Planetary Science
China’s First Moon Rocks Ignite Research Bonanza
Samples collected by Chang’e-5 are revealing exciting insights into the moon’s evolution
Stories by Smriti Mallapaty
Epidemiology
How Sneezing Hamsters Sparked a COVID Outbreak in Hong Kong
Hamsters are only the second species known to have spread SARS-CoV-2 to humans
Epidemiology
Closest Known Relatives of Virus Behind COVID-19 Found in Laos
Studies of bats in China and Laos show southeast Asia is a hotspot for potentially dangerous viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2
Climate Change
Australian Bush Fires Belched Out Immense Quantity of Carbon
The 2019–20 wildfires generated 700 million tonnes of carbon dioxide—but a lot of that might have been mopped up by phytoplankton in the ocean
Medicine
Why Kids Beat Back COVID Better Than Adults
Innate immunity might be the key to why children have fared better with the virus. But the Delta variant poses fresh unknowns
Ethics
Afghanistan’s Terrified Scientists Fear Persecution
Reprisals may come for their field of study, their ethnicity or involvement in international collaborations
Space Exploration
China’s Space Station Is Preparing to Host 1,000 Science Experiments
The spaceborne studies will cover diverse topics, from dark matter and gravitational waves to the growth of cancer and pathogenic bacteria
Public Health
The COVID Lab-Leak Hypothesis: What Scientists Do and Do Not Know
An examination of the arguments that SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a lab in China and the science behind them
Public Health
India’s Massive COVID Surge Puzzles Scientists
The virus is spreading faster than ever before in the country despite previous high infection rates in megacities, which should have conferred some protection
Public Health
What’s Next in the Search for COVID’s Origins
A World Health Organization report makes a reasonable start, scientists say, but there are many questions yet to be answered
Space & Physics
Asteroid Dust Recovered from Japan’s Daring Hayabusa2 Mission
Scientists hope the dark grains from asteroid Ryugu will improve their understanding of the solar system’s formation
Space & Physics
China Set to Retrieve First Moon Rocks in 40 Years
Chang’e-5 has just one lunar day to collect material from a previously unexplored region of the moon’s near side
Public Health
Why COVID Outbreaks Could Worsen This Winter
It’s too soon to say whether COVID is seasonal like the flu—but where clusters aren’t under control, infections will continue to swell
Medicine
Coronavirus Vaccine U.K. Trial Restarts, but Scientists Question Lack of Transparency
U.K. trials of the Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine have resumed after a brief pause, yet key details of the events have not been released
Medicine
Scientists React to Halt of Leading Coronavirus Vaccine Trial
Scientists urge caution in the global vaccine race as AstraZeneca reports an “adverse event” in a person who received the University of Oxford vaccine
Fitness
‘Mini Organs’ Reveal How the Coronavirus Ravages the Body
The virus can damage lung, liver and kidney tissue grown in the lab, which might explain severe COVID-19 complications
Public Health
Dogs Caught Coronavirus From Their Owners, Genetic Analysis Suggests
There is no evidence that dogs can pass the virus to people, however
Public Health
How Do Children Spread the Coronavirus? The Science Still Isn’t Clear
Researchers are still trying to understand what the deal is with kids and COVID-19
Public Health
Antibody Tests for the Coronavirus May Not Change Everything
Touted as society’s way out of widespread lockdowns, scientists say the true potential of these rapidly developed tests is still unknown
Public Health
How Sewage Could Reveal True Scale of Coronavirus Outbreak
Wastewater testing could also be used as an early-warning sign if the virus returns
