Women live longer than men on average in every country Peter Cavanagh/Alamy We now have a better idea of why women live longer than men, on average, thanks to the most comprehensive analysis yet of the differences in lifespan between male and female mammals and birds. The average global life expectancy is about 74 years…
Every week neurologist Victor Sung sees people with Huntington’s disease, a rare and devastating neurodegenerative disorder, at his clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. But last Wednesday was a day unlike any other. “I cried with every single patient,” Sung says. “It just was this crazy feeling that, for the patients and families,…
Jane Goodall studying the behaviour of a chimpanzee during her research in Tanzania Penelope Breese/Liaison Renowned conservationist Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91. She spent decades studying and advocating for chimpanzees, became the world’s leading expert on our closest primate relatives and transformed our understanding of humankind. She leaves behind a towering…
Artificial intelligence can dash off more than routine emails. It has now written tiny working genomes. Two AI models designed the blueprints for 16 viruses capable of attacking Escherichia coli in lab dishes, researchers report September 17 in a paper posted to bioRxiv.org. A mixture of these AI-generated bacteriophages stopped virus-resistant E. coli strains from…
October 1, 2025 2 min read Jane Goodall, Trailblazing Primatologist and Chimpanzee Conservationist, Has Died The anthropologist was famous for her pioneering research with chimpanzees and her influence on conservation By Meghan Bartels edited by Kate Wong Jane Goodall speaks onstage at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum 2025 at the Plaza Hotel on September 24,…
Signs of autism in children can include not talking much to other young people or finding it hard to make friends JAGADEESH NV/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The age at which children are diagnosed with autism seems to be partly influenced by their genetics, which may also affect how the condition develops. “This really provides support for the idea…
Grape plant bacteria might help mitigate smoke taint in wine by breaking down chemicals that evoke an ashy taste.
The abrupt termination last month of nearly half a billion dollars in US government contracts for mRNA vaccine research rattled scientists working inside and outside industry. The cuts raised alarm about the country’s commitment to the Nobel-prizewinning technology, which is credited with saving millions of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and is regarded as essential…
A 100-day-old brain organoid Madeline Lancaster Since Madeline Lancaster first created brain organoids back in 2013, they have become widely used for brain research around the world. But what exactly are they? Are they effectively miniature brains in dishes? Could implanting them in animals create super-smart mice? How close are we to crossing ethical lines?…
Parachutes inspired by Japanese paper cutting unfurl automatically and fall more predictably than standard parachutes.
