Animals
Explore the past, present and future of ‘Eight Bears’
The book invites readers to meet the eight species of bears left on Earth and looks at how humans are shaping their future, for better or for worse.
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Cover Story
Centuries on, Newton’s gravitational constant still can’t be pinned down
A new experiment could finally answer the question 'What is the strength of gravity?' But it's a hard test to do.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Anthropology
These ancient flutes may have been used to lure falcons
Seven bird-bone flutes unearthed from a site in northern Israel are about 12,000 years old and may have been used as bird calls.
Notebook
Life
‘Polyester bees’ brew beer-scented baby food in plastic cribs
Ptiloglossa bees’ baby food gets its boozy fragrance from fermentation by mysteriously selected microbes.
Features
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Elyse G.’s brain is fabulous. It’s also missing a big chunk
A new project explores interesting brains to better understand neural flexibility.
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How an ancient solar flare illuminated the start of the Viking Age
Improved radiocarbon dating aided by a solar flare in the year 775 sheds light on the early days of Vikings and global trading in medieval times.
More Stories from the July 15, 2023 issue
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Life1.6-billion-year-old steroid fossils hint at a lost world of microbial life
Molecular fossils suggest the existence of a lost world of primitive eukaryotes that dominated aquatic ecosystems from at least 1.6 billion to 0.8 billion years ago.
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AstronomyAlien life may be possible even at the Milky Way’s edges
Phosphorus detected far from the Milky Way’s center seems to extend the zone where life could exist in the galaxy by thousands of light-years.
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AstronomyIn a first, JWST detected starlight from distant galaxies with quasars
Until JWST’s sharp infrared eyes came along, it wasn’t possible to see the galaxies hosting extremely bright supermassive black holes called quasars.
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ChemistryOne photon is all it takes to kick off photosynthesis
A single particle of light is the spark that begins the process of turning light to chemical energy in photosynthetic bacteria, a new study confirms.
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AstronomyJupiter-sized planets are very rare around the least massive stars
A six-year search of 200 nearby low-mass red dwarf stars found no Jupiter-like planets, boosting the standard theory for how such planets form.
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LifeNew fossils from Patagonia may rewrite the history of duck-billed dinosaurs
New findings are adding a wrinkle to researchers’ understanding of how duck-billed dinosaurs conquered the Cretaceous world.
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ClimateThe snow forest of North America may be about to shrink
From 2000 to 2019, the boreal forest’s northern boundary didn’t move while southern tree cover thinned due to climate change, wildfires and logging.
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EnvironmentRising groundwater threatens to spread toxic pollution on U.S. coastlines
Sea level rise is pushing groundwater into shallower layers of earth, threatening to spread hazardous chemicals from contaminated soils.
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AnimalsA grisly trick helps snow flies survive freezing: self-amputation
When a snow fly’s leg begins to freeze, a quick amputation can prevent ice from spreading, keeping the cold-hardy insect alive.
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ClimateWhy is the North Atlantic breaking heat records?
Record-breaking sea-surface temperatures off the coast of Africa may affect the 2023 hurricane season. What’s fueling the unusual heat is unclear.
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AnimalsDNA has revealed the origin of this giant ‘mystery’ gecko
A genetic analysis of a 19th century museum specimen, the only known example of the planet’s biggest gecko, has rewritten the animal’s backstory.
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Earth50 years ago, scientists thought they had found Earth’s oldest rocks
Even older rocks and minerals continue fueling debates over Earth’s crust, plate tectonics and even when life arose.