Science Spotlight: Discover the research changing our understanding of the world
Science news breaks every day, but understanding its significance can be difficult. How is it changing how we live, or how we understand our world and our place in it? Live Science takes a deeper look at emerging science and gives you, our readers, the perspective you need on these advances.
Our stories highlight trends in different fields, how new research is changing old ideas, and how the picture of the world we live in is being transformed thanks to science. These are stories you'll find nowhere else, driven by writer's expertise and broad knowledge of the beats they cover.
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'If there's any country that will do it, it's China': Why is China diverting some of the world's mightiest rivers thousands of miles?Science Spotlight People in China's northern megacities have 74 times less fresh water than the average American — so the Chinese government has built the world's largest water diversion project, with the most ambitious and dangerous route still to come.
By James Price Published
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'River in the Sky': China's doomed plan to create a 'cloud seeding corridor' tells us how far the country will go to solve its climate crisisScience Spotlight China's willingness to invest billions in a quixotic, doomed plan to create a permanent river in the sky reveals the lengths it is willing to go to to engineer its way out of a climate crisis.
By James Price Published
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'They are trying to tame nature': China is building the world's biggest dam in an earthquake-prone region of TibetScience Spotlight China is building a dam system that will generate more hydroelectric power than the U.S. generates yearly. But the project comes with huge risks for people downstream.
By James Price Published
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War has brought Iran's water crisis to a breaking point: 'Things will collapse unless there is meaningful structural change'Science spotlight Iran is experiencing "water bankruptcy" that stems from decades of broken water governance and aggressive policies, and the current war is exacerbating the crisis.
By Sascha Pare Published
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'A cure on the horizon': Are we finally close to ending type 1 diabetes?It's a running joke that a cure for type 1 diabetes is only five years away and has been for 50 years, but new stem cell trials and immune drugs hint that we're closer than ever to a functional cure for the disease.
By Tia Ghose Published
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DNA shed by every living thing is lurking in the environment — and it could tell us how Earth is changing in real timeEnvironments are littered with the DNA of the creatures that inhabit them. Analyzing it could provide a real-time view of how our planet is changing.
By Hannah Osborne Published
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The world is being held hostage by its reliance on oil. How can we break free from the fossil fuel?Like whale blubber, oil as a dominant source of energy will gradually be phased out over the next decades. Here's what that transition may look like.
By Hannah Osborne Published
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Ancient 'alien-like' skulls have been found on every continent but Antarctica. Anthropologists are starting to figure out why.Humans have practiced head shaping for tens of thousands of years, and anthropologists are beginning to uncover clues as to why.
By Kristina Killgrove Published
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Psychedelics may rewire the brain to treat PTSD. Scientists are finally beginning to understand how.New research shows MDMA and psilocybin may restore neural flexibility in people with PTSD, thereby helping the brain unlearn fear and relearn safety.
By Jane Palmer Published
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