Science & Society
Everything you ever wanted to know about hair — and then some
'Hair: A Human History' details the surprising role hair has played in human history.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Science & Society
Science gives clues to ‘The Bedroom’ as van Gogh painted it
Art and science converge in a visualization of the original colors of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Bedroom.”
Notebook
Archaeology
Tailored Egyptian dress is the oldest ever found
A pleated dress found in an ancient Egyptian cemetery called Tarkhan was cut, fitted and tailored between 5,400 and 5,100 years ago.
Features
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Special Report: Here’s what we know about Zika
Tracing Zika’s path and its potential links to microcephaly in babies and Guillain-Barré syndrome has scientists planning a new war on mosquitoes.
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Efforts to control mosquitoes take on new urgency
The major mosquito that is spreading Zika virus has quirks that make it one of the toughest to fight.
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How Zika became the prime suspect in microcephaly mystery
New evidence in human cells strengthens the case against Zika in Brazil's microcephaly surge, but more definitive proof could come this summer from Colombia.
More Stories from the April 2, 2016 issue
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MicrobesMissing gut microbes linked to childhood malnutrition
The right mix of gut microbes could prevent kids from succumbing to malnutrition.
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Climate20th century sea level rose at fastest rate since founding of Rome
Sea levels rose more rapidly in the 1900s than during any other century in at least 2,800 years, with global warming causing at least half that rise.
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AnimalsRock ant decisions swayed by six-legged social media
When rock ants start influencing each other with one-on-one social contact, a colony’s collective decisions can change.
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Planetary ScienceCharon’s surface cracked when ancient subsurface sea froze
A subsurface ocean on Charon, Pluto’s largest moon, might have once frozen and cracked the moon’s surface, creating some of the ridges and valleys seen today.
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Health & MedicineExplaining Henry VIII’s erratic behavior
Researchers say Henry VIII suffered several traumatic brain injuries that may explain his explosive outbursts and memory problems.
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Archaeology11,000-year-old pendant with etched design found in England
Stone artifact with design etched on it comes from a transitional time in England 11,000 years ago.
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Oceans3.5 billion years ago, oceans were cool, not hot
Extensive new evidence from South Africa suggests that 3.5 billion years ago, Earth was locked in a cold spell, with isolated blasts of hydrothermal heat that may have helped incubate life.
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Health & MedicineScientists probe Zika’s link to neurological disorder
The link between the Zika virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome is growing stronger.
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AstronomyRepeating fast radio bursts recorded for the first time
Until now, ephemeral blasts of radio waves from other galaxies have never repeated; this one erupted 10 times last year.
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PsychologyPsychology’s replication crisis sparks new debate
Controversy flares again about whether psychology studies survive further scrutiny.
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GeneticsMissing genes not always a problem for people
Humans have ways to make up for missing genes, study suggests.
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AnimalsIs Amy Tan actually ‘thrilled’ a leech is named after her?
Novelist Amy Tan answers a lingering question about celebrities honored in scientific names of new species — her namesake is a leech.
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PaleontologyLizards locked in amber provide clues to reptile evolution
Amber-encased lizard remains that date to 99 million years ago may shed light on the evolution of geckos and chameleons.
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ClimateHurricane frequency dropped during 17th century ‘Little Ice Age’
Atlantic hurricane activity fell around 75 percent when the sun dimmed from 1645 to 1715, a new analysis of shipwrecks and tree rings suggests.
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Health & Medicine‘Cancer moonshot’ launch prep under way
Details are trickling out for the president’s proposed “cancer moonshot,” but plan for launch is still months off.
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AnthropologyH. erectus cut, chewed way through evolution
A diet that included raw, sliced meat changed the face of early Homo evolution, scientists say.
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Health & MedicineMolecules found to counter antibiotic resistance
Molecules made in a lab can foil antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
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ClimateAntarctic history suggests ice sheet ‘danger’ threshold
Carbon dioxide levels during the Antarctic ice sheet’s formation 34 million years ago suggest that Earth could soon enter “danger zone” for ice sheet’s demise.
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Planetary ScienceWandering Jupiter could have swept inner solar system clean
If Jupiter formed close to the sun and then wandered out, that might explain why there are no planets interior to Mercury’s orbit.
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Health & MedicineThree big reasons why U.S. men have a shorter life expectancy
U.S. men’s lives are two years shorter than men in other rich countries for three reasons: guns, drugs and cars.
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AstronomyQuasars’ distance no longer in question
Astronomers now know quasars live around black holes in remote galaxies, but 50 years ago, one researcher argued they were much closer.
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Health & MedicineMicrobes can play games with the mind
Our bodies are having a conversation with our microbiome that may be affecting our mental health — for better or worse.
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Science & SocietySee life in a cubic foot, visit Roman artifacts, and more to do
New and upcoming exhibits celebrate biodiversity, birds’ dinosaur origins, opulence in ancient Rome, and more.