How fingerprints form was a mystery — until now
A theory proposed by mathematician Alan Turing in the 1950s helps explain the process
A newfound ‘croakless’ frog may communicate via touch
The animal might use spines on its throat to recognize potential mates instead of calls
Are your cats having fun or fighting? Here are some ways to tell
Certain behaviors hint at how your cat feels about its playmate
These shape-shifting devices melt and re-form thanks to magnetic fields
Gallium plus magnetism equals something straight out of Terminator 2
The ‘breakthrough’ obesity drugs that have stunned researchers
A class of drugs that quash hunger have shown striking results in trials and in practice. But can they help all people with obesity — and conquer weight stigma?
Climate-change content shrinks in US university textbooks
Sections on climate change have gotten shorter and moved farther back in biology textbooks since the 2000s.
Are we in the Anthropocene? Geologists could define new epoch for Earth
Researchers have zeroed in on nine sites that could describe a new geological time, marked by pollution and other signs of human activity.
Prehistoric carvings are oldest known story sequence
Two carved panels discovered in what is now Turkey illustrate a tale involving leopards and a bull.
Heralded Alzheimer’s drug works — but safety concerns loom
Eisai and Biogen share clinical trial data confirming that lecanemab slows mental decline, amid reports of potentially related deaths.
Scientists say harassment in the Antarctic must stop — but US plan falls short
National Science Foundation pledges changes to address sexual harassment and assault in its Antarctic research programme.
US mid-term elections: 3 ways science is on the line
Researchers project changes ahead for federal science if Republicans take control of either chamber of Congress.
Families on three continents inherited their epilepsy from a single person
A genetic variant connected to a rare form of inherited epilepsy arose in an individual who lived some 800 years ago.
The first Indigenous female surgeon in Canada is battling for health justice
Nadine Caron was appalled to hear racist views about Indigenous health from a project adviser. So she’s fighting to change perceptions.
COVID derailed polar research projects. Here’s how students have coped
Disruption from the pandemic forced graduate students to find innovative workarounds — and some changes might stick.
Faster MRI scan captures brain activity in mice
Improved technique could provide fine-scale insights into how brain regions communicate.
Ancient Greenlanders hunted huge whales — and little reindeer
Genomic analysis hints that the island’s early residents had the technology and know-how to catch some of the biggest animals on Earth.
Hydrogen could help China’s heavy industry to get greener
Providing the clean fuel to manufacturing plants would be a cost-effective way to tackle the country’s climate goals.
Turning the tides for western pond turtles
Humans caused the decline of the western pond turtle, the West Coast’s only native freshwater turtle. Now, the San Francisco Zoo is raising hatchlings to reintroduce into the wild.