Science

Why happiness is not the best indicator of well-being

Achieving values and pursuing growth is the real secret to a fulfilled life.

Jason Crawford

How Arc Institute is bringing science into the century of biology

Stephen Johnson

A vibrant graphic illustration featuring a large leafy plant with integrated plant sensors, comic-style speech bubbles containing exclamation marks, and a round bubble depicting ants, set against a blue textured background.

Agriculture

Plant sensors could act as an early warning system for farmers

Using sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers discovered signals that help plants respond to stresses like heat, light, or attack.

Anne Trafton | MIT News Office

Archaeology

Did drought end the ancient Maya kingdoms?

Airborne laser scans have revealed thousands of new Maya structures, as well as evidence that may change how we think their kingdoms fell.

B. David Zarley

Transportation

Falling traffic lights can kill. One tweak could save lives.

An impact-absorbing traffic light pole could save the lives of drivers and pedestrians, while also cutting repair and replacement costs.

Kristin Houser

Archaeology

X-rays may save Henry VIII’s resurrected warship, the last of its kind

Henry VIII’s favorite warship survived centuries under the sea. New x-ray scanning technology will hopefully help preserve the Mary Rose for centuries more.

B. David Zarley

A black and white image of a brain and a hand.

Biology

10 surprising things we’ve learned about death

Modern science has demystified death by divulging its biological processes, but many questions remain.

Kevin Dickinson

Climate Crisis

AI reveals that the Sahara actually has 1.8 billion trees and shrubs

AI analysis of satellite images sees trees and shrubs where human eyes can't.

Robby Berman

Healthcare

Just $50 can turn your phone into a powerful chemical, pathogen detector

If this becomes a common feature of smartphones, it could someday allow anyone to identify pathogens and detect impurities in food.

Stephen Johnson

Free database to 107 million research papers released online

The General Index is a searchable database of keywords and brief sentences from publications that anyone may use to navigate scientific knowledge locked behind paywalls.

Teresa Carey

Climate Crisis

We need to rethink global food production to have a shot at our climate goals

Emissions from food alone could use up all of our budget for 1.5°C or 2°C – but we have opportunities to avoid this.

Hannah Ritchie

Physics

We now know the big bang theory is (probably) not how the universe began

Scientists used to think the universe began from a singularity. Nearly 100 years later, we're not so sure.

Ethan Siegel

Biology

Lizard regenerates perfect tail thanks to stem cells

A USC study that prompted lizards to regenerate tails that were “perfect” could help facilitate breakthroughs in human regeneration.

Kristin Houser

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