Technology

A new kind of border patrol agent could soon start work in African ports, sniffing out illegal goods that are smuggled across country lines. They’re rats. And they wear tiny red vests. African giant pouched rats have been…

Extreme Climate Survey Science News is collecting reader questions about how to navigate our planet's changing climate. What do you want to know about extreme heat and how it can lead to extreme weather events? But recent…

Wind jostles the helicopter as we skim over dense forest and the snow-covered peaks of the Coast Mountains. We are flying over northwestern British Columbia, and from this aerial vantage point, it’s easy to see how mid-19th…

Synthetic food dyes — and their links to neurobehavioral issues in children — are having a moment. Last month, California governor Gavin Newsom signed the California School Food Safety Act into law, banning the state’s public…

Known for their fluffy ears, round faces and big black noses, koalas spend most of their time snoozing in the canopies of eucalypt forests. Their penchant for perching high up and moving very little makes these Australian icons…

Two years ago, a couple of high school classmates each composed a mathematical marvel, a trigonometric proof of the Pythagorean theorem. Now, they’re unveiling 10 more. For over 2,000 years, such proofs were considered…

The fewest number of U.S. teens and tweens in 25 years are currently using tobacco products. According to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, only 8 percent of middle and high school students — or 2.25 million — reported…

The fewest number of U.S. teens and tweens in 25 years are currently using tobacco products. According to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, only 8 percent of middle and high school students — or 2.25 million — reported…

Male mosquitoes may be nearly as bloodthirsty as females under certain conditions, new research suggests. That upends the notion that only female mosquitoes bite, drink blood and spread diseases while males sip nectar. The…

In December 1855 and January 1856, a trio of vessels set sail from the United States to Jarvis and Baker islands, coral atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The ships carried representatives from the newly formed American…

The “Mekong ghost” fish is a ghost no more. Like the legendary Rip Van Winkle, who wandered into the woods and disappeared for 20 years, the giant salmon carp (Aaptosyax grypus) of Southeast Asia’s Mekong River also seemed to…

In 1988, police officers in Australia came for Ian Dadour. Not because the entomologist was under arrest, but because they needed his expertise. Investigators asked Dadour to estimate the ages of maggots found on a human body to…

A hypothetical “fifth force” could tug on asteroids, if it exists. But the asteroid Bennu shows no signs that its orbit has been tweaked by such a force. That sets a ceiling on how strong a potential fifth force could be,…

Brisbane, The human brain is a marvel of complexity. It contains specialised and interconnected structures controlling our thoughts, personality and behaviour. HT Image The size and shape of our brains also play a crucial role in…

Naloxone has saved thousands of lives by reversing opioid overdoses. But its success hinges on someone being nearby who can administer the drug quickly (SN: 5/3/24). Many people are alone when they overdose. A new implant could…

Polar bears face mounting challenges in a changing, warming world, mostly related to their waning wintery wonderland habitats. But they may be increasingly infected with germs and parasites, too. Compared to a few decades ago,…

Two high-altitude, medieval cities built by mobile herders along Silk Road trade routes in Central Asia have been hiding in plain sight — until now. Mountainous regions typically have been seen as obstacles to trade and…

To fuel the insatiable energy appetite of artificial intelligence, tech companies are going big on small nuclear reactors.  Last week, both Google and Amazon announced agreements with companies that are developing small modular…

Having an extra trained professional by your side might ease a pregnancy. Among a group of pregnant individuals insured by Medicaid, those who used a doula in addition to a medical team had a lower risk of having cesarian…

This exoplanet’s atmosphere is going full steam ahead. A planet beyond our solar system called GJ 9827d has an atmosphere composed almost completely of hot water molecules, astronomers report in the Astrophysical Journal…

WASHINGTON — A huge fish in the Mekong River thought to be extinct has been spotted three times in recent years. HT Image “The giant salmon carp is like a symbol of the Mekong region,” said Chheana Chhut, a researcher at the Inland…

Life with diabetes usually includes many injections of the blood sugar–controlling hormone insulin. Recent research investigating a once-weekly shot finds it might help lessen the burden a bit for some with the disease. Two…

Wildfires may put some of America’s favorite nuts — almonds, pistachios and walnuts — at risk. The flames themselves aren’t to blame, but rather the long-lasting smoke from the megafires that have been scorching the western…

New video of male riflebirds’ extreme wrist flares and feather noises reveals how these show-offs do their dazzle. Males of the four Ptiloris species, a group within the birds of paradise native to Australia and New Guinea,…

Let’s talk neutrinos Two dark matter experiments have spotted signs of neutrinos knocking into atomic nuclei in their detectors. The finding portends a future obstacle for the detectors, Emily Conover reported in “ ‘Fog’…

Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the science of studying democracies.

Does It Fly?Roddenberry EntertainmentAvailable wherever you get your podcasts Imagine you’re hanging out at a bar with your very enthusiastic friends, about two beers in, and someone brings up Star Trek. OK, but the…

The United States’ reputation as an exemplar of democracy appears to be eroding. In a poll taken earlier this year, almost three-quarters of U.S. respondents agreed that the country’s democracy “used to be a good example for…

Science and the sources of pain — Science News, October 26, 1974 Chronic pain is no small problem for thousands of Americans. They take analgesics, sedatives or tranquilizers. They seek out chiropractors, acupuncturists…

An experiment to grow new forests in central Mexico offers hope that the crucial winter habitat for millions of migrating monarch butterflies could survive into the next century. When scientists decided to plant hundreds of…