Life

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

Briefing: Extreme global climate outcomes are possible even at 2°C warming, study warns

Strategic angle: A new study reveals that significant climate impacts can occur even with a 2°C increase in global temperatures.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: How the body senses cold has been a mystery—until now

Strategic angle: New research reveals the role of the TRPM8 protein in cold sensation.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Unusual signal may prove existence of primordial black holes

Strategic angle: A pair of University of Miami astrophysicists could be on the verge of a cosmic breakthrough confirming primordial black holes.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Polymer uses movable molecular rings to overcome durability–degradability trade-off

Strategic angle: Innovative design in polymer materials addresses the challenge of balancing strength and environmental impact.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: DNA Origami Positions Single-Photon Emitters for Quantum Technologies

Strategic angle: A breakthrough method using DNA self-assembly allows for unprecedented precision in positioning molecules on ultrathin materials.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Infinity Avionics Unveils Aquila: The Next-Generation Space Imaging Solution for Complex Orbital Operations

Strategic angle: Infinity Avionics announces the commercial launch of Aquila, a cutting-edge space imaging system designed for advanced orbital operations.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Project Hail Mary meets reality: 45 planets could harbor alien life

Strategic angle: Astronomers have narrowed down the cosmic search for life, identifying fewer than 50 rocky planets among thousands of known exoplanets that may have the right conditions to support life.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Does a company's political power affect its success in obtaining federal contracts?

Strategic angle: A study published in Contemporary Economic Policy investigates the influence of political investments on federal contract success.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Eight amino acids may explain salamanders' reduced cold sensitivity

Strategic angle: Research reveals how specific amino acids contribute to temperature sensing in salamanders.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Are mercury levels elevated across US conservation lands?

Strategic angle: A study reveals varying risks to wildlife from mercury pollution in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: The world's great fish migrations are collapsing. That's a problem for millions of people

Strategic angle: Hidden beneath the surface of the world's rivers, some of Earth's great animal movements unfold—migrations that rival, in sheer biomass, the famous mass movements of zebra and wildebeest across the Serengeti.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Successful minority employees can create a false sense of diversity

Strategic angle: Highly successful women and racial minorities challenge stereotypes but may also create an illusion of organizational diversity.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Uncovering the evolutionary limits of the COVID-19 virus

Strategic angle: A new study reveals that the COVID-19 virus has evolved rapidly but within constrained genetic boundaries.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Kona Storms Flood Oʻahu

Strategic angle: Back-to-back subtropical cyclones in March fueled destructive flash flooding on several of the Hawaiian Islands.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: First ever atomic movie reveals hidden driver of radiation damage

Strategic angle: Researchers visualize atoms in motion before radiation-driven decay, uncovering a dynamic process.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Global study identifies urgent blue carbon priorities in the fight against climate change

Strategic angle: An international study warns that critical scientific and practical gaps are slowing the use of blue carbon ecosystems in global efforts to tackle climate change.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Honey bees dance better with an audience

Strategic angle: Honey bees adjust their waggle dance performance based on the number of spectators, impacting the precision of their communication.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Bio-based polymer offers a sustainable solution to 'forever chemical' cleanup

Strategic angle: Researchers at the University of Bath have developed a renewable polymer membrane that captures toxic chemicals from water, paving the way for sustainable water treatment.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Irrational decision or helpful evolutionary adaptation? A philosopher on the rationality wars behind 'nudge' policy

Strategic angle: Exploring the implications of 'nudge' policies through the lens of philosophy and evolutionary adaptation.

editorial-staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Red-tailed bumblebees found to be key hosts for dangerous bee virus

Strategic angle: Wild bumblebees serve as key hosts for acute bee paralysis virus, posing risks to honeybee populations.

editorial-staff Mar 25