Space & Physics
Faced with a Data Deluge, Astronomers Turn to Automation
For better or worse, machine learning and big data are poised to transform the study of the heavens
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Biotech
Virtual Physical Therapy Could Help Fill Gaps in Treating All Too Real Pain
At-home video sessions and apps could reduce costs and expand treatment in rural areas
Conservation
A Once Common Gecko Is Vanishing from Parts of Asia
With millions of tokay geckos trapped each year for use in traditional Chinese medicine, conservationists are calling for international protections
Space & Physics
NASA Has Committed to a Rocket for the Europa Mission—and It Won’t Be Ready on Time
Although alternatives such as SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy exist, the space agency is legally required to launch its Europa Clipper spacecraft on the behind-schedule Space Launch System
EARTH
California’s Mount Shasta Loses a Historical Eruption
Clues from an old map erase a false 1786 event and are part of a global volcanic-record cleanup
Space & Physics
Astronomers Spy a Black Hole Devouring a Neutron Star
The detection represents the first of its kind and is opening new vistas on Einstein’s general theory of relativity
Space & Physics
Scientists Mull the Astrobiological Implications of an Airless Alien Planet
A rocky world devoid of atmosphere arouses debate over the habitability of the Milky Way’s most common star systems
Conservation
Panama Risks Becoming a Broken Link in an Intercontinental Wildlife Route
A survey of nine large mammals found fragmented habitats throughout the country, suggesting the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor is failing...
Engineering
An Innovative Robotic Exosuit Boosts both Walking and Running
The soft wearable could prove useful for military applications, emergencies and medical rehabilitation
Space & Physics
A Flash on Jupiter, the Death of Mitochondria and the World under Your Skin: The Week’s Best Science GIFs
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EARTH
The Reason Antarctica Is Melting: Shifting Winds, Driven by Global Warming
A new study helps solve the puzzle of why the continent’s western glaciers are melting so fast
Computing
Your Employer May Be Spying on You—and Wasting Its Time
New technologies help companies monitor their workers’ every move. But do those data tell them anything useful?
Biotech
Scientists Seek Better Guidelines for Editing Genes in Human Embryos
In the first of two meetings, an international commission discussed the criteria required before such experiments should be conducted—if ever
Behavior
Can We Rely on Our Intuition?
As the world becomes more complex, making decisions becomes harder. Is it best to depend on careful analysis or to trust your gut?
Medicine
Antisense Drugs for Huntington’s, ALS and Prion Diseases Could Meet the Dire Need for Brain Treatments
A genetic therapy that increases or lowers levels of a protein raises hopes for a treatment for neurological disorders
Pollution
Airborne Plastic Is Blowing All the Way to the Arctic
Tiny plastic particles have turned up in samples of Arctic snow, pointing to their ubiquity in the environment
Space & Physics
Earth Could Be a Lens for a Revolutionary Space Telescope
Stationed beyond the moon, the proposed “terrascope” would use our planet’s atmosphere to magnify light from distant objects
Biotech
Despite Controversy, Human Studies of CRISPR Move Forward in the U.S.
The technology that produced a global scandal in China last year has entered into clinical trials to treat sickle cell anemia and an eye disease
Behavior
Debate Arises over Teaching “Growth Mindsets” to Motivate Students
Research shows conflicting data on the impact of the intervention, but a major new study confirms it can work
Biology
Ballistic Maggots, Synthetic Winks and Why You're Not Goop: The Week's Best Science GIFs
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