Life

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

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

Briefing: Thousands ordered to evacuate as Hawaii hit by severe flash floods

Strategic angle: Officials warn some residents could be trapped by rising waters as Wahiawā dam on Oahu ‘may collapse at any time’.

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

Life

Briefing: From free love to post-apocalyptic survival: A trend of redefining family has emerged

Strategic angle: Chosen families are evolving but remain a cherished—and vital—lifeline for many.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Designing better 2D electronics: Addressing anisotropic conductivity to cut contact resistance

Strategic angle: The high-performance semiconductor devices powering smartphone displays, AI computing, EV batteries and more are increasingly incorporating 2D materials to overcome silicon's scaling limits.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Why some regions are winning the fight against groundwater depletion

Strategic angle: Exploring successful strategies in groundwater management for sustainable water supply.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Climate variability poses a threat to cold blooded animals, research indicates

Strategic angle: A new study reveals that cold-blooded animals struggle to adapt to temperature changes, increasing their vulnerability to climate change.

Editorial Staff Mar 20

Life

Briefing: Officina Stellare wins $2 million contract for lasercom ground station in Spain

Strategic angle: Italian manufacturer Officina Stellare secures funding for advanced optical communication technology.

Editorial Staff Mar 20