Stories by Sophie Bushwick

A cybersecurity expert explains how safety systems stopped the attack

“Doomscroll Reminder Lady” Karen K. Ho explains how to step away from the screen

Bottlenecks in supply chains and difficult appointment-registration systems are slowing distribution

A massive amount of information downloaded from Parler includes potentially incriminating material. But innocuous posts on mainstream platforms can also create vulnerabilities

It has been a tough year, but science still brought us some weird, cool and quirky findings

A cybersecurity expert explains how hackers used SolarWinds to steal information from government and industry organizations

As researchers develop sensors and other devices based on conductive microbes’ nanowires, they continue to debate exactly how the organisms conduct electricity

Stay safer on different forms of transportation

Election officials also rely on high-speed scanners, envelope openers and good old-fashioned paper

Climate change, nuclear arms control, the pandemic and more will be determined by whoever wins the White House and Congress

A new system called PiVR creates working artificial environments for small animals such as zebra fish larvae and fruit flies. Developers say the system’s affordability could help expand research into animal behavior. 

An additive, inspired by a natural protein, creates a more durable building material

A new budget-friendly virtual-reality system helps researchers study the brains of small animals

An expert explains how automation enables quick deliveries—which will include ballots for November’s election

Bringing students back into classrooms or keeping them home can both have negative consequences

To get to the roots of disasters like this one, investigators rely on video footage, documents, interviews and other evidence

Zapping copper with lasers enhances its antimicrobial properties

The device prevents oxygen deprivation in coronavirus-blocking respirators

Researchers have crafted a device that replicates the shape of the eye’s sensory membrane

Researchers used the light reflecting off the wrapper to build an image of its surroundings

With a few dollars, researchers replicated an instrument that typically costs thousands 

A supersensitive detector system can also glean clues about health

As hospitals beg for protective gear and ventilators, some individuals are taking a creative approach to the problem

A scaly sea creature called a chiton sparks an idea for new protective gear