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Primitive Asgard Cells Show Life on the Brink of Complexity

As researchers race to cultivate these intriguing cells from the deep seafloor, the few growing in labs are our best glimpses of the forerunners of complex life.
Conservation

Hippos Are in Trouble. Will ‘Endangered’ Status Save Them?

Sea Change

The Looming El Niño Could Cost the World Trillions of Dollars

Health

The Daring Robot Surgery That Saved a Man’s Life

Two doctors, separated by thousands of miles, carried out a lifesaving operation using a robot. It’s the start of a major change in how surgery is performed.

How Chronic Illness Patients Are ‘Hacking’ Their Wearables

Fitbits and Apple Watches weren’t designed for people with atypical health conditions. But the tech can be extremely useful—with some creativity.

The Pandemic Isn't Over. Here's How to Stay Safe

Even though the CDC and WHO are downgrading Covid-19, it's still killing people. Here's what you should know heading into this new phase.

Why Suicide Rates Are Dropping Around the World

Over the past couple of decades, global suicide prevention efforts have reduced deaths by a third—but some countries are falling behind.

Space

Voyager 2 Gets a Life-Extending Power Boost in Deep Space

The NASA team hopes the iconic spacecraft and its twin can continue taking data beyond the solar system past their 50th birthdays.

Is Cosmology Broken? This Map May Be a Crucial Puzzle Piece

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope could help resolve some cosmic discrepancies: How fast the universe is expanding and how evenly matter is distributed.

This Private Moon Lander Is Kicking Off a Commercial Lunar Race

The Japanese company Ispace could be the first to safely touch down on the moon’s surface, with more spacecraft following later this year

SpaceX’s Starship Explodes During First Orbital Test Flight

After achieving liftoff, the Starship vehicle failed to separate from its Super Heavy booster rocket.

Environment

At Last, ‘Ugly’ Sea Lampreys Are Getting Some Respect

Fisheries managers are recognizing the ecological importance of the maligned marine suckers and are stepping up efforts to help their populations recover.

Yet Another Problem With Recycling: It Spews Microplastics

Recycling was already a mess. Now a study finds that one facility may emit 3 million pounds of microplastics a year. 

The Harmful Side Effect of Cleaning Up the Ocean

Patches of floating plastic are teeming with life, and cleanup companies hauling trash out of the water risk destroying a marine habitat.

A Fatal Bear Attack Fuels a Fight Over Rewilding

The death of a jogger in northern Italy has turned the reintroduction of bears into a fraught political issue.

Climate

The Plastic Crisis Finally Gets Emergency Status

Plastic pollution costs the world up to $600 billion a year. A new UN report provides a road map for drastic action.

The Mystery of Fish Deaths in a Foul Chartreuse Sea

Researchers in Kotzebue, Alaska, are investigating why their town is increasingly playing host to harmful cyanobacteria.

The Weird Way Australia’s Bushfires Influenced a Weirder La Niña

In 2019 and 2020, the out-of-control blazes sent clouds of smoke across the Pacific, where they brightened clouds and cooled the ocean.

The Far North Is Burning—and Turning Up the Heat on the Planet

Wildfires and human meddling are transforming the Arctic and its surroundings from a carbon sink into a carbon emitter, exacerbating the climate crisis.

Energy

Everyone Was Wrong About Reverse Osmosis—Until Now

A new paper showing how water actually travels through a plastic membrane could make desalination more efficient. That’s good news for a thirsty world.

The Seabed Empire Funding Britain’s New King

The Crown Estate lays claim to vast ocean assets, allowing the royal family to cash in on the booming blue economy.

Where to Find the Energy to Save the World

Jamie Beard is pouring everything into a singular vision: Tap into the awesome potential of geothermal power in Texas, and beyond. She has no time to lose.

Forget Cars, Green Hydrogen Will Supercharge Crops

Renewable generation projects are set to make this future fuel widely available. And it’s much more versatile than you think.

Physics and Math

This Is the Quietest Sound in the Universe

Chill materials to extreme temperatures, and their vibrations show properties that could one day be exploited to create memory in quantum computers.

What Do a Falling Apple and an Orbiting Moon Have in Common?

Isaac Newton connected the two motions in a way that revolutionized physics and made space travel possible.

A ‘Monumental’ Math Proof Solves the Triple Bubble Problem

A decades-old conjecture about the best way to minimize the surface area of a three-bubble cluster seemed unprovable—until a breakthrough result.

The Physics of Mandalorian Jetpacks (Hint: They Aren’t Jetpacks)

This Star Wars Day, it’s time to figure out how these iconic flying machines work, and if there’s anything like them on Earth.

Biotech

The First Crispr-Edited Salad Is Here

A startup used gene editing to make mustard greens more appetizing to consumers. Next up: fruits.

A New Study Reveals the Traits That Speed Up Evolution

The first large-scale comparison of DNA mutation rates in 68 different vertebrate species gives insights into how quickly life can evolve.

A New Cloned Horse Offers Hope for Endangered Species

The technique may finally be emerging as a way to preserve species at risk of extinction.

The Secrets of Aging Are Hidden in Your Ovaries

The ovaries age faster than any other organ in the body. Figuring out how to slow down that process could have health benefits for women—and men.

Robots

Rovers Are So Yesterday. It’s Time to Send a Snakebot to Space

The student winners of a NASA competition designed a serpentine bot that could sidewind across lunar regolith or roll down hills.

Robots Are Helping Immunocompromised Kids ‘Go to School’

Sure, my telepresence robot had some issues—but for students like me who can’t make it to campus because of disability or illness, these tools open new doors.

Forget Silicon. This Computer Is Made of Fabric

The jacket can raise and lower its own hood—without chips or batteries—and might one day help disabled wearers move.

Why DeepMind Is Sending AI Humanoids to Soccer Camp

The Alphabet-backed AI firm is using virtual games to help its digital creations move more like humans.

Psychology and Neuroscience

Gene Expression in Neurons Solves a Brain Evolution Puzzle

The neocortex is the seat of human intellect. New data suggests that mammals created it with new types of cells only after their evolutionary split from reptiles.

The Quest for Injectable Brain Implants Has Begun

The hard electrodes inserted into the brain to treat Parkinson’s and paralysis damage the organ’s soft tissue. A new invention could change that.

Easily Distracted? You Need to Think Like a Medieval Monk

Focusing wasn’t much easier in the time before electricity or on-demand TV. In fact, you probably have a lot in common with these super-distracted monks.

Scientific Fraud Is Slippery to Catch—but Easier to Combat

Fakery spans “beautified” data, photoshopped images, and “paper mills.” Experts and institutions are employing tools to spot deceptive research and mitigate its reach.