Science & Society
The ‘Does It Fly?’ podcast separates fact from science fiction
The podcast ‘Does It Fly?’ asks whether the technology of Star Trek, Doctor Who and other popular sci-fi shows could really work.
Featured Articles in this Issue
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Cover Story
Is U.S. democracy in decline? Here’s what the science says
Political scientists disagree over how to interpret a slight dip in the health of U.S. democracy.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Oceans
A vital ocean current is stable, for now
The Florida Current, a major contributor to a system of ocean currents that regulate Earth’s climate, has not weakened as much as previously reported.
Notebook
Microbes
This amoeba eats prey like owls do
Meet the ‘owl slime’ amoeba, which drains its prey and spits out the shell.
Features
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A neutrino mass mismatch could shake cosmology’s foundations
Cosmological data suggest unexpected masses for neutrinos, including the possibility of zero or negative mass.
More Stories from the October 19, 2024 issue
- Psychology
A brain network linked to attention is larger in people with depression
Brain scans revealed that teenagers with larger attention-driving networks were more likely to develop depression.
- Health & Medicine
Semaglutide may reduce opioid overdoses, a new study suggests
A study of people with type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder suggests that the key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy shows promise against addiction.
- Animals
Ants changed the architecture of their nests when exposed to a pathogen
Black garden ants made tweaks to entrances, tunnels and chambers that may help prevent diseases from spreading.
- Space
Meet Porphyrion, the largest pair of black hole jets ever seen
The two plasma fountains, spanning 23 million light-years, could shape cosmic structures far beyond their home galaxy.
- Plants
Projectile pollen helps this flower edge out reproductive competition
With explosive bursts of pollen, male Hypenea macrantha flowers knock some competitors’ deposits off hummingbird beaks before the birds reach females.
- Climate
Earth’s ancient ‘greenhouse’ conditions were hotter than thought
A timeline of 485 million years of Earth’s surface temperatures shows ancient greenhouse conditions were hotter than scientists thought.
- Physics
How to spot tiny black holes that might pass through the solar system
Flybys of primordial black holes may occur once a decade. Tweaks to the orbits of planets and GPS satellites could give away their presence.
- Anthropology
Fossils of an extinct animal may have inspired this cave art drawing
Unusual tusks on preserved skulls of dicynodonts influenced the look of a mythical beast painted by Southern Africa’s San people, a researcher suspects.
- Life
Mega El Niños kicked off the world’s worst mass extinction
Long-lasting, widespread heat and weather extremes may have caused the Great Dying extinction event 252 million years ago.
- Animals
Scientists have just turned giant panda skin cells into stem cells
If the pluripotent stem cells can be turned into precursors to egg and sperm cells, the feat could potentially be a big deal for giant panda conservation.
- Paleontology
Some of Earth’s extinct giants may have been smaller than thought
Evolving techniques and data indicate some ancient giants like Dunkleosteus and Megalodon may have been smaller than initial estimates suggested.
- Earth
Reactive dust from Great Salt Lake may have health consequences
When inhaled, metals left by the shrinking lake could cause inflammation. Experts say more studies are needed to understand the impact.
- Chemistry
Scientists may have an explanation for why some batteries don’t last
A long-standing idea of why lithium ion batteries die focuses on lithium movement into the cathode. Instead, hydrogen may be to blame.
- Particle Physics
Physicists just discovered the rarest particle decay ever
The “golden channel” decay of subatomic particles called kaons could break or confirm the standard model of particle physics.
- Particle Physics
The Large Hadron Collider exposes quarks’ quantum entanglement
Top quarks and antiquarks produced in the Large Hadron Collider are entangled, a study shows.
- Space
How a dying star is similar to a lava lamp
In a first, astronomers captured how convective forces power the quick bubbling movement of gas cells on the surface of a distant, massive star.
- Climate
Climate change could double U.S. temperature-linked deaths by mid-century
Each year, roughly 8,000 deaths in the United States are associated with extreme temperatures. And as temperatures rise, this number could swell.
- Agriculture
‘Smart lighting’ might make vertical farming more affordable
A new computer program adjusts grow lights to cut down on electric bills without sacrificing photosynthesis.
- Neuroscience
Some healthy fish have bacteria in their brains
Animals including mammals usually protect their brains from infiltrating microbes that can cause disease. But some fish seem to do just fine.
- Neuroscience
A study in mice hints at a new way to treat spinal cord injuries
The finding suggests that a drug to ease swelling can speed recovery and stop cell death.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, chronic pain mystified scientists
Chronic pain has puzzled scientists for decades, but diagnoses and treatments have come a long way.
