PollutionSeptember 1, 2021
Tiny Robots Could Clean Up Microplastic Pollution
In a proof-of-concept study, microscopic self-propelled devices found and broke down microplastic particles
Stories by Scott Hershberger
Scott Hershberger was a 2020 AAAS Mass Media Fellow at Scientific American.
BiologyNovember 18, 2020
Science News Briefs from All Over
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the world, including one, from the dormant volcano Llullaillaco in Chile, about a mouse that is the highest-dwelling mammal ever documented.
Space & PhysicsNovember 3, 2020
Science News Briefs from around the Globe
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one from the United Arab Emirates about the the first interplanetary mission by an Arab country.
PolicyNovember 1, 2020
In Case You Missed It
Top news from around the world
ComputingOctober 22, 2020
Social Media Restrictions Cannot Keep Up with Hidden Codes and Symbols
Much like spoken language, Internet memes take on shifting political meanings according to context
EvolutionOctober 5, 2020
Humans Are All More Closely Related Than We Commonly Think
Humanity’s most recent common ancestor and so-called genetic isopoint illustrate the surprising connections among our family trees
PolicyOctober 1, 2020
In Case You Missed It
Top news from around the world
ConservationOctober 1, 2020
Rapid Heat-Stress Test Identifies Resilient Corals
A new method to measure corals’ heat tolerance on-site could speed up conservation efforts
EARTHSeptember 22, 2020
Science News from around the World
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one from Israel about what DNA reveals about the Dead Sea Scrolls’ parchment.
EARTHSeptember 2, 2020
Death by Lightning Is Common for Tropical Trees
A study estimates that 200 million trees in the tropics are mowed down by lightning annually.
The SciencesSeptember 1, 2020
Algorithm Aids Search for Those Lost at Sea
A new process pinpoints ocean “attractors” to find missing travelers
PolicySeptember 1, 2020
In Case You Missed It
Top news from around the world
BiotechAugust 18, 2020
New Pen-and-Ink Method Draws Health Sensors Directly on Skin
Using electronic ink and stencils, researchers created a cheap heart monitor and other health-detecting devices
PollutionAugust 14, 2020
Light Pollution from Coastal Cities Reaches Seafloor
The artificial night sky brightness could harm creatures that dwell in the ocean depths
Public HealthAugust 13, 2020
The 1918 Flu Faded in Our Collective Memory: We Might ‘Forget’ the Coronavirus, Too
The legacy of the 20th century’s deadliest pandemic shows how large groups remember—and forget—their shared past
Space & PhysicsAugust 12, 2020
Claims of ‘Ocean’ inside Ceres May Not Hold Water
Final results from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft suggest a brine reservoir exists within the dwarf planet, but some experts remain unconvinced
PolicyAugust 7, 2020
COVID-19 Vaccine Ethics: Who Gets It First and Other Issues
Contributing editor W. Wayt Gibbs spoke with Arthur Caplan, head of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s division of medical ethics, about some of the ethical issues that researchers have to consider in testing and distributing vaccines against COVID-19.
EvolutionAugust 4, 2020
How Do Scientists Determine the Ages of Human Ancestors, Fossilized Dinosaurs and Other Organisms?
Experts explain how radiometric dating allows them to reconstruct ancient time lines
Public HealthAugust 3, 2020
How to Evaluate COVID-19 News without Freaking Out
Disinformation expert Carl Bergstrom gives tips on how to stay calm and make sense of pandemic news
EvolutionJuly 29, 2020
One Mystery of Stonehenge’s Origins Has Finally Been Solved
Detailed testing of the chemical signature of the Neolithic monument’s most prominent large stones pinpointed where they came from
EnvironmentJuly 13, 2020
For Sustainable Oyster Harvesting, Look to Native Americans’ Historical Practices
Ancient trash heaps show the eastern coast’s original inhabitants managed oyster reefs for thousands of years
Space & PhysicsJuly 9, 2020
Comet NEOWISE Could Be Spectacular: Here’s How to See It
Already visible to the naked eye, the object may soon brighten to create the greatest celestial light show in decades—or it could simply fade away
The SciencesJuly 6, 2020
Stingers Have Achieved Optimal Pointiness, Physicists Show
A single equation describes the shapes of stingers, spikes and spines throughout the natural world
Space & PhysicsJuly 1, 2020
Astronomers May Have Glimpsed Light from Merging Black Holes
In a controversial finding, astronomers claim they have glimpsed light from merging black holes