Astronomy
Rare, Dust-Shrouded Dying Star Revealed in New JWST Image
Before exploding as supernovae, massive Wolf-Rayet stars spew gas and dust into space, seeding the formation of future stellar and planetary systems
Stories by Allison Parshall
Artificial Intelligence
AI Can Re-create What You See from a Brain Scan
Image-generating AI is getting better at re-creating what people are looking at from their fMRI data. But this isn’t mind reading—yet
Health Care
New Home Test Can Tell If You Have the Flu or COVID
Flu and COVID symptoms are easily confused. A new home test—the first for flu—tells them apart in minutes
Engineering
New Color-Changing Coating Could Both Heat and Cool Buildings
A thin film can switch from releasing heat to trapping it, and wrapping the coating around buildings could make them more energy-efficient
Microbiology
Could the Zombie Fungus in TV’s The Last of Us Really Infect People?
The pandemic fungus in the television program The Last of Us is real. But an expert says other fungi are much more threatening to humans
Reproduction
A Common Antibiotic Could Prevent Deaths from Childbirth Complications
One in three cases of maternal sepsis can be prevented with a single dose of antibiotic, a study in low- and middle-income countries shows
Particle Physics
‘Unbelievable’ Spinning Particles Probe Nature’s Most Mysterious Force
The strong force holds our atoms together. Scientists may have observed its small-scale fluctuations for the first time
Black Holes
Colliding Supermassive Black Holes Discovered in Nearby Galaxy
These merging supermassive black holes are among the closest ever observed and could help unlock deeper secrets of cosmic history
Energy
Scientists Fire Lasers at the Sky to Control Lightning
Laser beams could be used to deflect lightning strikes from vulnerable places such as airports and wind farms
Pollution
Living with Lead Creates Antibiotic-Resistant ‘Superbugs’
People are infected by bacteria that, after contacting heavy metals, develop drug-resistant traits
