reveal the hidden lives of Andean bearsThe footage give clues to the range of plants the bears eat and how they mate, information important for conservation.Dec 04, 2024
Science NewsHere’s how long it would take 100 worms to eat the plastic in one face maskAn experiment reveals that a bio-solution to humans’ microplastics mess is likely to fall short, but could inspire other ways to attack the problem.Dec 04, 2024
Science NewsStarchy nanofibers shatter the record for world’s thinnest pastaThe fibers, made from white flour and formic acid, average just 372 nanometers in diameter and might find use in biodegradable bandages.Dec 03, 2024
Science NewsEthiopian wolves are the first large carnivores found to slurp nectarWolves from three different packs were seen licking red hot poker flowers. That sweet tooth could make them the first known large predator pollinators.Dec 03, 2024
Science NewsAn unexpected ice collapse hints at worrying changes on the Antarctic coastThe Conger Ice Shelf disintegrated in 2022. Satellite data leading up to the collapse hint at worrying changes in a supposedly stable ice sheet.Dec 03, 2024
Science NewsNeandertals may have built a hearth specifically to make tarFindings from a cave in Gibraltar suggests Neandertals may have used complex fire structures to obtain adhesives from plants.Dec 02, 2024
Science NewsElectronic ‘tattoos’ offer an alternative to electrodes for brain monitoringA standard EEG test requires electrodes that come with pitfalls. A spray-on ink, capable of carrying electrical signals, avoids some of those.Dec 02, 2024
Science NewsGiant hornets have been sighted in Europe for the first timeFour southern giant hornets have turned up in Spain. Similar stingers, known for honeybee attacks, had the Pacific Northwest on edge a few years ago.Dec 02, 2024
Science NewsReaders ask about glowing bat toes and a rare particle decayToe-tally mysterious Hairs on the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats light up under ultraviolet light, but the reason is unknown, Jason Bittel reported in “Mexican free-tailed bats’ toes glow in the dark” (SN: 8/28/24). Reader Eleanor...Nov 30, 2024
Science NewsRe-engineering where body meets machineEditor in chief Nancy Shute dives into growing research efforts to re-engineer the body to improve how it interacts with prosthetic devices.Nov 30, 2024
Science News50 years ago, physics underwent a major revolutionThe discovery of new subatomic particles cemented quarks as a cornerstone of the standard model of particle physics.Nov 29, 2024
Science NewsA new biography of Benjamin Franklin puts science at the forefrontRichard Munson’s new book, Ingenious, shows how scientific research inspired the founding father’s diplomacy.Nov 29, 2024
Science NewsVideos capture orcas’ tricks for taking down the largest fish on EarthCitizen science videos document for the first time how orcas coordinate an attack against whale sharks.Nov 29, 2024
Science NewsFootprints offer a rare look at ancient human relatives crossing pathsThe imprints put flat-footed and arched-foot walkers together at a prime spot in East Africa.Nov 28, 2024
Science NewsWhat will it take to defend the world from an asteroid?In How to Kill an Asteroid, Robin George Andrews looks at the successes and shortcomings of planetary defense.Nov 28, 2024
Science NewsSluggish proteins may underpin aging and chronic diseaseSticky, sluggish proteins with “proteolethargy” may be a common denominator underpinning life’s ailments.Nov 27, 2024
Science NewsCervical cancer deaths are plummeting among young U.S. womenA new study shows a steep drop in cervical cancer deaths among the first cohort of women who were eligible for the HPV vaccine.Nov 27, 2024
Science NewsThis ‘hidden figure’ of entomology fought for civil rightsMargaret S. Collins, the first Black American female entomologist to earn a Ph.D., overcame sexism and racism to become a termite expert.Nov 27, 2024
Science NewsLike brain cells, kidney cells can ‘remember’Scientists found memory’s molecular machinery at work in cells outside the nervous system.Nov 26, 2024
Science NewsChina’s famously rich dinosaur fossil beds get a new origins storyCave-ins and floods may have buried the Cretaceous creatures of the fossil Jehol Biota rather than volcanic eruptions, a new study claims.Nov 26, 2024
Science NewsFrom electric cars to wildfires, how Trump may affect climate actionsTrump’s first term, campaign pledges and nominees point to how efforts to address climate change and environmental issues may fare.Nov 25, 2024
Science NewsDengue is classified as an urban disease. Mosquitoes don’t careInfectious diseases are often labeled “urban” or “rural.” Applying political labels to public health misses who is at risk, experts argue.Nov 25, 2024
Science NewsRefurbished heart pacemakers work like new“Old” pacemakers may still work for years, so doctors are refurbishing used devices and donating them to patients in low- and middle-income countries.Nov 22, 2024
Science NewsAncient Central Americans built a massive fish-trapping systemEarthen channels directed fish into ponds that formed seasonally, providing a dietary bounty for Maya civilizations starting around 4,000 years ago.Nov 22, 2024
Science NewsSatellite space junk might wreak havoc on the stratosphereHundreds of defunct satellites plunge toward Earth every year. Scientists are studying how the chemical stew left in their wake impacts the atmosphere.Nov 22, 2024
Science NewsScientists identify a long-sought by-product of some drinking water treatmentsChlorine-based water treatments create many by-products, but one has been elusive. Its identification sets the stage for studying its health effects.Nov 21, 2024
Science NewsFor adult chimps, playing may be more important than previously thoughtA multiyear study of dozens of wild, adult chimps suggests that play helps reduce tension and boost cooperation among individuals.Nov 21, 2024
Science NewsThis is the first close-up image of a star beyond our galaxyThe first-ever close-up of an extragalactic star looks different than expected and might give a view of what stars look like at the end of their lives.Nov 21, 2024
Science NewsMars’ potato-shaped moons could be the remains of a shredded asteroidPhobos and Deimos could have formed from asteroid debris, a new study suggests. An upcoming sample return mission will help test the idea.Nov 20, 2024
