All Science
- First LookSpacecraft sends sample from asteroid 50 million miles away
After traveling for seven years and 4 billion miles, NASA's spacecraft returns a capsule to earth with a sample of rubble from the asteroid Bennu.
- If you map it, they will come: The effort to chart the seafloor
Journalist Laura Trethewey plunges into the intense race to map the oceans – and the potential for exploitation of one of the planet’s few remaining frontiers.
- The ExplainerTastes like chicken? ‘Cultured meat’ arrives on menus.
“Cultured chicken” is approved for sale in the U.S. Supporters tout environmental benefits, and critics raise concerns over cost and practicality.
- In with a bang: The James Webb Space Telescope after one year
It’s pretty pictures – and so much more. The range and precision of the James Webb Space Telescope are transforming cosmological research.
- First LookIn Brazil, a scientist’s quest to save endangered ‘hippie monkey’
The northern muriqui, a highly endangered monkey species of Brazil, are known as peaceful gardeners who spread seeds through the Amazon forest and collaborate more than they compete. How one scientist has been working for four decades to save it.
- First LookUSDA approves lab-made chicken. But will people eat it?
The USDA approved the sale of lab-made, or “cultivated,” chicken in the U.S., which could greatly reduce its environmental impact and animal harm. Though experts say it’s safe, many consumers remain wary of the product.
- First LookFlying taxis? Paris takes a green fleet to new heights.
Paris is rolling out a small fleet of electrically powered flying taxis. The pilot program will test an innovative, climate-conscious form of transportation and could open the door to wider commercial use.
- Can 50 tons of dinosaur fossils help hatch paleontology in Niger?
Landlocked Niger is home to stunning dinosaur fossils. Scientists aim not only to find them but also to build homegrown research expertise.
- First LookUS surgeon general urges action to protect children from social media
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy calls for immediate action to protect young people from social media’s risks to their well-being, saying steps by tech companies so far are “simply not enough.”
- First LookSpaceX sends first Saudi Arabian astronauts to space
Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades are headed to the International Space Station. SpaceX launched the first Saudi female astronaut Sunday along with a Saudi Air Force fighter pilot.
- First LookMontana bans TikTok. But how will the law be enforced?
With rising concerns over China’s overreach, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed a first-of-its-kind law banning TikTok. The state has 200,000 TikTok users and 6,000 businesses that use the platform for video sharing in Montana.
- First LookEurope’s first AI rules: Could they set a global standard?
The European Union is finalizing the Western world’s first legislation around artificial intelligence. The AI Act could become the global standard as regulators worldwide scramble to figure out how to control the rapidly evolving technology.
- First LookHeed the warning signs? ‘Godfather’ of AI cautions misuse of AI.
Geoffrey Hinton, the man widely considered the “Godfather” of artificial intelligence, has left Google. He’s now saying some of the potential dangers stemming from the same technology he helped build are “quite scary.”
- So many satellites. Can we clean up space?
As the amount of human-created debris in space grows, so does a search for solutions. A first step, some experts say, is to think of space not as an infinite junkyard but as a shared area that calls for agreed-on norms of behavior.
- The ExplainerCan you hear me now? Cellphones turn 50.
On the 50th anniversary of the first cellphone call, we explore how mobile technology has transformed our lives – for better and for worse.
- The ExplainerReviving extinct species: Can we? Should we?
Righting a wrong? Or playing God? Emerging efforts to revive extinct species raise questions about the promise – and ethics – of bioengineering.
- First LookEnergy Department report fuels speculations about COVID-19 origins
The Energy Department’s report on the COVID-19 lab leak caused online speculations to soar. Scientists urge caution when speculating about the origins of the virus, as the findings are yet to be confirmed.
- First LookDiscovery of ‘monster’ galaxies offers glimpse into early universe
A recent astronomical discovery is changing scientists’ understanding of the early universe. The finding of six potential mega-galaxies containing perhaps as many stars as the Milky Way offers hints to how fast the universe developed after the Big Bang.
- First Look‘Hallowed ground’: Titanic footage released of 1986 dive
The first time human eyes laid eyes on the Titanic since its sinking in 1912 was during a dive led by Robert Ballard in 1986. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has released to the public for the first time video of the dive.
- First LookFuture fuel? Universities consider harnessing micro nuclear reactors.
While the thought of nuclear power conjures giant cylindrical concrete towers, American universities are exploring building miniature nuclear reactors to generate electricity for campuses to combat climate change. Are these reactors feasible and safe?