Science and the Supreme Court: Cases to Watch in 2018
The death penalty, uranium mining and the endangered dusky gopher frog are among the topics that justices will consider this year
Stories by Sara Reardon
U.S. Is Woefully Unprepared for Nuclear Strike
Its health system lacks the capacity to respond to attacks that use high-powered modern weapons
Autism and DDT: What 1 Million Pregnancies Can—and Can't—Reveal
Analysis finds prenatal exposure to the pesticide is associated with a higher risk of severe autism with intellectual impairment
Trump Taps Meteorologist as White House Science Advisor
Nomination of Kelvin Droegemeier could end long drought at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Top U.S. Court Upholds Trump Travel Ban: Student Visas Already in Decline
In 5-4 ruling, Supreme Court allows government to bar visitors and immigrants from seven nations
Controversial Alcohol Study Cancelled by U.S. Health Agency
An investigation by the U.S. National Institutes of Health finds missteps that put the industry-funded project’s credibility in doubt
Hybrid Human–Chicken Embryos Illuminate Key Developmental Milestone
A new technique could replace the need for human embryos in some lab experiments
Colombia after the Violence
Peace efforts in Colombia have ended 50 years of intense conflict. Now, scientists are studying former fighters and victims as they attempt to heal
Brain Implants for Mood Disorders Tested in People
AI-controlled devices record neural activity and automatically stimulate the brain
Trump Budget Gives Last-Minute Reprieve to Science Funding
Funding for the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health would hold steady after Congress agrees to lift spending caps, but details are fuzzy
Cells Hack Viruslike Protein to Communicate
Proteins that researchers think are key to long-term memory formation also move genetic material between cells in both mice and flies
AI Algorithms to Prevent Suicide Gain Traction
Facebook is one of several companies exploring ways to detect online behaviors that have been linked to self-harm
Sex Matters in Experiments on Party Drug--in Mice
Ketamine lifts rodents' mood only if administered by male researchers
Geneticists Are Starting to Unravel Evolution's Role in Mental Illness
Hints emerge that past environments could have influenced psychiatric disorders
3D Map of Mouse Neurons Reveals Complex Connections
Reconstructions of single cells highlight how far they can reach into the brain
How the Latest U.S. Travel Ban Could Affect Science
Short-term travel and meeting attendance could become harder for researchers from eight countries, including Iran
Wallaby Milk Acts as a Placenta for Babies
Gene-expression analysis suggests that marsupial placentas take two different forms
Geneticists Pan Paper That Claims to Predict a Person's Face from DNA
Reviewers and a co-author of a paper by genomics entrepreneur Craig Venter claim that it misrepresents the risks of public access to genome data
U.S. Biomedical Research Facilities Still Unprepared for Natural Disasters and Attacks
Science panel says institutions need to do more to prevent and mitigate damage to research equipment and animals
Chimpanzees Are First Animal Shown to Develop Telltale Markers of Alzheimer's Disease
Brain analysis revealed protein plaques and tangles, but whether the animals develop dementia is unclear