Animals
Many Mouse Studies Happen at the Wrong Time of Day
Mice woken at odd hours may skew research results—and most studies don’t track the timing
Stories by Jillian Kramer
Plants
Flashy Plants Attract More Scientists
Distinctive species get more attention than rare or endangered plants
Biology
Structure and Chemistry Dictate How Cicada Wings Repel Water and Kill Bacteria
A new analytical process shows how chemicals affect the nanostructures of an insect’s wings
Chemistry
Color-Changing Ink Turns Clothes into Giant Chemical Sensors
A silk-based substance could lead to new wearables
Cognition
Invisible Qualities such as ‘Hardness’ Can Pinpoint Objects
Objects’ hidden physical traits can help people locate them faster
Policy
Women in Science May Suffer Lasting Career Damage from COVID-19
They bear a greater proportion of childcare and household responsibilities, making it much harder for them to publish their work and get ahead
Technology
Color-Changing Ink Turns Clothes into Giant Chemical Sensors
A silk-based substance could lead to new wearables
Public Health
Fatal Opioid Overdoses May Be More Common Than Thought
A new model shows opioid deaths may be significantly underreported
Medicine
Coronavirus Antibody Therapies Raise Hopes—and Skepticism
Some experts caution we should temper our expectations about the much-touted approach
Biology
Smell Receptors Activate Ant Aggression
Ants will not attack if they cannot smell enemies’ precise scents
Biotech
New Bandage Repels Blood and Promotes Clotting
Dressing material uses carbon nanofibers to aid healing
Engineering
Empathy Machine: Humans Communicate Better after Robots Show Their Vulnerable Side
The behavior of such machines influences how people treat one another
Behavior
An Alcoholic Parent Can Affect How a Child’s Brain Switches Tasks
Such children’s neural circuits do not transition properly from an active state to a resting one
Neuroscience
White Noise Helps Mice Distinguish Similar Tones
Understanding a surprising effect may eventually improve human hearing
Biology
Single-Sex Prawns Could Aid Fight against Snail-Borne Disease
The prawn population could eat snails without becoming invasive
Space & Physics
NASA Has Committed to a Rocket for the Europa Mission—and It Won’t Be Ready on Time
Although alternatives such as SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy exist, the space agency is legally required to launch its Europa Clipper spacecraft on the behind-schedule Space Launch System
