Life

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

Briefing: A global carbon credit program risks rewarding the wrong behavior

Strategic angle: A United Nations-backed framework for protecting tropical forests could allow governments to collect income from carbon credits without advancing forest conservation.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Satellite data map reveals 33 subglacial lakes beneath the Canadian Arctic

Strategic angle: Researchers unveil a groundbreaking map showcasing a network of subglacial lakes hidden under glaciers in the Canadian Arctic.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Ghostly particles: Dark radiation may have masqueraded as neutrinos

Strategic angle: New research suggests that neutrinos in the early universe may have transformed into a previously unknown form of radiation.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Ultra-low asparagine wheat developed using precision gene editing

Strategic angle: Scientists at Rothamsted Research have successfully developed wheat with dramatically reduced levels of asparagine, using gene editing techniques.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Mesoporous Silica Catalyst Enables α-Allylation of Simple Ketones Using Allyl Alcohols

Strategic angle: A research team has developed a new organic reaction that could lead to next-generation catalysts.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Quantum entanglement between electrons and ions captured at attosecond timescale

Strategic angle: A groundbreaking study reveals the intricate dance of quantum entanglement at unprecedented speeds.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: 'Serendipitous' discovery of Martian ripple marks reveals an ancient sandstorm

Strategic angle: Scientists uncover evidence of a past sandstorm on Mars through the study of ripple marks in sedimentary rocks.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Atomic distortions reveal new clues about superconductivity

Strategic angle: Researchers identify atomic distortions linked to high-temperature superconductivity in nickel-based materials.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Giant 'forbidden planet' orbiting small star shows an unusually low-metal atmosphere

Strategic angle: Scientists discover a giant planet with a surprisingly low-metal atmosphere compared to its host star.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Optical terminals still a bottleneck in Pentagon’s proliferated constellation

Strategic angle: GP Sandhoo highlights the challenges in meeting the demand for optical communications terminals.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Small Drugmakers Negotiate Pricing Deals Amid Tariff Threat

Strategic angle: The Trump administration is in talks with smaller pharmaceutical companies to establish new drug-pricing agreements.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Biotech investors’ plea to Trump, and a busy M&A week

Strategic angle: How has the FDA's recent decisions on rare disease drugs affected investment trends? Why is Eli Lilly getting into sleep medicine?

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Deep mantle deformation is linked to subducted slabs, global map shows

Strategic angle: A new study reveals how slow convection currents in Earth's mantle are connected to tectonic plate movements and mantle deformation.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Rudeness may be rewarded—as a response to rudeness

Strategic angle: New Cornell research suggests that responding to rudeness with rudeness might be acceptable, though civil responses remain preferable.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Sex at arm’s length? Male octopuses use specialised arm to mate, scientists find

Strategic angle: Sensory organ in male cephalopod able to detect female hormone progesterone, even if male cannot see partner.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: How the octopus uses its 'taste by touch' sensory system to feel out potential mates

Strategic angle: A new study by Harvard biologists reveals the unique sensory system octopuses use to find mates.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: How mitochondria organize our 'second genome'

Strategic angle: EPFL scientists have discovered that a simple shape change in mitochondria helps cells evenly distribute their mitochondrial DNA, solving a long-standing puzzle.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Graphene 'nano-aquariums' capture atomic-resolution videos of gold atoms in solvents

Strategic angle: Scientists at the National Graphene Institute have developed a groundbreaking technique to visualize gold atoms in motion.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: FDA’s Evolving View of What Makes a ‘Breakthrough’ Device

Strategic angle: An analysis of AI-powered devices that received the FDA's 'breakthrough' label.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Engineered tobacco plant can produce five psychedelics, including psilocybin and DMT

Strategic angle: A groundbreaking study reveals that a genetically modified tobacco plant can synthesize multiple psychedelics, potentially revolutionizing therapeutic applications.

Editorial Staff Apr 2