The cosmic ‘Cow’ may have produced a new neutron star or black hole
A cosmic flare-up called the Cow seems to have left behind a black hole or neutron star. When the flash was spotted in June...
SCIENTIFIC NEWS
2021 research reinforced that mating across groups drove human evolution
Evidence that cross-continental Stone Age networking events powered human evolution ramped up in 2021. A long-standing argument that Homo sapiens originated in East Africa...
Ingenuity is still flying on Mars. Here’s what the helicopter is up to
The Ingenuity Mars helicopter was never supposed to last this long. NASA engineers built and tested the first self-powered aircraft to fly on another...
For 50 years, CT scans have saved lives, revealed beauty and more
One grainy, gray-scale image of a brain changed science and medicine forever. Half a century ago, the first CT image of a patient lifted...
Cleared tropical forests can regain ground surprisingly fast
Tropical forests are disappearing at an alarming clip across the globe. As lush land is cleared for agriculture, climate-warming carbon gets released and biodiversity...
Wildfire smoke may ramp up toxic ozone production in cities
Wildfire smoke and urban air pollution bring out the worst in each other. As wildfires rage, they transform their burned fuel into a complex...
These are Science News’ favorite books of 2021
Many of the Science News staff’s favorite books of the year challenge how we understand the world, from rethinking human history to reimagining the...
Gut bacteria let vulture bees eat rotting flesh without getting sick
Mention foraging bees and most people will picture insects flitting from flower to flower in search of nectar. But in the jungles of Central...
Physicists have coaxed ultracold atoms into an elusive form of quantum matter
An elusive form of matter called a quantum spin liquid isn’t a liquid, and it doesn’t spin — but it sure is quantum. Predicted...
A massive 8-year effort finds that much cancer research can’t be replicated
After eight years, a project that tried to reproduce the results of key cancer biology studies has finally concluded. And its findings suggest that...
Estrogen therapy is linked to fewer signs of Alzheimer’s in the brain 
A vest tested on the Artemis I mission blocked some radiation exposure 
Frankenstein in Charge: Netanyahu Rejects Trump’s Gaza Plan 
Malawi Bets on Battery Storage to Climate-Proof Its Fragile Power Grid