Life

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

Briefing: Moons orbiting wandering exoplanets could be habitable—with one catch

Strategic angle: Provided they host thick, hydrogen-dominated atmospheres, moons orbiting free-floating exoplanets could retain much of the heat generated deep within their interiors by tidal forces.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Expert opinion on AI, automation, and the future of work

Strategic angle: Yale economist Pascual Restrepo discusses the implications of AI on labor markets in a comprehensive Q&A.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Critically endangered monkey gives birth after surgery saves her foot

Strategic angle: A 15-year-old roloway monkey at Chester Zoo has welcomed a baby following life-saving surgery.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Kimchi-derived probiotic found to promote binding and excretion of intestinal nanoplastics

Strategic angle: A lactic acid bacterium from kimchi may aid in removing harmful nanoplastics from the body.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: New AI tool predicts cancer spread with surprising accuracy

Strategic angle: Researchers have discovered that cancer spread isn’t random—it follows a biological 'program' identified through gene patterns in colon tumor cells.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Scientists just found a hidden 48-dimensional world in quantum light

Strategic angle: A routine quantum optics technique just revealed an extraordinary secret: entangled light can carry incredibly complex topological structures.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Physicists find electronic agents that govern flat band quantum materials

Strategic angle: A breakthrough in understanding the fundamental electronic building blocks of flat-band quantum materials has been achieved.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: March heat surges past 100 in California and Arizona, smashing records

Strategic angle: A burst of unusual March heat is hitting the United States this week and into next, busting previous monthly heat records by wide margins.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: This crocodile ran like a greyhound across prehistoric Britain 200 million years ago

Strategic angle: A newly discovered Triassic reptile from the UK looked more like a racing greyhound than a crocodile, built for speed on land.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Tectonic shift: Earth was already moving 3.5 billion years ago

Strategic angle: Scientists have uncovered the oldest direct evidence yet that Earth’s tectonic plates were on the move 3.5 billion years ago.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Scientists turn probiotic bacteria into tumor-hunting cancer killers

Strategic angle: Engineered probiotics infiltrate tumors to produce targeted cancer-fighting drugs.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Addressing the Achilles' heel of marine protected areas

Strategic angle: New research emphasizes the importance of understanding human behavior for the success of marine protected areas.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: You probably agree with animals on which bird calls, frog noises and cricket chirps are most attractive—new study

Strategic angle: A new study reveals that animals may share preferences for certain sounds used in mating calls.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Feeling you belong may keep scientists in ornithology, study suggests

Strategic angle: A new study from Virginia Tech reveals that a sense of belonging may be key to retaining scientists in the field of ornithology.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: Men are losing a key chromosome with age and it may be deadly

Strategic angle: Aging men often lose the Y chromosome in a growing number of their cells, linked to serious health risks.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Old-growth forests store a lot more carbon than managed forests, study finds

A new study reveals that Swedish old-growth forests hold 83% more carbon than their managed counterparts.

Editorial Staff Mar 21

Life

Briefing: New model links carbon-13 spike to Great Oxidation Event 2.45 billion years ago

Strategic angle: Two University of Victoria geologists provide new insights into ancient ocean floor chemistry.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

NASA’s X-59 Prepares for Second Flight

NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft is gearing up for its second flight, paving the way for extensive flight testing in 2026.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Synthesis of amino acids from carbon reaches 97% efficiency with cell-free system

Strategic angle: A groundbreaking method achieves high efficiency in amino acid synthesis, crucial for biological processes.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Opening a new window into superconductivity by reimagining a classic tool

Strategic angle: A groundbreaking approach to achieving room-temperature superconductors could revolutionize energy transmission.

Editorial Staff Mar 20