Advances

A new electrically conductive material could lead to better self-healing soft robots

New work suggests four distinct star system types—and finds our own in the rarest category

It turns out there are two species of mysterious, venomous pygmy lorises

Wall lizards can “size up” invading competitors by smell alone

A fish species recognizes its own face digitally edited onto another fish’s body. What does this mean for self-awareness?

Chernobyl’s adaptable canines, sewage sea spray in the U.S., hibernating germs on Everest, and much more in this month’s Quick Hits

Researchers figured out how the flow of microplastics flattens ocean waves, letting satellites paint a clearer picture for future policy and cleanup efforts

Researchers show how tiny Arctic foxes travel thousands of kilometers for space—revealing potential disease pathways

A robotic finger’s supersensitive touches could probe inside body parts and circuits

If Martian microbes were like those in this Earth lagoon, they could have survived the Red Planet’s primordial desiccation

Chloroplasts’ choreography keeps plant cells powered

Southern Ocean phytoplankton help to brighten Earth’s clouds