Public Health
Flu Has Disappeared for More Than a Year
Mask wearing, social distancing and other steps to stop COVID-19 have also curtailed influenza
Stories by Katie Peek
Space
How Human Space Launches Have Diversified
A plethora of new countries and private companies are getting in on the quest to send people to orbit
Public Health
Is Daylight Saving Time Good or Bad for You?
Research shows that the benefits may outweigh the drawbacks
Evolution
Dinosaur Discoveries Are Booming
Fossils are being found worldwide, and there are plenty more to come
Space
See Fast Radio Bursts Come of Age
An incipient field of radio astronomy is about to go mainstream
Public Health
How to Use Masks during the Coronavirus Pandemic
What kinds of face coverings work for protection against COVID-19? How do you use them safely? A series of simple steps outlines the answers
Public Health
Flu Season Never Came to the Southern Hemisphere
Mask wearing and social distancing for COVID-19 may have cut influenza cases south of the equator
Physics
Gravitational Waves Are Being Detected at an Increasing Pace
Sensors have captured dozens of events
EARTH
A New Reality Up North
Climate change is dramatically altering life at the top of the world
EARTH
Nations Get Busy Inside the Arctic Circle
As ice retreats, countries are expanding military seaports, exploiting shipping lanes and exploring for oil and gas
Policy & Ethics
The Great Ocean Divide
More than two million square kilometers are being carved up, leaving little for the rest of the world
Policy & Ethics
How to Spot Clandestine Nuclear Bomb Tests
Illicit detonations are anything but secret
Physics
The Sunspot Cycle Is More Intricate Than Previously Thought
The sun's dark spots cycle every 11 years—as well as every 88, 200, and 2,400 years
Biology
Misled Penguins Swim to Feeding Grounds That No Longer Have Food
Young birds follow the right signal to foraging grounds, but when they arrive there are no fish to eat
Space
Proposed Space Station Aims for the Moon and beyond
The ambitious plan to send astronauts to lunar orbit has drawn skepticism
Environment
The Northwest Passage Remains Treacherous, Despite Ice Retreat
Arctic route may remain treacherous for decades
Space
How Old Observations Are Building Hubble's Legacy
Data from the space telescope will yield discoveries long after the instrument is kaput
Biology
Is the Rise in Twin Births Cresting?
Fertility procedures have pushed multiple births higher, prompting policy changes
Policy & Ethics
Affluent Millennials Are Moving into Inner Cities
The young and affluent move downtown, pushing out the poor
Climate
How to Survive in a Warmer World [Interactive]
A map of Earth in 2100 reveals where livelihoods are at stake due to climate change—and what people are doing to prepare for that future
