SECRET WEAPON Elephants have some unique defenses against cancer, including a once-dormant gene that plays a role in killing damaged cells before they have a chance to turn cancerous.
matthieu Gallet/Shutterstock
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Magazine
In the Aug. 4 SN: Money’s murky origins, computer programs expose fake news, one neutrino’s journey, early Texas toolmakers, electric fields cue spider flight, pregnant male sharks, baby planet pics and more.
RARING TO GO The Parker Solar Probe is shown here on July 16, 2018, mounted atop the final rocket stage that will take it to the sun and next to part of the casing that will protect it during launch. The probe is set to launch from Cape Canaveral on August 11.
Ed Whitman/JHU-APL/NASA
LIGHTING THE DARK A feeble glare known as intracluster light traces the location of dark matter within galaxy clusters such as Abell S1063 (shown).
J. Lotz/STScl, ESA, NASA
OUT OF THE ORDINARY Two new books take readers on a tour of the mind by exploring brains that do things in different ways.
Radachynskyi Serhii/Shutterstock
Science News
News
Here’s what robots could learn from fire ants
Fire ants’ secret to success is prioritizing efficiency over fairness. Robot teams could use that strategy to work more efficiently in tight, crowded quarters.
News in Brief
A filter that turns saltwater into freshwater just got an upgrade
Smoothing out a material used in desalination filters could help combat worldwide water shortages.
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50 Years Ago
In 1968, scientists tried taming hurricanes
For over 20 years, the U.S. government tried to subdue hurricanes through cloud seeding, with mixed results.
Feature
More than 2 billion people lack safe drinking water. That number will only grow.
By 2050, half the world’s population may no longer have safe water to drink or grow food. What then?
Feature
As waters rise, coastal megacities like Mumbai face catastrophe
For coastal megacities like Mumbai, rising seas and weather chaos linked with climate change threaten economic and social disaster.
Feature
Why sea level rise varies from place to place
The impact of global sea level rise varies regionally, thanks to these factors.
News in Brief
Cancer drugs may help the liver recover from common painkiller overdoses
Experimental anticancer drugs may help the liver recover after acetaminophen poisoning.
News
Children may be especially vulnerable to peer pressure from robots
Elementary school children often endorsed unanimous but inaccurate judgments made by small groups of robots.
News
Viruses may help phytoplankton make clouds — by tearing the algae apart
Sick phytoplankton shed their calcium carbonate plates more easily than their healthy counterparts, which could play a role in forming clouds.
News
A resurrected gene may protect elephants from cancer
Researchers have found another gene that may play a role in explaining elephants’ cancer resistance.
News
A new computer program generates eerily realistic fake videos
It’s getting harder to tell fact from fiction — even on camera.
Screentime
Scientists-turned-students guide viewers through ‘The Most Unknown’
In The Most Unknown, a film on Netflix, a research round robin leads to fascinating discussions about scientific questions.
News
Tiny bits of RNA can trigger pain and itchiness
Two microRNAs may shed light on the causes of nerve pain and itch.
Reviews & Previews
Strange brains offer a glimpse into the mind
A close look at unusual brains offers a way to understand how the human mind is constructed, two new books argue.
News
In the animal kingdom, what does it mean to be promiscuous?
A review of hundreds of scientific studies finds that the label “promiscuous” is applied to a surprisingly wide range of mating behaviors in animals.
News
The first gene-silencing drug wins FDA approval
The FDA just approved the first drug that works via RNA interference.
News in Brief
With launch looming, the Parker Solar Probe is ready for its star turn
The Parker Solar Probe is scheduled to launch on August 11 to become the first spacecraft to touch the sun.
Film
What ‘The Meg’ gets wrong — and right — about megalodon sharks
A paleobiologist helps Science News separate shark fact from fiction in the new Jason Statham film The Meg.
News
A faint glow found between galaxies could be a beacon for dark matter
Intracluster light may help reveal where dark matter resides within galaxy clusters.
News
Pregnant women’s use of opioids is on the rise
The rate of opioid use during pregnancy more than quadrupled in 28 U.S. states, prompting physicians to call for increased screening.
News in Brief
Here’s how fast cell death can strike
Scientists have measured how quickly the signal to commit form of cellular suicide called apoptosis travels.
News
A ghost gene leaves ocean mammals vulnerable to some pesticides
Manatees, dolphins and other warm-blooded marine animals can't break down organophosphates due to genetic mutations that occurred long ago.
News
A newly approved drug could be a boon for treating malaria
Tafenoquine could help prevent the recurring form of malaria, but the drug may also be dangerous for people who have a certain genetic mutation.
News
New Horizons may have seen a glow at the solar system’s edge
New Horizons may have seen a hydrogen wall just past the edge of the solar system, where the solar wind meets the stuff of interstellar space.