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Science

News and updates from the science team. Topics include genetics, infectious disease, psychology, and more.

The latest in Science

Noise canceling can help save your earsNoise canceling can help save your ears
Today, Explained newsletter

We’re probably all listening to music too loudly, alas.

By Caroline Houck
Drug-resistant bacteria are killing more and more humans. We need new weapons.Drug-resistant bacteria are killing more and more humans. We need new weapons.
Future Perfect

Scientists are testing futuristic tools to dismantle antibiotic resistance.

By Cecilia Butini
There’s a secret wildlife wonderland hidden in the US — and it’s in danger
Down to Earth

Countless rare animals lurk under the logs in the Appalachian Mountains.

By Benji Jones
Do we have Alzheimer’s disease all wrong?Do we have Alzheimer’s disease all wrong?
Future Perfect

Retracted studies and new treatments reveal the confusing state of Alzheimer’s research.

By Dylan Scott
Korean sunscreen is all the rage. If you’re American, you might be out of luck.
Culture

Lighter, less greasy, more effective sunscreen exists. So what’s the hold up stateside?

By Alex Abad-Santos
Who’s the father? For these baby animals, one doesn’t exist.
Audio
Unexplainable

More animals can occasionally reproduce asexually than scientists realized.

By Byrd Pinkerton
Elephants have names — and they use them with each otherElephants have names — and they use them with each other
Future Perfect

A new study reveals elephants are more like humans than we realized. What does that mean for the movement for their rights?

By Celia Ford
What if you could have a panic attack, but for joy?
Future Perfect

Mindfulness is one thing. Jhāna meditation is stranger, stronger, and going mainstream.

By Oshan Jarow
The surprisingly subtle recipe making heat waves worseThe surprisingly subtle recipe making heat waves worse
The Vox guide to extreme heat

The anatomy of a heat wave, from “heat domes” to megadroughts.

By Umair Irfan
This changed everything
Life

The turning points that defined the last 10 years.

By Vox Staff
10 big things we think will happen in the next 10 years
Future Perfect

Obesity will go down, electric cars will go up, and a nuclear bomb might just fall.

By Bryan Walsh, Dylan Matthews and 4 more
The last 10 years, explained
Life

The (wild! scary! surprising!) moments that mattered.

By Vox Staff
The internet peaked with “the dress,” and then it unraveled
Science

The ominously perfect meme marked the splintering of our shared reality.

By Brian Resnick
The science of near-death experiencesThe science of near-death experiences
Audio
The Gray Area

What happens when we almost die?

By Sean Illing
Dopamine, explained
Future Perfect

Dopamine detoxing, hacking, and fasting: Is any of it real?

By Celia Ford
How worried should we be about Russia putting a nuke in space?How worried should we be about Russia putting a nuke in space?
Future Perfect

It’s not there yet — but we should be concerned.

By Joshua Keating
Massive invasive snakes are on the loose and spreading in Puerto Rico
Down to Earth

Runaway pets — and possibly some zoo escapees — have fueled the spread of invasive snakes across the island. It’s an environmental catastrophe in the making.

By Benji Jones
Psychedelics could treat some of the worst chronic pain in the worldPsychedelics could treat some of the worst chronic pain in the world
Future Perfect

Decades of citizen science are finally translating into clinical trials for psychedelic pain treatments.

By Oshan Jarow
Why aren’t we vaccinating birds against bird flu?Why aren’t we vaccinating birds against bird flu?
Future Perfect

It’s not as complicated as it seems, but there’s one key hurdle.

By Jess Craig
How the White House just made the world a little safer from biorisksHow the White House just made the world a little safer from biorisks
Future Perfect

New regulations are a win for safe synthetic DNA.

By Kelsey Piper
Your guide to 2024’s rare cicadapocalypseYour guide to 2024’s rare cicadapocalypse
Science

In forests across the United States, two “broods,” of these noisy insects will crawl out from their underground dwellings to sprout wings, mate, lay eggs, and die.

By Vox Staff
Watch Sir David Attenborough seduce a cicada with the snap of his fingersWatch Sir David Attenborough seduce a cicada with the snap of his fingers
Science

How to summon a cicada.

By Brian Resnick and Benji Jones
Korean sunscreen is all the rage. If you’re American, you might be out of luck.
Culture

Lighter, less greasy, more effective sunscreen exists. So what’s the hold up stateside?

By Alex Abad-Santos
What if you could have a panic attack, but for joy?
Future Perfect

Mindfulness is one thing. Jhāna meditation is stranger, stronger, and going mainstream.

By Oshan Jarow
Should humans get their own geologic era?Should humans get their own geologic era?
Play
Video

The debate over the Anthropocene epoch, explained.

By Laura Bult
Where billions of cicadas will emerge this spring (and over the next decade), in one mapWhere billions of cicadas will emerge this spring (and over the next decade), in one map
Science

Cicadas will hear the call of spring. And then you’ll hear their mating calls, too.

By Brian Resnick
Could bird flu cause a human pandemic?Could bird flu cause a human pandemic?
Even Better

Here’s what’s worrying experts right now about H5N1’s spread among dairy cows — and what isn’t.

By Keren Landman, MD
The failed promise of egg freezing
Health

The costly procedure was supposed to give women a new kind of freedom. Is that what it really offers?

By Anna North
We could be heading into the hottest summer of our livesWe could be heading into the hottest summer of our lives
Science

High temperatures across the US have the potential to increase risks for drought, wildfires, and hurricanes.

By Li Zhou
The unexpected joy of the Squirrel Census
Home Planet

How a neighborhood project to count squirrels bound me to my wild kin.

By Keren Landman, MD
What science is just starting to understand about periodsWhat science is just starting to understand about periods
Health

Menstruation affects the body and mind in countless ways. A new study is just the beginning.

By Anna North
The dairy industry really, really doesn’t want you to say “bird flu in cows”The dairy industry really, really doesn’t want you to say “bird flu in cows”
Future Perfect

How industrial meat and dairy trap us in an infectious disease cycle.

By Marina Bolotnikova
Every year, tuberculosis kills over a million people. Can a new vaccine turn the tide?Every year, tuberculosis kills over a million people. Can a new vaccine turn the tide?
Future Perfect

For the last 100 years, we’ve only had one TB vaccine — and it leaves a lot to be desired.

By Jess Craig
Language doesn’t perfectly describe consciousness. Can math?Language doesn’t perfectly describe consciousness. Can math?
Future Perfect

Even the most poetic words can’t capture the full richness of our minds. So scientists are turning to numbers.

By Oshan Jarow
What the Ohio train derailment teaches us about poisoning public trust
Climate

Long after the disaster, residents of East Palestine still fear for their safety.

By Benji Jones
The terrifying and awesome power of solar eclipsesThe terrifying and awesome power of solar eclipses
Today, Explained newsletter

Eclipses inspire awe, create opportunities for science — and cause angst among energy-grid operators.

By Paige Vega
Everything you need to know about the 2024 solar eclipseEverything you need to know about the 2024 solar eclipse
Science

From why this year is so special to tips for watching, we’ve got you covered.

By Vox Staff
When is the next total solar eclipse?When is the next total solar eclipse?
Science

Don’t worry if you missed the 2024 eclipse. There will be more.

By Brian Resnick
What to do during an earthquake, for people who rarely experience themWhat to do during an earthquake, for people who rarely experience them
Science

Why we need to take seemingly small earthquakes seriously

By Umair Irfan
We know where the next big earthquakes will happen — but not whenWe know where the next big earthquakes will happen — but not when
Climate

Scientists have drastically improved our understanding of seismic events. Here are eight things to know.

By Umair Irfan