Bang! Whiz! Pop! The universe is a happening place—full of exploding stars, erupting black holes, zipping asteroids, and much more. And astronomers have a brand-new, superpowerful eye with which to see the changing cosmos: the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. The Rubin Observatory released its first images last week, and they’re stunning—vast, glittering star…
An orca attempting to share food with a researcher holding a camera Orca Research Trust Orcas have been seen appearing to gift dead prey to humans, which may be a sign that they engage in altruism and can recognise sentience in other species. Jared Towers at marine research firm Bay Cetology was filming a pod…
Be cautious about asking AI for advice on when to see a doctor Chong Kee Siong/Getty Images Should you see a doctor about your sore throat? AI’s advice may depend on how carefully you typed your question. When artificial intelligence models were tested on simulated writing from would-be patients, they were more likely to advise…
Serenading Cells with Audible Sound Alters Gene Activity Audible sound can affect gene activity in mouse cells, boosting the attachment of muscle precursors to surrounding tissue and decreasing fat accumulation By Simon Makin edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier The cells in your ears aren’t the only ones listening: recent research suggests that crucial cells throughout…
Illustration of enlarged ovaries in someone with polycstic ovary syndrome Science Photo Library/Alamy Polycystic ovary syndrome may be passed down through families via chemical tags that change the structure of DNA, suggesting that drugs that modify these tags in embryos could prevent the condition. People with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have at least two of…
Summer has arrived. For kids, this might mean freedom from schoolwork. But for parents, it can also mean the summer care scramble—the stressful (and expensive) need for working parents to piece together childcare for the months in which school isn’t in session. The scramble for some parents is also about the fear that their kids…
It was a lonely and cold life. In the chilly wastes of northern Europe during the last glacial period, when the ice sheets had spread from the poles and the forests had been driven far south, a small group of humans clung to existence. They roamed widely, between the British Isles in the west and…
Rocks in Canada Are Confirmed as World’s Oldest In 2008 scientists reported that rocks in Canada were the world’s oldest. New data appear to confirm this contested claim By Alexandra Witze & Nature magazine An artistic impression of Earth during the Hadean eon, when the planet formed its first solid crust—most of which later sank…
Influenza virus particles viewed with an electron microscope, with added colour John G/Imago/Alamy A single dose of a long-lasting antiviral drug has shown promise in protecting against all flu strains, raising hopes that it could protect those who are most vulnerable. The flu kills thousands of people every year and the rapid evolution of new…
A patch containing tens of millions of nanoneedles can read what’s happening in our cells on the fly, potentially eliminating the need for time-consuming biopsies. The patch might also facilitate disease diagnosis and monitoring. The 8-by-8-millimeter patch collects molecular information painlessly and without damaging tissue, providing results in a matter of minutes, researchers report June…
