All Stories
- Earth
NASA images may help track sewage in coastal waters
Sewage-contaminated water absorbs certain wavelengths of light, leaving a signature that can be detected by space-based instruments, a new study finds.
- Anthropology
A drowned landscape held clues to the lives of ancient human relatives
The remains of extinct Homo erectus dredged from the seabed off Java, along with thousands of animal fossils, are revealing a long-lost ecosystem.
- Health & Medicine
Chronic low back pain may be less likely if you walk – a lot
Adults who walked more than 100 minutes per day were less likely to have chronic low back pain than those who walked fewer than 78 minutes per day.
By Meghan Rosen - Space
A third visitor from another star is hurtling through the solar system
Scientists have found a new interstellar object whizzing toward the sun.
By Celina Zhao - Astronomy
Nearly half of the universe’s ordinary matter was uncharted, until now
Two studies fill in gaps about the cosmos’s ordinary matter. One maps it all, even the “missing matter.” The other details one of its hiding spots.
- Climate
Climate change could separate vanilla plants and their pollinators
The vanilla species grown for its flavoring is finicky. Genes from its wild relatives could help make it hardier — but not if those cousins go extinct.
- Health & Medicine
Vaccine policy in the U.S. is entering uncharted territory
A key advisory group vows to base decisions on evidence, boost confidence in vaccines and protect health. Experts fear the opposite is happening.
- Life
A 3-D printed, plastic beaker could help algae grow on Mars
Algae grown under Mars-like conditions could make bioplastic building materials for structures to harbor life in space.
- Artificial Intelligence
How much energy does your AI prompt use? It depends
AI models such as ChatGPT consume serious power. Experts break down where that energy goes, and what you can do to help.
By Celina Zhao - Health & Medicine
A new diabetes treatment could free people from insulin injections
In a small cell therapy trial, 10 out of 12 people with type 1 diabetes no longer needed supplemental insulin, even a year after treatment.
By Meghan Rosen - Astronomy
A rare chance to see two exploding stars is happening in the southern sky
Exploding stars V462 Lupi and V572 Velorum are best seen from the Southern Hemisphere. One has been spotted from the United States.
- Neuroscience
Popular weight-loss drugs may ease migraines too
A GLP-1 drug led to fewer days with headaches, a small pilot study of migraine sufferers shows. It may work by lowering pressure inside the head.