Pollution
Ocean Oil Slick Map Reveals Enough Greasy Patches to Cover France—Twice
An algorithm-aided analysis of satellite images reveals the size, distribution and sources of oil slicks at sea
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Vaccines
COVID Vaccines for Kids Younger Than Five Get Green Light from Regulators
An advisory committee voted unanimously to recommend authorizing the Moderna and Pfizer shots for the youngest children
Particle Physics
What Are Neutrinos, and How Can We Measure Their Mass?
The weirdest subatomic particles require enormous equipment to study
Archaeology
Ancient Women’s Teeth Reveal Origins of 14th-Century Black Death
A medieval cemetery yields DNA evidence of the deadly pandemic bacterium’s Central Asian ancestor
Pollution
Pesticides Are Spreading Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Scientists Warn
Common chemicals sprayed on many crops each year are cloaked in bureaucratic uncertainties
Robotics
Tiny, Tumbling Origami Robots Could Help with Targeted Drug Delivery
The design’s origami pattern creates the flexibility needed to deliver compounds to specific areas of the body
Animals
Wiggling Whiskers Help Hungry Seals Hunt in the Dark
A new seal’s-eye view shows these specialized hairs in motion at sea
Health Care
Universal Health Care Could Have Saved More Than 330,000 U.S. Lives during COVID
The numbers of lives lost and dollars spent would have been significantly lower if coverage had been extended to everyone, a new study says
Biochemistry
‘Superworms’ Eat—and Survive on—Polystyrene
Identifying the gut microbes in plastic-munching beetle larvae illuminates bacteria that could help degrade plastic waste
Genetics
Stress Management Helped Wolves Become Dogs
Genetic mutations related to production of the stress hormone cortisol may have played a role in the process of canine domestication
Policy
Sending Health Care Workers instead of Cops Can Reduce Crime
A study shows that first responders who are not police can be more effective for low-level incidents
Public Health
Better Face Masks Are Possible: Here Are Some Winning Designs
A two-part competition aims to spark innovation and connect the groups trying to redesign high-quality masks that protect against COVID
Dark Matter
Astronomers Might See Dark Matter by Staring into the Void
Vast reaches of mostly empty space could offer superior odds for detecting the invisible substance thought to make up more than 80 percent of the material in the universe
Public Health
We Need to Improve Indoor Air Quality: Here’s How and Why
Upgrading buildings’ ventilation, filtration and other factors would not only decrease COVID transmission but also improve health and cognitive performance in general
Epidemiology
How to Compare COVID Deaths for Vaccinated and Unvaccinated People
The death rate among unvaccinated people is still far higher than that among the vaccinated even though vaccinated people now make up a significant proportion of deaths
Mental Health
Mass Shootings Leave Lasting Psychological Wounds
Tragedies such as the ones in Uvalde, Tex., and Buffalo, N.Y., can lead to major depression, PTSD and other lingering mental distress among survivors
Inequality
Suicides among Black People May Be Vastly Undercounted
Lack of data explains why
Paleontology
Sex Life of One of Earth’s Earliest Animals Exposed
The first known male appendage from trilobites has been found in a 508-million-year-old fossil
Animals
Jewel Beetles’ Iridescent Shells Deter Hungry Birds—By Freaking Them Out
Weirdly shifting colors may serve dual evolutionary purposes, providing both camouflage and conspicuous warning
Evolution
Ancient Giraffe Relative Was Evolution’s Headbutting Champion, Perhaps Besting Dinosaurs
Natural selection propels the giraffe family to absolute extremes—and it is not just about the absurdly long necks
