AnatomyMarch 17, 2025
An Unlikely Organ Helps to Explain Sherpas’ Aptitude for Altitude
New work reveals a surprising hero in combating altitude sickness
Stories by Sasha Warren
Sasha Warren is a freelance journalist. They were a 2022 AAAS Mass Media Fellow at Scientific American and hold a Ph.D. in planetary science.
PaleontologyNovember 1, 2022
Scientists Ruin Delicious Seabass to Probe Why Some Organs Don’t Fossilize
Watching fish rot for more than two months disproves a long-standing fossilization theory
EcologyOctober 1, 2022
News Briefs from around the World: October 2022
In case you missed it
BiotechOctober 1, 2022
Moth Wings Are Beautiful in Infrared Light
Drab brown moths’ infrared glittering could be key to tracking different species through the night
EcologySeptember 1, 2022
Parasites Are Choosy about Where They Live
Intestinal parasites infect herbivores with similar digestive systems
Natural DisastersAugust 24, 2022
See Iceland Aglow in Volcanic Eruptions
A vivid look at Iceland’s recent resurgence of volcanic eruptions—and why the country could be in for 300 years of renewed volcanic activity
Planetary ScienceAugust 19, 2022
Here’s Why Earth Just Had Its Shortest Day on Record
How wind, ice and rock may have combined to give our planet its shortest day
PrivacyAugust 5, 2022
The Robocalls Problem Is So Bad That the FCC Actually Did Something
A cybersecurity expert explains how we might learn to trust our phones again
OceansAugust 2, 2022
Salty Sea Spray Keeps Lightning Strikes Away
Particles of sea salt in the air could stop clouds from charging up for a lightning strike
PollutionJuly 27, 2022
Eating Too Much Protein Makes Pee a Problem Pollutant in the U.S.
Protein-packed diets add excess nitrogen to the environment through urine, rivaling pollution from agricultural fertilizers
EpidemiologyJuly 21, 2022
People with Long COVID May Still Have Spike Proteins in Their Blood
A possible biomarker for long COVID suggests some people with the condition never fully cleared the virus
RoboticsJuly 15, 2022
People Come to Grips with Having an Extra Pair of Arms—in VR
New experiments show simulated robotic limbs can feel like a part of our own body with a little practice
DinosaursJuly 1, 2022
Feathers May Have Helped Dinosaurs Survive Their First Apocalypse
Geologic evidence for a freezing arctic suggests dinosaurs could have weathered an epoch-ending volcanic winter
Natural DisastersJune 24, 2022
Why Was Afghanistan’s Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake So Devastating?
Famed seismologist Lucy Jones explains how building methods and quake dynamics interact—and what to do about the problem
BehaviorJune 24, 2022
People May Pick Friends Who Smell Like Them
Similar body odors might determine if two strangers will “click.”
Space ExplorationJune 22, 2022
New Maps of Milky Way Are Biggest and Best Yet
The latest data release from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission is sparking a frenzy of exciting new astrophysics research
PollutionJune 16, 2022
Ocean Oil Slick Map Reveals Enough Greasy Patches to Cover France—Twice
An algorithm-aided analysis of satellite images reveals the size, distribution and sources of oil slicks at sea
AnimalsJune 13, 2022
Wiggling Whiskers Help Hungry Seals Hunt in the Dark
A new seal’s-eye view shows these specialized hairs in motion at sea