News
- Materials Science
Lithium-ion batteries made with recycled materials can outlast newer counterparts
Batteries with recycled cathodes outperformed batteries with new cathodes, lasting for thousands more charging cycles before their capacity waned.
- Life
Gene-edited stem cells help geckos regrow more perfect tails
Regenerated gecko tails are a far cry from perfect. Now experiments have coaxed geckos to regrow better ones with nerve tissue and bonelike cartilage.
By Freda Kreier - Health & Medicine
What parents need to know about Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11
Federal health officials authorized the Pfizer vaccine for this age group on October 29.
- Math
An elusive equation describing bird eggs of all shapes has been found at last
A new mathematical equation describes bird eggs of all shapes found in nature, and it could have applications in food and agricultural research.
- Planetary Science
What the Perseverance rover’s quiet landing reveals about meteor strikes on Mars
InSight tried to detect seismic waves created by the arrival of its sister mission, helping scientists uncover how Mars absorbs energy from impacts.
By Freda Kreier - Animals
Assassin bugs tap spiders to distract them before a lethal strike
Some assassin bugs stroke their antennae on spiders when within striking distance, possibly imitating touches that spiders experience near their kin.
By Jake Buehler - Health & Medicine
The antidepressant fluvoxamine can keep COVID-19 patients out of the hospital
A 10-day course of fluvoxamine sharply reduced hospital visits and deaths, raising hopes for an easy at-home treatment for COVID-19.
- Particle Physics
Doubt cast on theorized ‘sterile’ particles leaves a neutrino mystery unsolved
MicroBooNE weakens the case for sterile neutrinos, but the mystery that shrouded earlier neutrino experiments remains.
- Humans
Ancient human visitors complicate the Falkland Islands wolf’s origin story
Scientists have debated how the Falkland Islands’ only land mammal journeyed to the region: by a long-ago land bridge or with people.
- Genetics
DNA from mysterious Asian mummies reveals their surprising ancestry
Ancient DNA indicates that an enigmatic Bronze Age group consisted of genetic, but not cultural, loners.
By Bruce Bower - Climate
Earth will warm 2.7 degrees Celsius based on current pledges to cut emissions
The world still lags on its commitments to lower greenhouse gas emissions and forestall the worst effects of global warming, a new U.N. report shows.
- Earth
Here’s how ice needles sculpt patterns into cold, rocky landscapes
Striking stone patterns decorate remote, frigid landscapes. The recipe for these naturally forming stripes and swirls: Freeze, thaw, repeat.
By Beth Geiger