Life

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

Briefing: Scientists turn rubber waste into new materials and capture CO₂

Strategic angle: Researchers at the University of St Andrews have unveiled two breakthrough techniques for chemically recycling nitrile-rubber products.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Cell-inspired sensor can monitor blood for 10 hours without sensitivity loss

Strategic angle: A breakthrough sensor developed by La Trobe University tracks molecular changes in blood, enabling real-time personalized medicine.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Scientists Discover New Bee Species Dependent on Texas Shrub

Strategic angle: Entomologists unveil a new mining bee species closely tied to cenizo, Texas's official state shrub.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Durable dual-atom catalyst enables high-temperature CO₂ to CO conversion

Strategic angle: A breakthrough in carbon dioxide conversion technology could pave the way for more efficient synthetic fuel production.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Energy-efficient Fe-Ni catalyst could cut costs for alkaline water electrolysis

Strategic angle: Affordable, green energy production has long been promoted as a means to accelerate the decarbonization of sectors such as heavy industry, long-duration energy storage, and transportation.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Space Command classified wargame to include 25 commercial players

Strategic angle: Maj. Gen. Keener: The exercise will help Space Command ‘better understand commercial challenges, requirements, and how we can better work together’

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Controlling the pinewood nematode: Finding the best balance between cost and effectiveness

Strategic angle: The pinewood nematode poses a significant threat to pine forests, prompting regulatory measures for effective management.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: How AI Deep Learning is Helping Scientists Protect California's Coastal Ecosystems

Strategic angle: UCLA researchers create high-resolution maps of California's kelp forests to aid conservation efforts.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Diverse C-terminal variation rewires protein stability in health and disease

Strategic angle: Proteins are the tiny machines that keep our cells running, and how long they last in the cell often determines how well they can do their job.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: AI Rebuilds Molecules from Exploding Fragments

Strategic angle: A new generative AI model can recreate molecular structures from ion movements after explosions.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: How two dim stars came together to shine brightly

Strategic angle: Brown dwarfs, often called 'failed stars', reveal their potential in a cosmic union.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: What makes a genus real? Scientists use tree bats to evaluate a testable '2 Sigma Genus Concept'

Strategic angle: Dr. Amy Baird and her team aim to redefine taxonomic categories in biology through their innovative research.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Curiosity Blog, Sols 4832–4837: Driving the (Contact) Line!

Strategic angle: Exploring the final phase of the boxwork campaign on Mars.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Across Europe, warm-adapted plants spread as cold specialists retreat

Strategic angle: An international study reveals the impact of climate change on plant communities across Europe.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Reengineered Mass Spectrometer Processes a Billion Molecules at Once

Strategic angle: A new prototype revolutionizes mass spectrometry by enabling the analysis of billions of molecules simultaneously, enhancing efficiency and accuracy.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Children shaped clay 15,000 years ago, long before pottery or farming, archaeologists find

Strategic angle: Archaeological discoveries reveal that children in the Levant were molding clay long before the advent of pottery and agriculture.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: 3D Model Predicts Mosquito Flight Paths from Sight and CO₂ Cues

Strategic angle: Researchers at MIT and Georgia Tech unveil a model that demonstrates how mosquitoes use visual and chemical cues to locate their targets.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Mental health policy is emerging as a key voting issue for Americans, study suggests

Strategic angle: A new study indicates that mental health policies significantly influence voter decisions in the U.S.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: New study shows democracy has deep global roots—not just Greece and Rome

Strategic angle: A new study on ancient societies from around the world is rewriting what we thought we knew about democracy.

Editorial Staff Mar 18

Life

Briefing: Why heights and snakes still hit harder: Study tracks fear sweat in 119 people

Strategic angle: A study reveals that both modern and ancestral threats trigger similar physiological reactions.

Editorial Staff Mar 18