Life

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

This “forbidden” exoplanet has an atmosphere scientists can’t explain

Strategic angle: A strange “forbidden” planet spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope is turning planetary science on its head. TOI-5205 b, a Jupiter-sized world orbiting a small, cool star, has an atmosphere surprisingly poor in heavy

Editorial Staff Apr 7

Life

New method rapidly analyzes cell proteins and metabolites

Strategic angle: Researchers at Cedars-Sinai have developed a fast, new technique for analyzing cells, described in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The approach, called single-injection multi-omics analysis by direct infusion (SMAD), can

Editorial Staff Apr 7

Life

How an eye physician who translated classical Greek medicine into Arabic helped form Western medical thought

Strategic angle: A medieval ophthalmologist who translated Greek works by Galen, Hippocrates, and Plato into Arabic played a pivotal role in shaping Western medical scholarship, according to a study published in the journal Cogent Arts a

Editorial Staff Apr 7

Life

By age 7, most children quickly spot individuals' social biases toward social groups, study finds

Strategic angle: Most elementary school-aged children have a surprising cognitive ability: they can detect—nearly as well as adults—when someone treats people from one social group differently than another. The study, "Children's and adu

Editorial Staff Apr 7

Life

The brain might not create consciousness after all

Strategic angle: Is consciousness something the brain produces, or is it woven into the fabric of reality itself? Renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch is challenging long-held scientific assumptions by confronting the “hard problem” of

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

3D-printed 'spanlastics' could change how cancer drugs reach tumors

Strategic angle: University of Mississippi research offers hope that cancer drug therapies packaged in 3D-printed carriers could deliver medication directly to tumors while reducing many of the side effects that cancer patients endure. I

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Scientists discover hidden brain switch that tells you to stop eating

Strategic angle: Your brain’s “stop eating” signal may come from an unexpected source. Researchers found that astrocytes—once thought to just support neurons—actually play a key role in controlling appetite. After a meal, glucose trigger

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Study finds 70% of remediated Los Angeles yards still exceed lead limit

Strategic angle: Even after one of the largest environmental remediation efforts in California history, dangerous levels of lead persist in residential neighborhoods surrounding a former battery smelter in Southeast Los Angeles, accordin

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Review details photocatalyst–biocatalyst systems for semi-artificial photosynthesis

Strategic angle: A new review from Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) summarizes the biocatalysts involved in semi-artificial photosynthesis, an exciting research field that combines natural photosynthesis with artificial technology to

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Global warming may be a boon for this aggressive prairie plant

Strategic angle: Climate change may reduce yields of crops like corn and soybeans, but it can also give some plants an edge. That's one of the takeaways of a recent study of tall goldenrod, a common wildflower that runs rampant in fields

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Water-repelling surfaces reveal surprising charging effects

Strategic angle: Materials that repel water are used in countless applications, including industrial separation processes, routine laboratory pipetting, and medical devices. When water touches these surfaces, the interface where they mee

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

If life exists in Venus's atmosphere, it could have come from Earth

Strategic angle: The theory of panspermia holds that life is spread through the cosmos via asteroids, comets, and other objects. When the building blocks of life emerge on one planet, impacts can eject surface material into space, which

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Improving air temperature forecasts one to five weeks in advance without new model simulations

Strategic angle: Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo and George Mason University's College of Science have developed a new method that enhances air temperature forecasts.

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

A nanoparticle therapy to treat lung cancer and associated muscle wasting at the same time

Strategic angle: Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a technique for simultaneously treating lung cancer and a serious muscle-wasting condition that often accompanies it.

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Advancing synthetic cells: A more flexible system to replicate cellular functions

Strategic angle: Creating artificial systems that mimic the functioning of cells is a key goal of synthetic biology.

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Dual-drug nanotherapy crosses blood–brain barrier, improving survival in preclinical glioblastoma models

Strategic angle: Mayo Clinic researchers developed an experimental nanotherapy that delivers two cancer drugs directly to brain tumors, extending survival in preclinical models.

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Fluorescence Imaging Technique Reveals Hidden Magnetic Chemistry in Living Systems

Strategic angle: A groundbreaking microscopy platform developed by researchers at the University of Tokyo uncovers a new layer of biomolecular chemistry associated with weak magnetic fields.

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Experiments Refute Dark Matter Claim

Strategic angle: Recent research challenges long-held beliefs about dark matter, providing new insights into the universe's composition.

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

Cell 'snowball' may be answer to large-scale tissue engineering

Strategic angle: Researchers explore the potential of cell spheroids for advancing biological growth and drug testing.

Editorial Staff Apr 6

Life

California county records sixth person bitten by rattlesnake in under a month

Strategic angle: Two fatalities reported in southern California so far, with warmer spring bringing reptiles out on trails earlier.

Editorial Staff Apr 6