The CDC’s changes to mask guidelines raised questions. Here are 6 answers
The most recent federal guidance on wearing masks offered a glimmer of hope that the pandemic’s end was inching closer, but it has also...
SCIENTIFIC NEWS
Urchin mobs team up to butcher sea stars that prey on them
Sea urchins are underwater lawnmowers, their unabating, vegetarian appetites capable of altering whole nearshore ecosystems. But the spiny invertebrates will also sink their teeth...
Record-breaking light has more than a quadrillion electron volts of energy
The cosmos keeps outdoing itself. Extremely energetic light from space is an unexplained wonder of astrophysics, and now scientists have spotted this light, called...
2021 will be another busy year for the Atlantic hurricane season
The record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is a tough act to follow. But U.S. Atlantic coast residents shouldn’t let their guard down — 2021...
Watch this beautiful, high-resolution simulation of how stars are born
The most realistic computer simulation of star formation yet offers stunning views of what the inside of a stellar nursery might look like. In...
‘Tree farts’ contribute about a fifth of greenhouse gases from ghost forests
If a tree farts in the forest, does it make a sound? No, but it does add a smidge of greenhouse gas to the...
China’s first Mars rover has landed and is sending its first pictures
China’s first Mars rover is taking in the view of its new home. The Zhurong rover touched down on the Red Planet on May...
‘Zombie’ forest fires may become more common with climate change
Winter usually kills most forest fires. But in the boreal woods that encircle the far North, some fires, like zombies, just don’t die. The...
Mammal brains may use the same circuits to control tongues and limbs
Precise control of the tongue is often vital in life, from the way frogs capture flies to human speech (SN: 1/31/17). But much remains...
European fire ant chemicals may send spiders scurrying away
To make a spider flee, bring on the fire ants. Or rather, just their chemical signals. Some spiders common in North American homes avoid...
World marks second warmest July on record 
Ebola deaths top 2,000 as scientists race to develop vaccine 
South Sudan: UN mission decries deadly attacks, works to calm tensions after ‘nothing but devastation’ 
After post-pandemic improvement, youth unemployment is rising again