Though Pluto is now famously frigid, it may have started off as a hot world that formed rapidly and violently, a new study finds. This result suggests Pluto may have possessed an underground ocean since early on in its life, potentially improving its chances of hosting life, researchers said. Previous work assumed Pluto originated from cold and icy rock […]
More than 7,000 languages exist today, a wealth of diversity that continues to puzzle researchers. Languages vary in a number of ways: Parts of speech, for instance, may be ordered differently. And a change in tone can signify a distinct word meaning. One lingering question that has perplexed linguists is whether genes predispose the use […]
During the recent protests over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans, police forces across the country have used weapons categorized as “less lethal” to disperse crowds and subdue individuals. But despite their label, these tools can still overstep the inherent limitations of flesh and bone. Devices that sound innocuous—rubber bullets, […]
To be young and LGBTQ+ in 2020 America means living in a culture of both remarkable progress and pervasive challenges. Same-sex marriage is legal; there’s an increasing number of positive, identity-affirming sexual and gender minority characters in movies and television; celebrities and influencers are out and proud on social media; and many of us are […]
Quantifying things is an overarching goal in science, but recent events have left me pondering just why that is. After all, we’ve long known that numbers can be precise but inaccurate. The textbook exemplar is Lord Kelvin, the 19th-century British physicist who insisted that unless you could quantify a thing, your knowledge of it was […]
DNA and RNA, the two major modern forms of genetic code underpinning all of earthly biology, could have coexisted in strict pairings on our planet before life arose here, scientists in England, Scotland and Poland say. Using a hydrogen cyanide–based chemical system intended to mimic conditions in Earth’s early history, the researchers made four bases, […]
Rising temperatures brought on by climate change disproportionately threaten pregnant women who work outdoors, who can’t access air conditioning and who are Black or Hispanic, a panel of reproductive justice experts said last week. That’s largely because these women more often experience prolonged — and unmitigated — exposure to brutal temperatures, which have been found […]
Researchers are growing miniature organs in the laboratory to study how the new coronavirus ravages the body. Studies in these organoids are revealing the virus’s versatility at invading organs, from the lungs to the liver, kidneys and gut. Researchers are also experimenting with drugs in these mini tissues to see whether such therapies might be […]
Originally published in May 1967 Credit: Scientific American Advertisement “By the year 2030 the electric power requirement will be 10 times the present capacity. Because of the expected decline in fossil-fuel resources, and in the absence of any other large source of energy at reasonable cost, fission power would be counted on to supply about […]
The excitement and enthusiasm for a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2020 is both palpable and understandable. We all hope for a rapid end to the pandemic and an effective vaccine would be a surefire solution. But there are risks that come with a fast-tracked vaccine delivered end of this year, not the least […]