Life

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

Briefing: Ultra-thin MoSe₂ grating traps infrared light in a 40-nanometer layer

Strategic angle: Controlling light at the micro- and nanoscale opens up opportunities for a better understanding of the world and the development of technology.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Eye-tracking reveals the brain commits to one syntax before a sentence is clear

Strategic angle: Study shows that listeners anticipate language structure even before hearing complete sentences.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Durum wheat lines combine freezing tolerance with high pasta quality

Strategic angle: Researchers develop new durum wheat lines that withstand freezing temperatures while maintaining high-quality pasta production.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Audit managers' work-life balance suffered during COVID

Strategic angle: The COVID pandemic significantly impacted the work-life balance of audit managers, highlighting the challenges of remote work.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Light-activated medicines may cut side effects: How a switchable beta blocker works

Strategic angle: Research in photopharmacology aims to develop drugs that can be switched on and off with light, potentially reducing side effects.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: An AI-guided gene-editing tool for more precise and safer DNA correction

Strategic angle: Researchers at NUS Medicine have developed a revolutionary method to enhance base editors for improved DNA editing.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: How a tryptophan-rich allosteric communication network helps activate a major drug target receptor

Strategic angle: A multinational research team uncovers the role of tryptophan in receptor dynamics and activation.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Kratos wins $446 million Space Force contract for missile-tracking ground systems

Strategic angle: The agreement is for ground management and integration for the Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking satellite program.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Air pollution to rise over Europe in coming days: EU agency

Strategic angle: Air quality is expected to deteriorate across parts of Europe due to an increase in microscopic polluting particles.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Earthquake scientists reveal how overplowing weakens soil at experimental farm

Strategic angle: Plowing, or tilling, is an age-old agricultural practice that readies the soil for planting but may have detrimental effects on soil stability.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Monte Verde fieldwork resets age of famous South American archaeological site

Strategic angle: New research challenges the widely accepted theory regarding the first inhabitants of North America.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: How an RNA-binding protein detects and responds to non-optimal codon usage in human cells

Strategic angle: Exploring the role of RNA-binding proteins in gene expression and protein synthesis.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Humans and animals have the same preference in mating calls, citizen science experiment finds

Strategic angle: A new study reveals that both humans and animals are attracted to similar mating signals, highlighting a shared appreciation for nature's beauty.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: How our planet's history was shaped when the Earth moved

Strategic angle: The motions of tectonic plates have significantly influenced the Earth's landscape and the evolution of life.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

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

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

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: 'Miracle': Europe reconnects with lost spacecraft

Strategic angle: The European Space Agency announced Thursday it has re-established communication with a spacecraft that is part of its Proba-3 mission, after losing contact with the satellite a month ago.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Study uncovers mineral 'sink' that reduced phosphorus in early oceans, potentially delaying Earth's oxygen rise

Strategic angle: Research reveals how a mineral 'sink' may have impacted the timing of oxygen accumulation in Earth's atmosphere.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: 'Mini earthquakes' turn tiny chips into radio signal powerhouses

Strategic angle: Engineers at the University of Twente have developed a method to enhance radio signal generation on chips using light and sound interactions.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: Ancient brines helped build Idaho's Silver Valley and Cobalt belt

Strategic angle: A new study reveals the geological history behind Idaho's Silver Valley, known for its massive silver production.

Editorial Staff Mar 19

Life

Briefing: A multi-lane highway for light: Topology helps build more robust photonic networks

Strategic angle: Penn-led researchers demonstrate the use of topology to enhance chip-based photonic networks.

Editorial Staff Mar 19