All Stories
- Climate
Tracking how rainfall morphs Earth’s surface could help forecast flooding
After Hurricane Harvey, scientists used GPS networks to track how Earth’s surface morphed under the weight of floodwaters.
- Physics
Groundbreaking ways of manipulating light win trio the 2018 physics Nobel
Three scientists, including the third woman to win a physics Nobel, are honored for their laser inventions.
- Health & Medicine
Discovery of how to prod a patient’s immune system to fight cancer wins a Nobel
Two scientists share the 2018 medicine Nobel for identifying proteins that act as brakes on tumor-fighting T cells.
- Plants
Gene editing can speed up plant domestication
CRISPR/Cas9 replays domestication to make better ground cherries and tomatoes.
- Genetics
Smuggling a CRISPR gene editor into staph bacteria can kill the pathogen
A new way fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria co-opts toxin-producing genes.
- Life
Cancer immunotherapy wins the 2018 medicine Nobel Prize
Therapies that unleash immune system brakes against cancer have earned the 2018 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
- Astronomy
We may not have found aliens yet because we’ve barely begun looking
A new calculation says SETI searches have combed the equivalent of a hot tub out of Earth’s oceans looking for extraterrestrial intelligence in space.
- Particle Physics
Hints of weird particles from space may defy physicists’ standard model
Signals from the ANITA experiment don’t square with the properties of elementary particles cataloged in the standard model.
- Climate
Warm tropical Atlantic waters juiced the 2017 hurricane season
Anomalously warm ocean waters in the tropical Atlantic Ocean drove 2017’s hurricane powerhouses.
- Materials Science
This reflective paint could keep sunbaked buildings cool
A new type of polymer coating that reflects sunlight to control heat could supplement or replace air conditioning systems.
- Science & Society
Before his early death, Riemann freed geometry from Euclidean prejudices
The originator of Riemann’s hypothesis died young, but he provided the geometry needed for modern view of spacetime.
- Animals
Feral cats appear to be pathetic at controlling New York City’s rats
When cats are on the prowl, rats may become harder to see, but roaming cats actually killed only a few.
