Life

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

Briefing: Frustrated Lewis pair chemistry enables dual atom insertion to build bioactive molecules

Strategic angle: Researchers from the National University of Singapore have developed a boron-catalyzed method to transform oxetanes into larger, medicinally relevant 1,3-oxazinanes.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Diamonds are not a geoengineer's best friend: Carbon impurities provide a reality check

Strategic angle: Exploring the implications of carbon impurities in diamonds on solar geoengineering strategies.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Climate change may complicate avalanche risk across the Pacific Northwest

Strategic angle: This winter was one of the warmest on record, leading to unusual weather patterns that increase avalanche risk.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Wildflower folk remedy shows modern potential for tackling antibiotic resistance

Strategic angle: Scientists have proven that a wildflower steeped in folklore for its medicinal powers has genuine healing qualities—and the potential to help combat antibiotic resistance.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: The 'silent takeover': Invasive bees are reshaping Chile's unique pollination networks

Strategic angle: A new study reveals how invasive pollinators are fundamentally altering native plant-pollinator interactions in Chile.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Study explores 'antifragility' in nature, where some species benefit from extreme swings

Strategic angle: Research highlights how certain species thrive amid climate-induced extremes.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Discovery of genetic switch could help turn rice into a perennial crop

Strategic angle: A breakthrough in genetic research may transform rice cultivation by enabling perennial growth, potentially enhancing food security.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: The 'private solution trap': Why richer countries may favor adaptation over public solutions, and who pays

Strategic angle: A new study reveals a potential 'private solution trap' in international cooperation on climate issues.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: STAT+: The intersection of ‘Apprentice’ and the No Surprises Act

Strategic angle: A STAT investigation explores how a new company is profiting from the arbitration process in the No Surprises Act.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: 10 Things to Know About Medicaid Managed Care

Strategic angle: Our updated explainer provides an overview of comprehensive managed care, the most common way states deliver Medicaid services to enrollees.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: A safer, nonflammable battery electrolyte exists, but self-assembly flaw is holding it back

Strategic angle: Many important technologies rely on rechargeable batteries, but a self-assembly flaw is hindering advancements in safer, nonflammable electrolytes.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Mining a methane-degrading bioreactor for protein rubies

Strategic angle: Scientists discover a new iron-storing protein in methane-degrading microbes, highlighting the need for characterizing hard-to-isolate proteins.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Moby Dick 'ship sinking' sperm whales caught headbutting on camera

Strategic angle: New research reveals sperm whales engaging in headbutting behavior, confirming historical accounts.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

What 'Project Hail Mary' gets right—and wrong—about astrophysics

"Project Hail Mary," the Ryan Gosling-led adaptation of the best-selling sci-fi novel from Andy Weir, is being praised for putting the science in science fiction.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Epic Uncovers Issues in Patient Record Sharing, Calls for HHS Action

Strategic angle: A recent lawsuit by Epic reveals a company allegedly posing as a provider to access patient records, raising concerns over oversight.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Scientists Rarely Use Humor at Conferences, Study Finds

Strategic angle: A new report reveals that humor is often absent in scientific presentations, despite its potential to engage audiences.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Australia’s generation Alpha faces $185k bill over lifetime without urgent action on climate crisis, report finds

Strategic angle: A new report highlights the financial burden on future generations due to climate inaction.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Electric current stabilizes spins at unstable points for new types of computing

Strategic angle: A research team has discovered a new way to control tiny magnetic properties inside materials using electric current, potentially paving the way for innovative computing technologies.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Iran war has not disrupted pharma supply chains. That could change if conflict is prolonged

The escalating war in the Middle East so far has not appreciably disrupted global pharmaceutical supply chains, but it could eventually — affecting prices.

Editorial Staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Pfizer’s Lyme Vaccine Results Set Up Tricky Regulatory Path

Strategic angle: New results on Pfizer's Lyme disease vaccine raise questions about its regulatory approval.

Editorial Staff Mar 23