All Stories by Meghan Rosen
- Artificial Intelligence
AI-designed proteins target toxins in deadly snake venom
The current way to produce antivenoms is outdated. In lab tests, AI-designed proteins could save mice from a lethal dose of snake toxin.
- Climate
2024 set new record for hottest year, passing a dangerous heat threshold
For the first year in recorded history, Earth’s average temperature topped 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
- Chemistry
Predicting and designing protein structures wins a 2024 Nobel Prize
A biochemist and two computer scientists using AI shared the top award in chemistry.
- Humans
Rain Bosworth studies how deaf kids experience the world
This deaf experimental psychologist has found that babies are born ready to learn sign language, just like spoken language.
- Physics
Forget moon walking, lunar visitors. Try horizontal running
Researchers took over the Wall of Death, an amusement park attraction, to test out how astronauts might keep their strength up on the moon.
- Animals
Cats play fetch — but only when they feel like it
Most cats that play fetch pick up the behavior on their own, a study finds. And those felines tend to dictate when fetching sessions begin and end.
- Animals
Have you seen Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster? Probably not
Floe Foxon is a data scientist by day. In his free time, he applies his skills to astronomy, cryptology and sightings of mythical creatures.
- Health & Medicine
Doctors found a snake parasite in a woman’s brain — still alive
This worm typically infects pythons. Though this is its first known infection in humans, other types of worms also can infect the human brain.
- Health & Medicine
RNA work that led to COVID-19 vaccines wins 2023 Nobel in medicine
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman overcame hurdles to using mRNA for medicine. This led to COVID vaccines — and maybe, one day, some for other infections.
- Fossils
Ancient jellyfish? Upside down this one looks like something else
A new look at an ancient sea animal called Essexella suggests it may have been a type of burrowing sea anemone, not a floating jelly.
- Psychology
Procrastination may hurt your health — but you can change that
Scientists have linked procrastination to mental and physical health problems. But don’t be too hard on yourself — there are steps you can take.
- Science & Society
How daylight saving time throws off your internal clock
Turning the clock ahead knocks our bodies and brains out of sync with the sun. That leads to many potential health issues.
