Life

Health, science, climate, and society-focused reporting.

Briefing: New lipid nanoparticle design improves precision of mRNA vaccine delivery

Strategic angle: Penn Engineers have redesigned a key component of lipid nanoparticles to enhance targeting and reduce off-target effects.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Vital freshwater fish migrations are collapsing, says UN report

Strategic angle: A major assessment reveals the alarming decline of crucial fish migrations in global rivers.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Supercomputers just solved a 50-year-old mystery about giant stars

Strategic angle: Astronomers have finally cracked a decades-old mystery about red giant stars—how material from their deep interiors makes its way to the surface.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Mathematical framework maps landscape of student knowledge via short quizzes

Strategic angle: A new study reveals how short quizzes can help visualize and enhance student understanding by mapping their knowledge landscape.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Stolen chloroplasts maintained by host-made proteins offer clues to plant cell origins

Strategic angle: Every plant cell is the product of a biological merger billions of years ago, revealing insights into the evolution of life.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Insulin pills may soon replace daily injections

Strategic angle: For over a century, scientists have chased the dream of insulin pills, but the digestive system kept destroying the drug before it could work.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: XRISM identifies gamma Cas X-ray origin, solving a 50-year-old stellar mystery

Strategic angle: Astrophysicists unravel the mystery of γ Cas, a star in Cassiopeia emitting unexpected X-rays.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Nanoparticles enable large-scale production of advanced cell therapies

Strategic angle: Researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University have developed a streamlined process for producing therapeutic particles called exosomes.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Agricultural soils exposed to controversial weedkiller may be unexpected breeding ground for hospital 'superbugs'

Strategic angle: Research reveals a link between antimicrobial resistance and agricultural practices.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Tropical Cyclone Narelle Crosses Australia

Strategic angle: The powerful storm lashed the northern edge of the continent with damaging winds and drenching rain as it made landfall multiple times.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

See NASA’s GUARDIAN Catch a Tsunami

A new data visualization illustrates how an experimental NASA technology can provide extra lead time to communities in the path of a tsunami.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Yes, AI could boost productivity, but work is about more than maximizing output

Strategic angle: Worries about the British economy have long been dominated by one persistent concern—weak productivity.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Why a canceled meeting feels so liberating

Strategic angle: A canceled meeting can feel like a gift of limitless time, according to a Rutgers University study.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Women over 50 lost 35% more weight with this surprising combo

Strategic angle: A Mayo Clinic study reveals that postmenopausal women using hormone therapy alongside tirzepatide experienced significant weight loss.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: In Hollywood, teams don't stick together long enough to learn from failure, data reveal

Strategic angle: Hollywood's quick turnover hinders learning from past failures, undermining potential comebacks.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Research suggests negative emotions at work can help, depending on leaders' empathy

Strategic angle: During a widespread crisis, negative emotions don't simply go away once the workday begins.

editorial-staff Mar 24

Life

Briefing: Adding 1,000 immigrants tied to 142 more health workers, fewer elderly deaths

Strategic angle: New research finds that an influx of immigrants can significantly reduce elderly mortality rates in metropolitan areas.

editorial-staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Drought spurs rise in antibiotic-resistant soil microbes

Strategic angle: A new Caltech study reveals a link between drought conditions and the increase of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in soils, potentially impacting public health.

editorial-staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Male bats sing in the rotor-swept zone of wind turbines, potentially raising collision risk

Strategic angle: Research reveals that male bats produce courtship songs near wind turbines, increasing the risk of collisions.

editorial-staff Mar 23

Life

Briefing: Biosensor detects early fungal outbreaks, advances plant biotechnology

Strategic angle: A new biosensor developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory detects the emerging presence of fungus on plants at the molecular level.

editorial-staff Mar 23