Claire Cameron is breaking news chief at Scientific American. Originally from Scotland, she moved to New York City in 2012. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, Slate, Inc. Magazine, Nautilus, Semafor, and elsewhere.
The world is more at risk of a pandemic now than before COVID, experts say. This is why
As world health leaders face deadly outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola, a major pandemic preparedness report finds we are less safe from viral outbreaks than before COVID
What we know—and what we don’t—about NASA’s Artemis III mission
NASA is starting to paint in some of the details of its planned 2027 Artemis III mission, but key questions, such as who its astronauts will be, are yet to be answered
The world is falling short of—and even reversing—its health targets, WHO warns
Malaria incidence is increasing, progress on maternal mortality is stalling, and some childhood vaccine rates are plateauing or have dipped below the threshold for herd immunity
Ivermectin prescriptions spiked after Mel Gibson touted it for cancer on Joe Rogan’s podcast
There is no hard evidence that ivermectin can treat cancer, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying it
‘PCOS is inaccurate’—why scientists renamed polycystic ovary syndrome
A multiyear effort to rename polycystic ovary syndrome finally revealed the condition’s new name: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome
Getting the same amount of rest each day may be tied to slower biological aging
Stable rhythms of rest and activity are associated with healthier biological age markers, a new study suggests
The return of the Presidential Physical Fitness Award is missing the point, health experts say
Researchers say that President Donald Trump’s resurrection of widely maligned fitness testing in schools is “half-baked” and unlikely to move the needle on youth physical activity alone
Babies may ‘catch’ yawns from their mother in the womb, new study finds
Researchers found that fetuses were more likely to yawn when their mother did, suggesting humans may experience yawn contagion throughout their life
School cell phone bans may boost student well-being—but not test scores, new study suggests
Banning cell phones in schools has been touted as a silver bullet for poor test scores and low student well-being and attendance, but new research suggests the results are more mixed
‘Spectacular’ Viking coin hoard is likely the largest in history
Archaeologists have uncovered around 3,000 silver coins so far—and more could come to light
Human genome decoder J. Craig Venter dies at age 79
Scientist and medical technology entrepreneur J. Craig Venter published the first bacterial genome ever decoded in 1995. The result heralded a new age of discovery for genetics
City birds appear to be more afraid of women than men, and scientists have no idea why
“I fully believe our results, that urban birds react differently based on the sex of the person approaching them,” said a co-author of a study that made this finding, “but I can’t explain them right now”
RFK, Jr., puts psychedelics on fast track to FDA review and approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking to accelerate the review process for three companies that are studying psilocybin and an MDMA-like drug as treatments for depression and PTSD
FBI investigating possible links between deaths and disappearances of at least 10 scientists
This announcement from the FBI came after President Donald Trump highlighted the recent deaths of several scientists and government workers who may have had access to sensitive information
NASA’s 2028 moonshot may be delayed because of lack of space suits, watchdog report warns
NASA needs new space suits to land astronauts on the moon by 2028, but development is behind and in danger of slipping further, according to a report from the agency’s Office of Inspector General
Astronauts’ brains don’t fully adapt to moving in microgravity, new study finds
New research shows astronauts tend to grip objects in microgravity as if they felt as heavy as or heavier than they would on Earth, a finding that could help future space exploration
The Lyrid meteor shower is peaking now
The Lyrid meteor shower is peaking from April 21 to April 22. Here’s how to spot this annual celestial light show
After their historic moon mission, NASA’s Artemis II astronauts say thank you to the world
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen reflected on the highs and lows of their moon mission—the first of its kind in more than 50 years
Behold! This is the largest, sharpest 3D map of the universe yet
A new map of the cosmos, including more than 47 million galaxies and other cosmic objects, represents one of the most extensive surveys of our universe ever conducted
Effect of antiamyloid Alzheimer’s drugs ‘absent or trivial,’ Cochrane review finds
These drugs were hailed by proponents as breakthroughs in the fight to treat Alzheimer’s disease, but a new independent review finds they make “no meaningful difference”
NASA needs nuclear power for its moon base. Here’s the White House plan to get it
If the U.S. is ever to set up a permanent outpost on the moon, it will need nuclear power. The White House just released a road map to get it as soon as 2028
Artemis proves NASA can return to the moon. Now comes the hard question: Why?
Artemis II’s safe return from lunar orbit sparks a debate over the costs, climate effects and long‑term value of going back to the moon
NASA’s Artemis II moon mission splashes down
NASA’s Orion capsule and the four astronauts on board have made it back to Earth after 10 days in space and a record-breaking mission around the moon and back
NASA’s Artemis II mission’s return to Earth, hour by hour
On Friday, the four astronauts on board the Orion space capsule will begin their final descent to Earth. Here’s the plan, including the final, most nail-biting 13 minutes of the journey