Public Health
Anti-Vaccine Movement Could Prolong Coronavirus Pandemic, Researchers Warn
Studies of social networks show that opposition to vaccines is small but far-reaching—and growing
Stories by Philip Ball
Cancer
Close-Up Views of Tumors Reveal a New Cancer Biology
RNA sequencing has shown a previously unknown dimension to the way malignant cells work—which could lead to novel treatments
Engineering
A Huge Scientific Effort Is Studying Notre Dame’s Ashes
Researchers are making use of an unprecedented opportunity to study the cathedral's innards
Particle Physics
Supergravity Snags Super Award: $3-Million Special Breakthrough Prize
The theory, which emerged in the 1970s as a way to unify the fundamental forces of nature, has profoundly shaped the landscape of particle physics
Quantum Physics
Quantum Physics May Be Even Spookier Than You Think
A new experiment hints at surprising hidden mechanics of quantum superpositions
Space & Physics
Does a Quantum Equation Govern Some of the Universe's Large Structures?
A new paper uses the Schrödinger equation to describe debris disks around stars and black holes—and provides an object lesson about what “quantum” really means
Space & Physics
Exotic Physics Glimpsed for First Time in Lab Crystal
Researchers create a bizarre effect once thought to only occur in intense gravitational fields
Chemistry
Elusive Triangulene Created for the First Time
Researchers at IBM assembled the fragile molecule atom-by-atom using a specialized microscope
Health
Why Humans Develop Sex Cells as Embryos--but Corals Don't
New insights might help unravel key secrets about safeguarding mitochondria
Computing
Google Moves Closer to a Universal Quantum Computer
Combining the best of analog and digital approaches could yield a full-scale multipurpose quantum computer
Chemistry
Scientists Claim to See a “New State” of Water
The familiar H2O molecule may take a strange, ringlike form
Culture
How Human Sacrifice Propped Up the Social Order
Understanding the role of state-sanctioned killing does more than illuminate the social evolution of “premodern” cultures
Technology
"Breathing Battery" Advance Holds Promise for Long-Range Electric Cars
New materials make prototype lithium–air batteries more durable
The Sciences
Complex Societies Evolved without Belief in All-Powerful Deity
The emergence of politically sophisticated societies may be assisted by faith in supernatural spirits but does not require "big god" religion
The Sciences
How 2 Pro-Nazi Nobelists Attacked Einstein’s "Jewish Science" [Excerpt]
In a chapter excerpted from his new book, science writer Philip Ball describes “Aryan physics” and other ludicrous ideas that accompanied the rise of Adolf Hitler
The Sciences
Sodium's Explosive Secrets Revealed
The spectacular reaction of alkali metals with water was poorly understood despite being a staple of chemistry classes
Technology
Game Theorists Crack Poker
An "essentially unbeatable" algorithm for Texas hold 'em points to strategies for solving real-life problems without having complete information
The Sciences
Iranian Woman Nabs Highest Prize in Mathematics
Maryam Mirzakhani is among four young researchers to win the 2014 Fields medals, which are awarded every four years
Mind & Brain
Rhythm Is Heard Best in the Bass
Better detection by the brain could explain why low-pitched notes carry the beat across musical cultures
Biology
Source of Disco Clam's Flash Psyches-Out Scientists
Nanobeads of reflective silica give this mollusk its glow, not bioluminescence
