Post-vaccination Inertia Is Real
Readjusting our ideas about what’s safe is going to take time.
Life Up Close
The Pandemic Is Undoing Field Researchers’ Oldest Assumption
With the right partners, scientists don’t have to visit their study sites to get good data.
The J&J Rescue Mission Starts With a Choice
The reputation of all COVID-19 vaccines hinges on improving perceptions of the Johnson & Johnson shot.
Scientific Publishing Is a Joke
An XKCD comic—and its many remixes—perfectly captures the absurdity of academic research.
Elon Musk Is Maybe, Actually, Strangely, Going to Do This Mars Thing
From his private Cape Canaveral, the billionaire is manifesting his own interplanetary reality—whatever the cost.
Cicadas Have an Existential Problem
The bacteria that live inside the insects can’t keep themselves together.
Why Ford’s New Electric Car Is So Important
I spent a weekend in the Mustang Mach-E, Ford’s biggest bet so far on a zero-carbon future.
A Bird’s Stinky Egg Is Actually a Humblebrag
Female hoopoes will paint their eggs with a brownish goo, in a bid for greater male attention.
Greenland’s Rare-Earth Election
A vote last month answered an important question about the world’s largest island.
The World’s Richest Men Are Brawling Over the Moon
NASA gave Elon Musk’s SpaceX a coveted contract for a lunar mission. Jeff Bezos plans to fight for it.
Why Dead Trees Are ‘the Hottest Commodity on the Planet’
Blame climate change, wildfires, hungry beetles … and Millennial home buyers.
A Revolution Is Sweeping the Science of Ancient Diseases
The study of DNA from millennia-old bacteria and viruses is revealing new secrets about the plague and other epidemics.
One Vaccine to Rule Them All
What if a single vaccine could protect us against SARS, MERS, COVID-19, and every other coronavirus-related disease, forever and ever?
Show Your Immune System Some Love
Antibodies are great and all, but macrophages, B cells, and helper T cells deserve some attention too.
So Much Hinges on the Existence of Ancient Black Holes
If real, these massive, invisible objects could help unravel the mystery of dark matter.
The Weekly Planet: An Outdated Idea Is Still Shaping Climate Policy
Biden’s team is split on how to think about climate change.
No, You’re Crying About a Helicopter on Mars
NASA just flew a tiny (and totally lovable) robot on another planet for the first time.
The Future of American Radio Astronomy Now Depends on China
After Puerto Rico’s Arecibo telescope collapsed late last year, the researchers who depended on it are in a tough position.
The Danger of a ‘Dudes Only’ Vaccine
We still don’t know who’s most at risk of getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine blood clots.
The Blood-Clot Problem Is Multiplying
So are theories to explain it.
COVID-19 Vaccines Are Entering Uncharted Immune Territory
Some people’s bodies aren’t set up for vaccines.
A Tiny Ant Brain Is Still Too Big for Reproduction
Disturbingly light is the head that wears the crown.