Life

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

Briefing: Ancient alphabets, new insights: Researchers uncover hidden links among the letters

Strategic angle: With artificial intelligence (AI) as an essential tool, researchers have discovered surprising similarities among ancient writing systems.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: Binding to RNA is not enough—changing its shape is what makes a drug work, study reveals

Strategic angle: A new study highlights the importance of RNA shape in drug efficacy, beyond mere binding.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: In world first, antimatter taken on test drive at CERN

Strategic angle: CERN scientists successfully transport antiprotons, paving the way for future antimatter delivery systems.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: A mass mating event in the lab reveals how yeast cells choose partners

Strategic angle: Yeast cells demonstrate a unique method for selecting mates, potentially offering insights into partner selection.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: ZTF Discovers a New Mass-Transferring Brown Dwarf Binary System

Strategic angle: Astronomers unveil a binary system of brown dwarfs engaged in stable mass transfer, designated ZTF J1239+8347.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: Who do you think you are? What DNA tests reveal—and what they don't

Strategic angle: Exploring the impact of DNA testing on personal identity and criminal investigations.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: AI drug developer Insilico Medicine and Lilly ink commercialization deal worth up to $2.75 billion

Strategic angle: Lilly has signed a deal with AI drug developer Insilico that’s worth $115 million up front and approximately $2.75 billion in biobucks.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: The Time Capsule in the Salt Flat

Strategic angle: Exploring the extreme conditions of Salar de Pajonales in northern Chile.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: TESS discovers an Earth-sized planet orbiting nearby M-dwarf star

Strategic angle: NASA's TESS reveals a new extrasolar planet, TOI-4616 b, in a nearby star system.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: Ancient Neanderthal genome reveals isolated, distinct populations

Strategic angle: Neanderthals split into distinct regional groups that developed genetic differences far sooner than modern human populations typically did.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: Eco-friendly hair repair adds to more natural personal care product pipeline

Strategic angle: Hair damaged by dyes, bleaching or harsh sunlight has just got special treatment.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: The world's waste mountain is rising at an alarming rate

Strategic angle: A new report reveals the staggering increase in global municipal solid waste, highlighting urgent environmental challenges.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: Novel protocol reconstructs quantum states in large-scale experiments up to 96 qubits

Strategic angle: A breakthrough in quantum computing allows for the reconstruction of quantum states in systems with up to 96 qubits, enhancing the potential of quantum technologies.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: The moon that tipped a planet

Strategic angle: Neptune is the solar system's most distant planet, a cold, blue ice giant sitting nearly 30 times further from the sun than Earth.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: A universal scheme can verify any quantum state

Strategic angle: Quantum technologies could outperform classical devices, but verifying their functionality remains a challenge.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: A million new SpaceX satellites will destroy the night sky—for everyone on Earth

Strategic angle: More than 10,000 Starlink satellites currently orbit Earth, affecting our view of the night sky.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: Seals use whisker movement to follow underwater trails—an approach that could improve robotic sensing

Strategic angle: Research reveals how seals utilize their sensitive whiskers to detect underwater trails, offering insights for advancements in robotic sensing technology.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: The JWST finds more overmassive black holes. This time in dwarf galaxies

Strategic angle: Astronomers discover a correlation between galaxy mass and supermassive black hole mass, challenging previous beliefs.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: This hidden state of water could explain why life exists

Strategic angle: Scientists have discovered a critical point in supercooled water that reveals its unusual behavior and implications for life.

Editorial Staff Mar 29

Life

Briefing: This quantum computing breakthrough may not be what it seemed

Strategic angle: A team of physicists set out to test some of the most exciting claims in quantum computing—and found a very different story.

Editorial Staff Mar 29