All Stories
- Archaeology
Ancient, engraved stones may have been buried to summon the sun
Members of a Stone Age culture in Denmark may have ritually buried stones to counter the effects of a volcanic eruption.
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Why the FDA banned the common food dye Red No. 3
Evidence that the synthetic dye Red No. 3 is harmful comes from studies in rats, not people. Food companies now have two years to remove it from products.
- Health & Medicine
Lethal snake venom may be countered by new AI-designed proteins
The current way to produce antivenoms is antiquated. Experiments in mice suggest that an artificial intelligence approach could save time and money.
- Genetics
Iron Age Celtic women’s social and political power just got a boost
Ancient DNA indicates women stayed in their home communities and married partners from outside the area.
- Life
Toxin-gobbling bacteria may live on poison dart frog skin
Toxins on poison dart frog skin mold the skin's microbial community, boosting species variety and potentially even feeding some daredevil bacteria.
- Animals
Hand-feeding squirrels accidentally changed their skulls
When fed peanuts, red squirrels in Britain developed weaker bites — showing that food supplements to threatened animals could have unintended side effects.
- Health & Medicine
Obesity needs a new definition beyond BMI, health experts argue
Experts say clinical obesity is more than a high BMI and instead is a disease in which excess body fat harms tissues, organs or doing daily activities.
- Environment
A podcast challenges us to reassess our relationship with wildfires
United by Fire lays out key insights from the two largest blazes in Colorado history, the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires of 2020.
- Health & Medicine
Got a cold? A placebo might help
Amid doubts over a common decongestant, evidence suggests the placebo effect can still help people suffering from a cold.
- Cosmology
How we might finally find black holes from the cosmic dawn
After decades of study, scientists sound genuinely optimistic about the possibility of detecting primordial black holes, which might explain dark matter.
- Health & Medicine
U.S. dementia cases may rise to 1 million per year by 2060
Baby Boomers may drive a drastic increase in dementia cases in coming decades, but there are steps people can take to reduce their risk.
- Tech
Flying cars could soon become a reality
Engineers have all the technology they need to make flying cars, but there are still some barriers to getting these sci-fi mainstays off the ground.
