Science News
Some Geologists Argue Earth Has Less Than Seven Continents
Recent earth science developments suggest that how we count our planet’s largest land masses is less clear than we learned in school.
Clean Energy Is Booming in the U.S. The Election Could Change That.
Trump has suggested he would dismantle the Inflation Reduction Act, which has reshaped America’s energy landscape. It won’t be easy.
Was Stone-Age Scandinavia Struck by Plague?
New research by geneticists hints at the deadly work of Yersinia pestis 5,000 years ago.
Can John Green Make You Care About Tuberculosis?
With a forthcoming nonfiction book and an online army of Nerdfighters, the young-adult author aims to eliminate an entirely curable global scourge.
Why Is Harris So Passionate About Abortion Rights? Her Past Work Holds Clues.
For a politician who has been criticized for shifting positions on some issues, this is an area where she has shown unwavering conviction.
This Toad Is So Tiny That They Call It a Flea
A “toadlet” in Brazil is the second-smallest vertebrate known to exist on the planet.
What Ants and Orcas Can Teach Us About Death
A philosopher journeys into the world of comparative thanatology, which explores how animals of all kinds respond to death and dying.
The Rebellious Scientist Who Made Kamala Harris
The presidential candidate’s mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, was a breast cancer researcher whose egalitarian politics often bucked a patriarchal lab culture.
If You Think You Can Hold a Grudge, Consider the Crow
The brainy birds carry big chips on their shoulders, scientists say. And some people who become subjects of their ire may be victims of mistaken identity.
One-Third of World’s Trees Face Extinction Risk, Report at COP16 Says
They play an essential role in supporting life on Earth, but many species are in decline, researchers found.
How Trump and Harris Compare on Climate Change
Kamala Harris calls global warming an “existential threat.” Donald Trump dismisses it as a “scam.”
Utility in Britain Offers Free Electricity to Grow Clean Energy
A utility sends phone alerts when wind power is cheap. A builder sells “zero bill” houses. They’re among several experiments to redefine how people value electricity.
If You Think You Can Hold a Grudge, Consider the Crow
The brainy birds carry big chips on their shoulders, scientists say. And some people who become subjects of their ire may be victims of mistaken identity.
No E. Coli Found in Samples of McDonald’s Beef Patties, Officials Say
The company said it would put Quarter Pounders back on the menu, without the raw onions that were considered the likely source of the bacteria.
First Images of the Sun’s Flares Released From a New Space Telescope
Forecasters will soon be able to use the instrument, a coronagraph, to better monitor the effects of solar storms.
A Trans Researcher’s Pursuit of Better Data on Detransition
Kinnon MacKinnon leads the world’s largest study on people who stop or reverse their gender transitions, a group embroiled in intense political fights.
A Skeleton Bank of Understudied Species
With a new database of medical images, zoo and wildlife vets can finally see what healthy uncommon animals, from rhinos and tamarins to pangolins and sea stars, should look like on the inside.
E. Coli Outbreak Tied to McDonald’s Widens to 75 People in 13 States
Health officials say that recalls of onions — the suspected source of the contamination — would help lessen the risk to consumers. Other major fast-food chains have also stopped offering onions.
Leon Cooper Dies at 94; Nobelist Unlocked Secrets of Superconductivity
He shared the 1972 physics prize for showing how some materials could convey electricity without resistance. He also did pioneering research in neuroscience.
NASA Astronaut Hospitalized After SpaceX Return to Earth
Three NASA astronauts and a fourth from the Russian space agency returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Friday morning after weather-related delays.