Book Review: How Plants Experience the World
In her rigorous new book “The Light Eaters,” climate and environmental journalist Zoë Schlanger acts as a tour guide through the history of the science on plant intelligence and the pressing questions...
View ArticleTracing Bird Flu’s Ground Zero on Texas Dairy Farms
In early February, dairy farmers in Texas began to notice sick cattle. Nearly 60 days passed before veterinarians identified the culprit: a highly pathogenic strain of the bird flu virus, H5N1. Why did...
View ArticleOn the Pacific Coast, Dam Removal Renews the Shoreline
In the decade since two dams on the Elwha River in Washington State were removed, scientists have discovered lasting changes — and a healthier ecosystem. “It was like seeing a geologic event in a human...
View ArticleBook Review: The Untapped Knowledge of Animals
Animal scientist Martin Wikelski’s fascinating new book “The Internet of Animals” chronicles his quest to design, build, and launch a network of transmitters to track birds around the globe. Wikelski...
View ArticleThe Ephemeral Organ: Researchers Look Closer at the Placenta
Research on the placenta and its pathologies have largely been understudied, some clinicians say. There are multiple reasons why: the difficulties in studying a fleeting and dynamic organ, the...
View ArticleBook Review: The Untapped Knowledge of Animals
Animal scientist Martin Wikelski’s fascinating new book “The Internet of Animals” chronicles his quest to design, build, and launch a network of transmitters to track birds around the globe. Wikelski...
View ArticleAI, Health Care, and the Realities of Being Human
Many doctors see AI-driven tools as a boon to working smarter and faster, but the technology can also put patients at risk for overdiagnosis and discrimination. Physician Arjun Sharma reflects on the...
View ArticleBook Excerpt: The Social Safety Net of Colorado’s Marmots
After years spent studying colonies of yellow-bellied marmots, scientists at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory have learned how an individual’s social network affects the alarm calls they give...
View ArticleFrom Toad Toxin to Medicine: The Promise of 5-MeO-DMT
The psychedelic compound stands out for its quick and potent effects, making it a cheaper alternative to psilocybin and LSD. But research on its effects is still nascent. Now, scientists are...
View ArticleIn Virginia, Data Centers Collide with Zero-Carbon Goals
The state has the biggest data centers market in the world, fueling unprecedented electricity demand and causing environmental groups to question how the state will transition the grid to renewable...
View ArticleIn Montana, a Tribally Led Effort to Restore the Whitebark Pine
Whitebark pines are a keystone species in high-elevation ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, preventing soil erosion, and regulating water flow. The tree also holds cultural importance for the...
View ArticleWhy AlphaFold 3 Needs to Be Open Source
DeepMind released AlphaFold 3, a powerful new version of its AI-driven model for predicting protein structures, biomolecular interactions, and more. But it did so without making the software’s code...
View ArticleBook Review: Truth and Consequences for Medical Whistleblowers
A core theme of “The Occasional Human Sacrifice” — equal parts investigative report, history, and memoir — is that those who expose medical wrongdoing are hardly heroes, at least not in the redemptive...
View ArticleAllergy Labels: This May Contain Peanuts (Or Maybe Not)
Precautionary allergen labels like those that say processed in a facility that uses milk or may contain fish are meant to address the potential for cross-contact. And in the United States, these...
View ArticleThe End of Pandemic Internet Subsidies
During the Covid-19 pandemic, a federal program subsidized the cost of home internet for more than 23 million low-income households, connecting more people to their jobs, schools, and doctors. But the...
View ArticleIn Virginia, Data Centers Collide with Zero-Carbon Goals
The state has the biggest data centers market in the world, fueling unprecedented electricity demand and causing environmental groups to question how the state will transition the grid to renewable...
View ArticleA Biologist, a Blog, and a Mosquito Control Dispute
A category of pesticides that are exempt from EPA oversight allows for iffy products to thrive. But AC2T, which is based in Mississippi, may be unique in the lengths it has taken to bring its mosquito...
View ArticleIn Virginia, Data Centers Collide with Zero-Carbon Goals
The state has the biggest data centers market in the world, fueling unprecedented electricity demand and causing environmental groups to question how the state will transition the grid to renewable...
View ArticleA Biologist, a Blog, and a Mosquito Control Dispute
A category of pesticides that are exempt from EPA oversight allows for iffy products to thrive. But AC2T, which is based in Mississippi, may be unique in the lengths it has taken to bring its mosquito...
View ArticleGenetic Studies Can Perpetuate Stereotypes of Bisexual People
A study linking a genetic signature of bisexuality with risk-taking and having more children received a lot of media attention earlier this year. One scientist explains why such genome-wide association...
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