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Planet Nine Could Be a Mirage

Some four years ago, when Ann-Marie Madigan first encountered the idea that there might be an undetected massive planet lurking beyond Pluto’s orbit, she felt excited but skeptical. The evidence for such a world was then—and now remains—circumstantial: strange patterns in the orbits of small objects at the outskirts of the known solar system. Proponents […]

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A swimming dinosaur: The tail of Spinosaurus

New bones suggest Spinosaurus is the only known aquatic dinosaur. A new fossil of one of the most unusual dinosaurs, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, suggests it was a swimming predator powered by a fin-like tail. The find comes after decades of debate on how much of its life Spinosaurus would have spent in the water, and […]

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What COVID-19 Antibody Tests Can and Cannot Tell Us

Dozens of antibody tests for the novel coronavirus have become available in recent weeks. And early results from studies of such serological assays in the U.S. and around the world have swept headlines. Despite optimism about these tests possibly becoming the key to a return to normal life, experts say the reality is complicated and […]

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Should You Immerse Yourself in Bad News These Days, or Ignore It Completely?

How can we possibly grapple with the onslaught of information about virus spread, stock market nosedives, canceled plans and uncertainty about the future? Some people wallow in the fear, anxiety and sadness, checking news sites and social media constantly. Others try to suppress it all and ignore the outside world (I’m guessing that Instagram has […]