Public Health
Two Strains of Polio Down, One to Go
It could be the second human disease we eradicate—but if we don’t finish the job, resurgence is possible
Stories by Richard Conniff
Evolution
Lush Okavango Delta Pinpointed as Ancestral Homeland of All Living Humans
Genetic evidence traces our origins to a hunter-gatherer community that lived 200,000 years ago, but the study has generated controversy
Engineering
In the Wiggle of an Ear, a Surprising Insight into Bat Sonar
It could lead to drones that fly like bats
Climate Change
Could Air-Conditioning Fix Climate Change?
Researchers propose a carbon-neutral “synthetic oil well” on every rooftop
Public Health
Should We Kill Off Disease-Causing Pests? Not So Fast
Eradicating harmful species may have unintended consequences
EARTH
Scrubbing Carbon from the Sky
Can we remove enough CO2 from the atmosphere to slow or even reverse climate change?
Evolution
Pterosaurs Just Keep Getting Weirder
They beat birds at powered flight. Were they also a step ahead with feathers?
Biology
Germs of Genius—a Masterpiece’s “Microbiome” Can Spell Its Demise
But microbes living on canvases may also help preserve irreplaceable works of art
Biology
Death of a Fossil Hunter
Junchang Lü was is one of the most important dinosaur researchers of the past half century
Chemistry
Take a Deep Breath and Say Hi to Your Exposome
Researchers begin to explore the unique cloud of airborne microbes and chemicals that surrounds each of us
Culture
Museum Digs Out a Future from Charred Scientific Ruins
Brazil’s tragic fire sends a wake-up call to neglected national museums worldwide
Evolution
When a Neandertal Met a Denisovan, What Happened Was Only Human
Scientists describe the hybrid child of two starkly different human groups
Conservation
Here’s Why Expanding Protected Areas Isn’t Saving Nature
A new study proposes tools to gauge when an ecosystem is “intact”—and what might happen if that changes
Medicine
New Probiotic Cholera Vaccine Can Outrace the Infection’s Rapid Spread
Rapid-response therapies use the lethal bug’s own speed to crowd it out of the gut
Public Health
Is Malaria's Peculiar Odor Key to Its Conquest?
The smell attracts mosquitoes, and may help identify hidden cases
Conservation
U.S. Cities Lose Tree Cover Just When They Need It Most
Urbanization is on the rise; so is the urban heat island effect—a situation that is worsening with the decline of tree cover in U.S. metropolitan areas
Policy
Guns Kill Kids in Cities, Too
New evidence shows green spaces in urban neighborhoods increase outdoor usage and lessen the opportunity for crime
Evolution
Triassic Butterfly Park?
Fossil find questions the idea that flowers drove the evolution of butterflies and moths
Evolution
Eggs in 1 Basket: China Fossil Find Opens Up Lost World of Pterosaurs
Researchers think the winged reptiles may have nested in colonies and cared for their young
Conservation
The Trouble with Fish Stocking
Stocking rivers and lakes with game fish is good for anglers. But it is wreaking ecological havoc
