Science & Society
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Here’s how public health fared in 2024
Viral outbreaks, extreme heat and access to clean water are among the year’s big public health headlines.
- Earth
The 2004 tsunami killed hundreds of thousands. Are we better prepared now?
Twenty years after the deadliest wave in recorded history, most oceans have warning systems and communities have learned how best to escape the danger.
- Science & Society
These are Science News’ favorite books of 2024
Books about killer asteroids, human consciousness, nuclear weapons and the collapse of the Late Bronze Age were among our top reads this year.
- Health & Medicine
Proposed time limits on anesthesia may have jeopardized patient safety
Blue Cross Blue Shield’s now rescinded plan to put time limits on anesthesia put a spotlight on a poorly understood profession.
- Physics
Notre Dame is reopening. What does that mean for its acoustics?
Researcher Brian Katz is studying the acoustics of the Paris cathedral and how it’s been altered throughout the centuries.
- Life
Here’s how long it would take 100 worms to eat the plastic in one face mask
An experiment reveals that a bio-solution to humans’ microplastics mess is likely to fall short, but could inspire other ways to attack the problem.
- Science & Society
A new biography of Benjamin Franklin puts science at the forefront
Richard Munson’s new book, Ingenious, shows how scientific research inspired the founding father’s diplomacy.
- Science & Society
This ‘hidden figure’ of entomology fought for civil rights
Margaret S. Collins, the first Black American female entomologist to earn a Ph.D., overcame sexism and racism to become a termite expert.
- Climate
From electric cars to wildfires, how Trump may affect climate actions
Trump’s first term, campaign pledges and nominees point to how efforts to address climate change and environmental issues may fare.
- Health & Medicine
Dengue is classified as an urban disease. Mosquitoes don’t care
Infectious diseases are often labeled “urban” or “rural.” Applying political labels to public health misses who is at risk, experts argue.
- Psychology
Researchers seek, and find, a magical illusion for the ears
A contest to design a sound-only magic trick could help psychologists learn about differences between visual and auditory perception.
- Environment
Fire-prone neighborhoods on the fringes of nature are rapidly expanding
The transition zone where unoccupied wildlands meet developed areas increased globally by about 35 percent from 2000 to 2020.
