Math puzzle: The four islands
Solve the math puzzle from our October 2025 issue, in which four princesses divide up lands to keep peace.
Category: Science
Milky Way Views
The Milky Way appears above Earth’s bright atmospheric glow in this photograph from the International Space Station as it soared 261 miles above southern Iran
White House Is Preparing To Give Back California’s Smog-Busting Powers
Cars make their way toward downtown Los Angeles on April 22. California could regain the right to set its own vehicle emissions standards after the
‘When people gather in groups, bizarre behaviors often emerge’: How the rise of online social networks has catapulted dysfunctional thinking
The pervasive spread of misinformation can be tracked to cognitive limitations, social influence and the global spread of online networks. Combatting it has become an
Why are so many young people getting cancer?
Diagnoses for several cancers before age 50 have been increasing rapidly since the 1990s. Scientists don’t know why, but they have a few suspects.
CDC committee votes to change measles vaccine guidance for young children
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended against using the MMRV vaccine in children under 4. This could eliminate a choice for kids’ first
First-ever black hole to be directly imaged has changed ‘dramatically’ in just 4 years, new study finds
The polarization pattern around M87* — the first black hole to be directly imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope — has changed direction, and scientists
RFK’s handpicked advisers are coming for the childhood vaccine schedule. Here’s what to know.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices may vote to disrupt the childhood vaccine schedule, despite what experts say is a lack of evidence to do
This week in science: Mystery dots in space, optical illusions and octopus arms
The regular Short Wave science roundup covers mysterious red dots in space, the neurons behind optical illusions and a study of octopus arms.
To save its unique and rare birds, New Zealand is turning to AI and genetic research
New Zealand is planning to eradicate millions of invasive animals that prey on the country’s rare birds. The goal may not be possible, unless new
A handheld ‘bone printer’ shows promise in animal tests
Demonstrated in rabbits, the 3-D printer might someday print bone grafts directly onto fractures, complete with antibiotics to ease healing.
Tug or fetch? Some dogs sort toys by how they are used
Dogs that easily learn the names of toys might also mentally sort them by function, a new example of complex cognitive activity in the canine
New report warns that China could overtake the US as top nation in space — and it could happen ‘in 5-10 years,’ expert claims
A new report from the Commercial Space Federation warns that China could soon overtake the U.S. in the “new space race.” The country’s rapid progression
Tiny ‘brains’ grown in the lab could become conscious and feel pain — and we’re not ready
Lab-grown brain tissue is too simple to experience consciousness, but as innovation progresses, neuroscientists question whether it’s time to revisit the ethics of this line