Pollution
Antarctic Research Stations Polluted a Pristine Wilderness
Historical bad practices have left a legacy of pollution in the fragile ecosystem of Antarctica, but efforts are underway to chart a better future
Stories by Nature
Paleontology
Evidence of 1-Billion-Year-Old ‘Lost World’ of Microbes Discovered beneath Australian Outback
Fatlike compounds in ancient rocks point to a vast array of previously unknown microbes that once dominated complex life on Earth
Astronomy
JWST Spots Planetary Building Blocks in a Surprising Galaxy
Planets might be more common throughout the universe than previously thought, results from the James Webb Space Telescope suggest
History
Beethoven’s Cause of Death Revealed from Locks of Hair
DNA from locks of Beethoven’s hair reveals how the composer died, but his hearing loss remains a mystery
Quantum Computing
Google’s Quantum Computer Hits Key Milestone by Reducing Errors
Researchers demonstrate for the first time that using more qubits can lower the error rate of quantum calculations
Pharmaceuticals
How Antidepressants Help Bacteria Resist Antibiotics
A laboratory study unravels ways antidepressants and other nonantibiotic drugs can contribute to drug resistance
Engineering
Watch Out for These Science Events in 2020
A Mars invasion, a climate meeting and human–animal hybrids are set to shape the research agenda
Computing
Artificial Intelligence Nails Predictions of Earthquake Aftershocks
A neural-network analysis outperforms the method scientists typically use to work out where these tremors will strike
Environment
Corals in a Hurricane: Deep Reefs under Threat
More than 30 meters below the surface of the ocean lies the "twilight zone." The coral reefs that grow here are complex ecosystems, but they may be under threat from extreme weather events...
Space & Physics
Life of a Legend
Science mourns the death of physicist and icon of science Stephen Hawking
Space & Physics
India Gears Up for Second Moon Mission
The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, lander and rover will track how lunar dust might scupper settlement
Space & Physics
Quantum Machine Goes in Search of the Higgs Boson
D-Wave system shows quantum computers can learn to detect particle signatures in mountains of data, but doesn’t outpace conventional methods — yet
Space & Physics
Jupiter's Stormy Winds Churn Deep into the Planet
Juno probe discovers surprising activity in the giant planet’s interior
Medicine
Sleeping Sickness Can Now be Cured with Pills
Researchers are seeking approval from regulators for this quicker, easier treatment
Conservation
The Ambitious Effort to Document California's Changing Deserts
Ecologists catalogue bird and mammal populations as warming transforms Death Valley
Natural Disasters
Risk of Human-Triggered Earthquakes Laid Out in Biggest-Ever Database
Geologists track hundreds of quakes caused by people and the projects that set them off
Biotech
Chinese Scientists Fix Genetic Disorder in Cloned Human Embryos
The intricate work hints at a cure for a blood disease
Space & Physics
European Detector Spots Its First Gravitational Wave
Black hole merger pinpointed with record accuracy by the LIGO and Virgo observatories
Policy
What Germany’s Election Results Mean for Science
New coalition could face battles over gene editing and climate regulations
Evolution
Fossilized Poo Reveals Vegetarian Dinosaurs Had a Taste for Crabs
Ancient crustaceans in dino dung from Utah illuminate herbivores’ broad diet
