Life

Health, science, climate, and society-focused reporting.

Briefing: Ultrafast computing: Light-driven logic tops 10 terahertz in WS₂

Strategic angle: The future for our computers will literally be at the speed of light, as new research reveals ultrafast logical operations using extremely short light pulses.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Foraged mushrooms and sea beet featured in British meals in the 16th century. Why not today?

Strategic angle: Exploring the historical significance of foraged foods in Britain and the modern hesitations surrounding them.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Hybrid synthetic strategy unlocks previously unattainable molecular architectures

Strategic angle: A breakthrough in molecular-scale design could revolutionize advanced technologies.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Starlab Space Fully Books Commercial Payload Space on Planned Space Station

Strategic angle: The Starlab commercial space station has secured all available payload space as it prepares for the next phase of a NASA program.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: New African species confirms evolutionary origin of magic mushrooms

Strategic angle: A long-standing debate about the evolutionary origin of the world's most widely cultivated 'magic mushroom'—Psilocybe cubensis—may now have been settled by scientists from southern Africa and the United States.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Thermal drones boost detection of entangled seals

Strategic angle: New research from Monash University and Phillip Island Nature Parks utilizes thermal and infrared drone technology to enhance the detection of marine debris entanglements in Australian fur seals.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Scientists document Europe's first Jurassic lizard trackways in Asturias

Strategic angle: Research reveals two significant trackways from the Late Jurassic period, shedding light on ancient lizard behavior.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Language difficulties can hinder young children's social autonomy

Strategic angle: Children with developmental language disorder face challenges beyond just language use, impacting their social interactions.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Viasat wins $14 million contract to provide in-flight satcom for Navy executive aircraft

Strategic angle: The two-year deal covers satellite communications for Navy C-37 executive jets used to transport senior leaders.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Chemical shifts help track molecules breaking apart in real time

Strategic angle: An international team of scientists has tracked ultrafast changes in the small molecule fluoromethane as it breaks apart.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Tapping into the inner workings of long-distance animal calls

Strategic angle: From whale songs to lion roars, animals have evolved to stretch their voices across distances with coded messages.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: How Does Cost Affect Access to Health Care?

Strategic angle: This analysis explores trends in how the cost of healthcare affects access to care in the U.S.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Mining the dark transcriptome: Synthesizing the first potential drug molecules from long noncoding RNA

Strategic angle: A team from University of Toronto Engineering pioneers a new approach to drug discovery by synthesizing long noncoding RNA outside the cell.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Breeding for bigger cattle may come with hidden fertility trade-offs

Strategic angle: A University of Queensland analysis reveals genetic links between cattle growth and fertility.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: 3D Imaging Reveals Messy-Looking Supraparticles Can Be Nearly Perfect Crystals Inside

Strategic angle: Researchers at Utrecht University have quantitatively mapped the three-dimensional structure of photonic supraparticles for the first time.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: GOP Senator Investigates FDA Over Rare Disease Drug Rejections

Strategic angle: Sen. Ron Johnson raises concerns about the FDA's handling of treatments for rare diseases after discussions with Commissioner Marty Makary.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Antarctic waters DNA survey discovers many microbial genes new to science

Strategic angle: A groundbreaking study reveals the vast genetic diversity of microbial life in the Southern Ocean, enhancing our understanding of its role in global climate.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Opening the path to high-efficiency hydrogen production without expensive precious metals

Strategic angle: A research team has developed a non-precious metal catalyst for optimized hydrogen production.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: Texas's controversial migrant busing program tied to 2024 voting shifts

Strategic angle: A new study reveals how Texas's busing programs influenced voting patterns in the 2024 election.

Editorial Staff Mar 10

Life

Briefing: 3D-printed photonic lanterns combine up to 37 multimode lasers into one fiber

Strategic angle: Researchers have developed a groundbreaking optical device that merges light from multiple lasers into a single fiber with minimal loss.

Editorial Staff Mar 10