Public Health
The Effects of COVID-19 Will Ripple through Food Systems
Staple crops are likely to be less affected by measures to control the virus, but farmers growing more specialized ones could feel the pinch
Stories by Laura Poppick
Environment
Harm to Table: Turning an Invasive Crab into a Delicacy
As European green crab populations balloon in warming waters, New England scientists work to develop a commercial fishery
Computing
Environment Watchdogs Harness AI to Track Overflowing Factory-Farm Waste
Floods dump tons of pathogen-laden manure into U.S. waterways, often from hard-to-identify farms
EARTH
The Ocean Is Running Out of Breath, Scientists Warn
Widespread and sometimes drastic marine oxygen declines are stressing sensitive species—a trend that will continue with climate change
Conservation
As Winters Warm, Blood-Sucking Ticks Drain Moose Dry
Researchers across New England and Canada scramble to protect the iconic species from growing parasite populations
Agriculture
The Future of Fish Farming May Be Indoors
New advancements in water filtration and circulation make it possible for indoor fish farms to dramatically grow in size and production
Engineering
Wired Greenhouse Tech Could Help Arctic Communities Bloom with Bounty
Developments in LED lighting and remote monitoring have made year-round growing one feasible solution to Arctic food insecurity
Evolution
Burmese Pythons in the Everglades Display Unusual Navigational Abilities
Unlike most snakes, the pythons appeared able to find their way home after being displaced by many miles
Evolution
Fossils Reveal Evidence of Mass Whale Die-offs
The whales and other marine mammals might have been killed millions of years ago by toxic algal blooms
Evolution
Baboons Use Yawns to Convey Social Messages
Gelada baboons use three separate types of yawns, differentiated by the amount of teeth and gums showing, to demonstrate friendliness and aggression
Evolution
Is the Quintuple Jump in Figure Skating Physically Possible?
Some scientists think that the human body is incapable of surpassing the quadruple jump, currently considered the most challenging figure-skating move
Health
Naked Mole Rat Named "Vertebrate of the Year"
Two groundbreaking studies this year have helped explain the animal's resistance to cancer
Biology
Bizarre Fire Ants Create Rafts to Survive Frequent Floods
Certain species in Brazil grab hold of one another to form a living collective that can float for weeks
Evolution
Tadpoles Turn to Cannibalism Only When Desperate
Tadpoles ate tadpole meat to avoid starving but otherwise chose other food sources
