Column

  1. From our brains to gravity, how science surprises us

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses how science unravels mysteries, such as missing chunks of brain, gravity's strength and the start of the Viking era.

    By Nancy Shute

  2. Boys and girls are suffering, but in different ways

    By Nancy Shute

  3. Quantum computing may break the internet

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses internet security and the development of new quantum-proof encryption methods.

    By Nancy Shute

  4. Charting a course for the future of Science News

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute reflects on the history and future of Science News.

    By Nancy Shute
  5. Science & Society

    Anténor Firmin challenged anthropology’s racist roots 150 years ago

    In The Equality of the Human Races, Haitian scholar Anténor Firmin showed that science did not support division among the races.

    By Sujata Gupta
  6. Math

    How Pythagoras turned math into a tool for understanding reality

    Reality was made of numbers, Pythagoras said, and he employed numbers to explain the “harmony of the heavens.”

    By Tom Siegfried

  7. The animal kingdom never ceases to amaze

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute revels in the wonder of animals, from psychedelic toads to extinct pterosaurs.

    By Nancy Shute
  8. Health & Medicine

    Here’s what we know about upcoming vaccines and antibodies against RSV

    New vaccines and monoclonal antibodies may be available this year to fend off severe disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus.

    By Tina Hesman Saey

  9. The many challenges of exploring hidden realms

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the challenges of studying the invisible or inaccessible, from the seafloor to hidden caverns buried underneath solid ice.

    By Nancy Shute
  10. Science & Society

    Here are the Top 10 threats to the survival of civilization

    These aren’t just movie scenarios. From aliens and asteroids to pandemics, war and climate change, civilization as we know it is at risk.

    By Tom Siegfried

  11. Did artificial intelligence write this editor’s note?

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the implications of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT for education, journalism and more.

    By Nancy Shute
  12. Health & Medicine

    How raccoon dog DNA fits into the COVID-19 origins debate

    Did the virus that causes COVID-19 come from animals or a lab? Evidence hints at animals. Either way, we should be prepping for the next pandemic.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús