Epidemiology
New Omicron Variants Are Here—What We Know So Far
The variants appear to sneak past the immune system, but vaccines will likely continue to hold strong
Latest Biology Stories
Animals
Researchers Are Making Nightmarish ‘Coffee’ with Invasive Sea Lampreys
Why on earth would you try to “brew” anything using parasitic fish that slurp the blood and guts out of other fish?
Artificial Intelligence
One of the Biggest Problems in Biology Has Finally Been Solved
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis explains how its AlphaFold AI program predicted the 3-D structure of every known protein
Plants
How to Grow a 2,560-Pound Pumpkin
Prizewinning great pumpkins are approaching 3,000 pounds as growers perfect the process
Animals
Ball-Rolling Bumble Bees Just Wanna Have Fun
Tiny, soccer-playing bees raise questions about the inner lives of invertebrates
Artificial Intelligence
AI Predicts What Chemicals Will Smell like to a Human
A new computer model “maps” odor molecules to differentiate among those that have meaty, powdery, sweet and many other scents
Evolution
Vertebrates May Have Used Vocal Communication More Than 100 Million Years Earlier Than We Thought
Animals with a backbone may have first emitted something akin to bleeps, grunts, crackles, toots and snorts more than 400 million years ago
Public Health
Which COVID Studies Pose a Biohazard?
Controversy surrounding a study that involved modifying SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, has prompted researchers to call for better guidance from funders
Animals
These Hawks Have Figured Out How to See the Bat in the Swarm
New research shows that birds of prey attempting to grab a bat from a roiling mass of the flying mammals have developed a way to cope with the confusion.
Animals
Heaviest Bony Fish Ever Measured Is a Wheel-Shaped Behemoth
A sunfish found near the Azores breaks the 26-year-old record for the heftiest bony fish ever measured
