All Science
- First LookChemical detected in Venus' clouds could point to life
Scientists have detected phosphine, a chemical usually associated with life on Earth, in Venus' atmosphere. While the finding is intriguing, they say more proof is needed to definitively point to life.
- Holy misdirected anger! Bats not to blame, say scientists.
Bats have long been associated with malevolence. But killing them only makes things worse, say biologists.
- Where are the Black geoscientists? Online campaign calls for diversity.
Organized online by Black geoscientists around the world, the week is part of a larger movement aimed at increasing diversity in the sciences.
- Did life on Earth come from space? Chummy microbes offer clues.
Clumps of bacteria can survive in space, say scientists, in a study supporting the idea that life on Earth may have come from elsewhere.
- Herd community: There’s more to cows than we thought, say scientists
It’s tempting to think of cows as unthinking ruminants, but research reveals that their herds are held together by an intricate social web.
- In a polarized world, what does ‘follow the science’ mean?
Science is all about asking questions, but when scientific debates become polarized it can be difficult for citizens to interpret arguments’ merits.
- How are zoo, aquarium animals coping with all this? Not badly, say keepers.
Like their human counterparts, zoo animals felt stress during the lockdown and the reopening. But animal keepers know how to help.
- First LookSpaceX brings astronauts home, ending historic mission
After a fast, bumpy, and hot ride from the International Space Station, SpaceX Endeavour capsule splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico.
- With Perseverance, NASA launches new stage in Mars exploration
Loaded with a suite of upgraded instruments, NASA’s Perseverance rover heralds a new era in Mars exploration.
- The ExplainerAs pandemic halted much of the world, scientists shifted gears
The coronavirus pandemic has cast a spotlight on how science works. It’s not always pretty, but it usually gets the job done.
- The Warsaw Ghetto beat an epidemic. Scientists say they know how.
Mathematical modeling of typhus infections in the notorious Nazi ghetto leaves only one explanation, say scientists: social distancing saved the day.
- First LookWhat the first snapshot of another solar system can teach us
The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope photographed two planets orbiting a baby sun 300 light-years away. The observations can help scientists better understand the evolution of our own solar system.
- NASA’s spacesuits have a gender problem. These women are fixing it.
NASA’s all-female spacewalk last year was held up because they lacked enough spacesuits that fit women. These women are helping to solve that problem.
- First LookA first for the Arab world: UAE spacecraft en route to Mars
The United Arab Emirates, a space development newcomer, is celebrating the successful launch of its first interplanetary spacecraft, called Amal or Hope. Amal is expected to reach the red planet in February 2021, and will start transmitting data later that year.
- First LookMission to Mars: 3 countries to launch rovers in search of life
Mars continues to captivate the human imagination despite many unsuccessful missions. Starting this week, the United Arab Emirates, then China and the U.S. later this month, will send unmanned spacecraft to explore the Red Planet.
- As US cases soar, ‘coronavirus detectives’ face new pressure
Contact tracing is a known method of limiting outbreaks. But many states have too few contact tracers to handle the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.
- Lockdowns are turning cooped-up residents into citizen scientists
Bird counts are booming, and public participation is transforming all science as more amateur enthusiasts participate and experts welcome it.
- How one science hub grapples with diversifying STEM
Expanding diversity in STEM means better science for all. The Woods Hole research community joins the national reckoning on race.
- Why coronavirus modeling is so hard to pin down
What does the future of the COVID-19 pandemic look like? This comic shows how it depends on the model – and how people respond to it.
- First LookHistoric first: SpaceX delivers US astronauts to space station
After Saturday's historic liftoff, the SpaceX Dragon capsule arrived at the space station Sunday and docked automatically, no human help needed.