Stories by Jim Daley

PCR-based tests are being rolled out in hospitals nationwide, and the Food and Drug Administration is fast-tracking novel approaches as well

A new computer model analyzes when to admit people to intensive care units—and when to move them out—which could help doctors handle the coronavirus surge

Overly cautious humans and genetics may contribute to behavior problems in a survey of 13,700 Finnish animals

U.S. federal authorities have recently been reluctant to step in to mediate cross-border air quality issues among states

Dozens of compounds approved for other purposes can kill cancer cells selectively

A new material’s strange properties could be useful in future quantum computers

After false starts, drugs that manipulate the code of life are finally changing lives

Archaeologists reconstructed a Neolithic woman’s complete genome and oral microbiome from a piece of birch tar she chewed

A change in chewing led to the emergence of the mammalian middle ear

Humans everywhere bring together pitch, tempo and the like in a similar fashion

A quarter of surveyed Latino patients said they knew someone who did not go to the hospital because of fear of deportation

Outlawing possession does not appear to stem the release of alligators, snakes and other problematic species

Though waterfowl and raptor populations have made recoveries, bird populations have declined since 1970 across nearly all habitats

Slash-and-burn farming may actually harm local crops as a result of increased temperatures

Neonicotinoids may be partly responsible for declines in songbird populations

Intestinal bacteria in mice on the space shuttle and International Space Station underwent changes similar to those of astronaut Scott Kelly

A new study combining astronomical and geologic data hints at an extraterrestrial cause for extreme climate change 56 million years ago

An elaborate setup allowed researchers to study how people stumble and recover 

Ricardo Galvão discusses his dismissal after Amazon deforestation data rankled President Bolsonaro

A never before seen collection of structures in the birds’ retinas may help them track speedy prey

A few brief reports about international science and technology from Guatemala to Australia, including one about the first recorded tornado in Nepal.

Health care providers say a lack of transparency and communication are barriers to ensuring the children are getting adequate, ongoing treatment

Top news from around the world

Scientific American spoke with Scott Kelly about the hardships of life in zero gravity and what it was like coming back to Earth