Category Science

This week the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti, a case that challenges Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices are considering whether these bans discriminate on the basis of sex under the…

A qualitative study of misokinesia—an intense aversion to others’ repetitive movements—finds that affected individuals experience severe emotional distress, physical reactions, and significant relationship strain. The research, based on in-depth interviews with 21 participants, reveals how this sensitivity to others’ fidgeting…

“The zip line played a pivotal role in democratising space” Victor Habbick Visions/Science Photo Library/Alamy Even as the price of space flight came down dramatically in the 2030s, the environmental and financial cost of using chemical rockets to escape Earth’s…

December 5, 2024 4 min read Trump’s NASA Pick Is a Climate Mystery President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, is a major supporter of human-crewed space exploration, but his views on the climate science that the agency…

A comprehensive 25-year study has found that consuming five or more servings of dark chocolate weekly is associated with a 21% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The research, involving over 190,000 participants, reveals distinct health impacts between dark…

A biblical approach Praise be, there is a new book from psychologist-turned-YouTuber Jordan Peterson. We Who Wrestle With God is about how ancient myths and legends, while perhaps not literally true, contain valuable and even universal lessons about life and…

December 5, 2024 2 min read For Orcas, Dead Salmon Hats Are Back in Fashion after 37 Years Orcas off the coast of Washington State are balancing dead fish on their heads like it’s the 1980s, but researchers still aren’t…

Analysis of the first direct dietary evidence from early Americans reveals that mammoth meat made up about 40% of their protein intake. The study, examining isotopes from a 13,000-year-old Clovis infant burial in Montana, provides compelling evidence that early Americans…

Tencent is one of China’s largest technology companies Cynthia Lee/Alamy Chinese tech giant Tencent doesn’t seem to be affected by US export bans of computer chips that are crucial to the development of artificial intelligence systems – but even if…

The respiratory bugs that surge every winter, from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to whooping cough, hit us with nasty coughs, fevers and chills—and they can also create the perfect opportunity for deadly pneumonia. Often misunderstood as a single sinister ailment…