Uncategorized
- Animals
Scientists thought snakes didn’t have clitorises. They were wrong
Snakes were long thought to be the only reptile group to lack clitorises. But new findings suggest the sex organs are present after all.
- Earth
The Hunga Tonga volcano eruption touched space and spawned a lightning blitz
The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in the Pacific Ocean earlier this year was one for the record books — in several surprising ways.
- Planetary Science
NASA’s Perseverance rover captured the sound of a dust devil on Mars
A whirlwind swept over Perseverance while its microphone was on, capturing the sound of dust grains hitting the mic or the NASA rover’s chassis.
- Health & Medicine
How 4 major coronavirus tools impacted the pandemic in 2022
During the third year of the pandemic, young kids got vaccines, a new booster shot came along, the use of at-home tests soared and Paxlovid became widely available.
- Physics
In a breakthrough experiment, nuclear fusion finally makes more energy than it uses
The sun creates energy through nuclear fusion. Now scientists have too, in a controlled lab experiment, raising hopes for developing clean energy.
- Paleontology
Katydids had the earliest known insect ears 160 million years ago
Fossils from the Jurassic Period show katydid ears looked identical to those of modern katydids and could pick up short-range calls.
- Space
Artemis 1’s Orion capsule returned safely to Earth. What’s next?
The first test flight in NASA’s return to the moon Artemis program ended well with the uncrewed capsule splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
- Health & Medicine
Viruses other than the coronavirus made headlines in 2022
Here’s the latest on monkeypox, Ebola, bird flu and other outbreaks that hit this year.
- Health & Medicine
How much water should you drink a day? It depends on several factors.
A study of more than 5,000 people in 23 countries finds that individual water need varies widely depending on physical and environmental factors.
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This was a year of both triumphs and challenges
Science News editor in chief Nancy Shute reviews the scientific advancements from the past year.
- Health & Medicine
Why pandemic fatigue and COVID-19 burnout took over in 2022
As public health guidelines loosened this year, people were left to weigh COVID-19 risks on their own. It was confusing, frustrating and exhausting.
- Physics
50 years ago, physicists found the speed of light
In the 1970s, scientists set a new maximum speed limit for light. Fifty years later, they continue putting light through its paces.
