Life

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

Briefing: Seven missions launched to test optimized data transfer from space

Strategic angle: Eight CubeSats and one payload supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) have reached orbit to improve data transmission and processing.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: Uranus mission concept CASMIUS to probe ice giant secrets

Strategic angle: The ice giant Uranus is one of the most fascinating objects in the solar system, with its sideways rotation and intricate ring system.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: Great hammerheads maintain peak hunting across wide temperature swings, biologging data suggest

Strategic angle: These ocean predators are masters of the 'thermal hustle,' maintaining peak hunting performance across a surprisingly wide range.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: How medieval chess created a space in which players, regardless of race, could engage as equals

Strategic angle: Exploring the role of medieval chess in fostering equality among players of diverse backgrounds.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Targeting the tiniest divide: Research reveals potential vulnerability in bacterial reproduction

Strategic angle: A Université de Montréal study uncovers a new mechanism in bacterial reproduction that could be targeted by future antibiotics.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Racetrack-shaped lasers developed for bright, stable frequency combs

Strategic angle: A new, miniature laser source could revolutionize precision measurement and communication technologies.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Introducing a new citizen science nature app that's geared towards the scientific community

Strategic angle: PlantNet offers a wealth of data for identifying plants and understanding biodiversity.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Cast your vote for the best sci-fi spaceship and then watch debaters duke it out at Space Symposium

Strategic angle: Voting ends April 14. Resistance is futile – you must comply.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: NASA Probe Data Suggests a More Complex Sun's Magnetic Engine

Strategic angle: A new study reveals differing reactions of protons and heavy ions to solar magnetic reconnection events, indicating a complex magnetic engine behind the solar wind.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Chiral Metasurfaces Guide Twisted Light into Free Space

Strategic angle: Innovative technology harnesses the angular momentum of light for advanced applications.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Crushing Soda Cans and the Mathematics of Corrugation Formation

Strategic angle: Exploring the science behind why objects squash in specific ways under pressure.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Income rank predicts well-being worldwide, but social capital can buffer its effects

Strategic angle: New research reveals that an individual's income rank is a stronger predictor of well-being than their earnings or income gap.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Reservoirs are changing: What Landsat data reveal about water loss and gain

Strategic angle: Communities worldwide rely on reservoirs for drinking water, hydroelectric power, irrigation, and more.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Targeting tumor supporting cells: Lipid nanoparticles advance CAR T success in pancreatic cancer

Strategic angle: A breakthrough in treating one of the most challenging cancers using innovative lipid nanoparticles.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Conductive Hydrogel Enables Electrical and Biochemical Signal Control

Strategic angle: A breakthrough in materials science could enhance the integration of electronics with biological systems.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Physicist recreates neutron star reaction, reveals how explosive stars forge elements

Strategic angle: A Mississippi State physicist has produced a direct laboratory measurement of a key nuclear reaction believed to occur during explosive bursts on neutron stars.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Winning feels good. Does it change how we feel about democracy?

Strategic angle: New research from the University of Georgia explores the emotional impact of winning on democratic satisfaction.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Tracking the footsteps of West Africa's prehistoric metalworkers

Strategic angle: The discovery of a 2,400-year-old metalworking workshop in Senegal provides new insights into the history of iron production in Africa.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: College students struggle to identify problematic gray zones in academic practice, study finds

Strategic angle: A study reveals that students have difficulty recognizing situations that may compromise their academic integrity.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: The Earth is rearranging history

Strategic angle: Deep below the surface of Murujuga, soil expands and contracts from the passage of water, revealing ancient Aboriginal artifacts.

Editorial Staff Mar 31