July 24, 2026
Are we too afraid of the sun? Scientists rethink sun exposure risks and benefits
Could sunlight actually improve your health? New research suggests we may need to rethink total sun avoidance
Stories by Rowan Jacobsen
Rowan Jacobsen is a journalist and author covering science, nature and the environment. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper's, The New York Times and MIT Technology Review.
HealthMay 20, 2025
Can sunlight cure disease?
Sunshine may hold healing rays for a variety of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Scientists are turning this surprising discovery into treatments
CognitionFebruary 1, 2024
Brains are not required when it comes to thinking and solving problems—simple cells can do it
Tiny clumps of cells show basic cognitive abilities, and some animals can remember things after losing their head
BiotechJuly 1, 2021
Artificial Proteins Never Seen in the Natural World Are Becoming New COVID Vaccines and Medicines
Researchers have begun to crack the code of protein structure, allowing them to remake, well, everything
BiologyJuly 1, 2019
The World’s First Virus-Proof Cell, with Redesigned DNA, Is About to Meet the Test of Its Life
Biologists are building an organism that can shrug off any virus on the planet. Impervious human cells may be next
ConservationApril 1, 2019
Rebuilt Wetlands Can Protect Shorelines Better Than Walls
Fortified wetlands can protect shorelines better than hard structures
BiologyFebruary 1, 2019
Fragrant Genes of Extinct Flowers Have Been Brought Back to Life
The genes of Hawaiian plants, extinct for more than a century, have been brought back from the dead. Today we can smell their scents
ConservationJuly 29, 2016
Israel Proves the Desalination Era Is Here
One of the driest countries on Earth now makes more freshwater than it needs