Neuroscience
Catnip repels insects. Scientists may have finally found out how
The plant deters mosquitoes and fruit flies by triggering a chemical receptor that, in other animals, senses pain and itch.
Science & Society
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SpaceSolar storms can wreak havoc. We need better space weather forecasts
Solar storms can devastate power grids and other systems on Earth. We need better forecasting
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Health & MedicineRedefining ‘flesh-colored’ bandages makes medicine more inclusive
Peach-colored bandages label dark-skinned patients as outside the norm, says med student Linda Oyesiku. Brown bandages expand who gets to be normal.
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Health & MedicineHow 5 universities tried to handle COVID-19 on campus
U.S. colleges opened in the fall with a patchwork of control measures to keep COVID-19 at bay.
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PsychologyIn the social distancing era, boredom may pose a public health threat
Boredom contributes to pandemic fatigue and may account for why some people don’t follow social distancing rules.
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Science & SocietyBlack, Hispanic and female police use force less often than white male officers
A case study of Chicago policing suggests that diversifying to include more Black, Hispanic and female officers may improve how civilians are treated.
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Science & SocietyCan privacy coexist with technology that reads and changes brain activity?
An onslaught of new technology aims to listen to — and maybe even change — your brain activity. Readers, scientists and ethicists grapple with the ethical implications of new ways to get inside the skull.
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Science & Society‘Under a White Sky’ explores whether we must tinker with nature to save it
In ‘Under a White Sky’, Elizabeth Kolbert examines the technological innovations we might need to save a planet we are actively destroying.
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NeuroscienceFamous brain sketches come to life again as embroideries
A needlework project pays tribute to the iconic drawings of Spanish neuroscientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
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Science & SocietyTop 10 science anniversaries to celebrate in 2021
DNA, Maxwell’s demon and Dolly the Sheep all make the list. But the one we’re most excited about at Science News is our centennial.