All Stories
- Earth
Earth’s rivers cover 44 percent more land than we thought
A global survey of rivers and streams based on satellite data suggests that these waterways traverse about 773,000 square kilometers.
- Animals
Why some mammal species don’t have descended testicles, but most do
New research studying genetic vestiges suggests that descended testicles are as ancient as the first placental mammal.
- Quantum Physics
A tiny version of this physics toy is revealing quantum secrets
Scientists created a quantum Newton’s cradle to study thermal equilibrium.
- Tech
50 years ago, a Japanese scientist dreamed up a rocket-propelled train
50 years ago, a Japanese engineer tried rocket boosters on a train. Today, high-speed trains propelled by superconducting magnets are being tested.
- Astronomy
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft arrives at the asteroid Ryugu
The Hayabusa2 spacecraft says “hello” to near-Earth asteroid Ryugu.
- Neuroscience
A brain chemical tied to narcolepsy may play a role in opioid addiction
Long-term use of opioids such as heroin is linked to having more brain cells that release a chemical that regulates wakefulness and arousal.
- Planetary Science
Mars got its crust quickly
The Martian crust had solidified within 20 million years of the solar system’s formation.
- Astronomy
‘Oumuamua may be a comet, not an asteroid
The solar system’s first known interstellar visitor doesn’t appear to be the asteroid that scientists thought it was.
- Health & Medicine
How to make CAR-T cell therapies for cancer safer and more effective
CAR-T cell therapy was approved by the FDA in late 2017. Now, scientists are working to tame the cancer treatment’s side effects.
- Genetics
Readers ponder geothermal power and more
Readers respond to stories from the May 26, 2018 issue of Science News.
- Health & Medicine
Medical breakthroughs come with a human cost
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute muses on the risks many medical advances pose in their infancy.
- Health & Medicine
Poliovirus treatment helped patients with deadly brain tumors live longer
A genetically modified poliovirus appears to help fight brain cancer, a small, early-stage clinical study suggests.
