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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Health & Medicine

    Bird flu has been invading the brains of mammals. Here’s why

    Although H5N1 and its relatives can cause mild disease in some animals, these viruses are more likely to infect brain tissue than other types of flu.

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  2. Artificial Intelligence

    AI’s understanding and reasoning skills can’t be assessed by current tests

    Assessing whether large language models — including the one that powers ChatGPT — have humanlike cognitive abilities will require better tests.

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  3. Calling gun violence a public health crisis is a ‘first step’ to fight it 

    Three public health experts weigh in on the U.S. surgeon general’s ground-breaking call to label shootings a health problem.

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  4. Climate

    Three reasons why the ocean’s record-breaking hot streak is devastating

    Ocean warming enhances hurricane activity, bleaches coral reefs and melts Antarctic sea ice. That warming has been off the charts for the past year.

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  5. Space

    Explore a map of the next 15 total solar eclipses

    Check out our interactive map showing the path and timing for every total solar eclipse from 2024 to 2044.

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  6. Animals

    Explore the expected life spans of different dog breeds

    An analysis of dogs in the United Kingdom found that breeds like miniature dachshunds have the longest life spans while bulldogs have the shortest.

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  7. Climate

    Here’s how 2023 became the hottest year on record

    The effects of climate change were on clear display in 2023 as records not only broke, but did so by surprising amounts.

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  8. Science & Society

    Why the Thanksgiving myth persists, according to science

    The science of collective memory — and a desire for clear origin stories — may explain the endurance of the Thanksgiving myth despite a messier reality.

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  9. Climate

    How one device could help transform our power grid

    As coal-fired power plants are retired, grid-forming inverters may be key to a future that relies on solar and wind power.

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  10. Climate

    Antarctic sea ice has been hitting record lows for most of this year

    Since hitting a record low minimum back in February, the amount of Antarctic sea ice has stayed well below normal all year.

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  11. Paleontology

    Paleontology has a ‘parachute science’ problem. Here’s how it plays out in 3 nations

    When researchers study fossils from lower-income countries, they often engage in dubious or illegal practices that can stifle science.

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  12. Climate

    It’s possible to reach net-zero carbon emissions. Here’s how

    Cutting carbon dioxide emissions to curb climate change and reach net zero is possible but not easy.

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