See the Dramatic Consequences of Vaccination Rates Teetering on a ‘Knife’s Edge’ As U.S. childhood vaccination rates sway on a “knife’s edge,” new 25-year projections reveal how slight changes in national immunization could improve—or drastically reverse—the prevalence of measles, polio, rubella and diphtheria By Lauren J. Young edited by Dean Visser Measles, rubella, polio and…
Old landfill rubbish revealed in sea cliffs by coastal erosion on Walney Island, UK Global Warming Images/Alamy To the already very long list of problems caused by global warming, add toxic waste in old landfills exposed by coastal erosion and polluting beaches and seas. “There is not lots of toxic waste spilling out at the…
The Universe May End Sooner Than Scientists Had Expected A new study suggests the universe’s end could occur much sooner than previously thought. But don’t worry, that ultimate cosmic conclusion would still be in the unimaginably distant future By Sharmila Kuthunur & SPACE.com An illustration of the remnants of an ancient, dead planetary system orbiting…
Your job can have a big impact on your overall life satisfaction Jacky Chapman/Janine Wiedel Photolibrary/Alamy Scientists have uncovered the most satisfying jobs, after analysing 59,000 people and 263 occupations. Kätlin Anni at the University of Tartu in Estonia and her colleagues dived into data from the Estonian Biobank, doing what they say is probably…
Scientific research over the past 30 years has revealed a patchwork of potential causes of autism. Most of them are genetic—the condition is between 60 and 90 percent heritable—and some involve nongenetic risk factors that might impact development during pregnancy. “We’ve found a great deal of the underlying [causes],” says Helen Tager-Flusberg, an autism researcher…
Children can display empathy before they are old enough to talk MStudioImages/Getty Images Children between 9 and 18 months old already demonstrate empathy, suggesting this ability starts at an earlier age than previously thought, even for babies from different cultural backgrounds. “If I don’t understand your emotions, I can’t communicate with you and I can’t…
Last winter’s respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, season wasn’t as brutal for U.S. babies. A new study suggests two preventive tools — a maternal vaccine and a monoclonal antibody for infants — may have helped. The 2024-25 RSV season was the first in which the vaccine and the monoclonal antibody, which can prevent severe RSV…
In World First, Baby Receives Personalized CRISPR Gene-Editing Treatment A CRISPR treatment seems to have been effective for a baby’s devastating disease, but it is not clear whether such bespoke therapies can be widely applied By Heidi Ledford & Nature magazine KJ Muldoon, a baby born with a genetic disease that affected his ability to…
The AMOC is a system of ocean currents that circulates water within the Atlantic Ocean NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio The slowdown of a major current in the Atlantic Ocean is boosting the sea level and associated flooding in the Northeast US, on top of the already-rising sea level due to climate change….
The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating FrogCarly Anne YorkBasic Books, $30 What’s the purpose of your study? It’s the question many basic-science researchers dread. And it’s the question that Carly Anne York received about 10 years ago from a fellow volunteer at the Virginia Zoo. At the time, York was a Ph.D. student studying squid…
