Advances

Ancient Maya cities in laser focus, chickens gone wild in Singapore, high-tech drug research in the U.S., and much more in this month’s Quick Hits

A mutant human influenza found in two dogs shows the importance of viral surveillance in companion animals

An unusual semiconductor is making physicists rethink the science of extreme conditions

The menagerie that twirls and twirls includes gorillas, bonobos and, yes, us humans

Before exploding as supernovae, massive Wolf-Rayet stars spew gas and dust into space, seeding the formation of future stellar and planetary systems

Recent research offers a tantalizing glimpse at a future in which two men can have biological children together, but any human applications remain far in the future

The evolution of terrestrial plant roots could have kicked off large-scale extinctions by throwing the planet’s mineral cycle into disarray

Artificial enzymes could fight COVID and other tough diseases

Squishy robots can now heal themselves and grow as they explore

An extensive system of air sacs, evolved over and over, let dinosaurs grow larger without sacrificing strength

A secret pattern links far-flung octopus limbs

A strange discovery could provide a window into the universe’s earliest galaxies