This week in science: biker safety, orange cats and a gum disease-heart rhythm link
Emily Kwong and Regina Barber of Short Wave talk about a tool to increase biker safety, the genetic secrets that make orange cats orange, and
Category: Science
Deimos Before Dawn
NASA’s Perseverance rover captured this view of Deimos, the smaller of Mars’ two moons, shining in the sky at 4:27 a.m. local time on March
How Did Geometry Create Modern Physics?
Geometry is one of the oldest disciplines in human history, yet the worlds it can describe extend far beyond its original use. What began thousands
US baby receives first-ever customized CRISPR treatment for genetic disease
A baby known as KJ is the first person in the world to receive a customized CRISPR therapy designed to fix a specific mutation.
New CRISPR alternative can ‘install’ whole genes, paving the way to treatment for many genetic disorders
A new gene editor takes advantage of CRISPR-associated proteins to insert whole genes into the genome, scientists report.
Physicists may be on their way to a ‘theory of everything’ after reenvisioning Einstein’s most famous theory
A new physics paper takes a step toward creating a long-sought “theory of everything” by uniting gravity with the quantum world. However, the new theory
World’s oldest star chart may be 2,300 years old and from China — but not everyone agrees
Is the Star Manual of Master Shi the oldest known astronomical catalog? Experts are divided.
Humans reached southern South America by 14,500 years ago, genomes from 139 Indigenous groups reveal
A large-scale genome study shows that Indigenous peoples in the Americas split off several times, resulting in loss of important genetic diversity.
The sun just spat out the strongest solar flares of 2025 — and more could be headed toward Earth
The sun has released several powerful M- and X-class solar flares over the past few days, resulting in radio blackouts around the world.
The all-female free divers of Jeju Island have a ‘superpower’ in their genes
The all-female Korean Haenyeo divers show genetic adaptations to cold-water diving involving their blood pressure and cold tolerance. “It’s like a superpower,” says one of
Marine life’s latest hotspot could be an underwater volcano primed to erupt off Oregon
A researcher monitoring Axial Seamount, 300 miles off the coast of Oregon, says the eruption is expected to happen before the year is over. (Image
Garmin Vivoactive 6 review: Light, sleek and beginner-friendly
The first Garmin watch with guided walking workouts.
NASA diagnoses fracture in a ‘huge cosmic bone’ using X-ray observatory
A combination of X-ray from NASA’s Chandra observatory and radio data indicates that a galactic “fracture” was likely caused by a special neutron star called
Quantum computing: What is quantum error correction (QEC) and why is it so important?
Quantum computers can one day be vastly more powerful than the most powerful supercomputers on the planet — but only if scientists find ways to