THIRSTY WORLD A child drinks water at a well in South Sudan, a country in which only half the population has ready access to clean drinking water.
Stefanie Glinski/AFP/Getty Images
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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.
OCEAN SPHERE Phytoplankton called Emiliania huxleyi (one shown) are covered in tiny calcium carbonate platelets. When infected with a virus, the algae lose the platelets quickly.
The Natural History Museum, London/Science Source
SLOWLY BUT SHORELY The Maldives (its capital, Malé, shown) has long been a poster child for vulnerability to rising seas, with more than 400,000 people living across low-lying atolls in the Indian Ocean. A 2017 study suggests that weakened monsoon winds have curtailed ocean circulation, leading to sea levels rising faster than the global average around the island nation.
Alfaproxima/iStockphoto
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
Science News
Mystery Solved
How salamanders can regrow nearly complete tails but lizards can’t
Differences in stem cells in the spinal cord explain the amphibians’ ability.
The –est
Cheese found in an Egyptian tomb is at least 3,200 years old
Solid cheese preserved in an ancient Egyptian tomb may be the world’s oldest.
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News
A galaxy 11.3 billion light-years away appears filled with dark matter
The “Cosmic Seagull,” a distant galaxy magnified by a gravitational lens, seems chock-full of dark matter, in contrast with other galaxies almost as far away.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Feature
Why sea level rise varies from place to place
The impact of global sea level rise varies regionally, thanks to these factors.
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.
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.