Science Spotlight: Discover the research changing our understanding of the world
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A looming 'insect apocalypse' could endanger global food supplies. Can we stop it before it's too late?
By Joanna Thompson published
Insect populations are in steep decline, which could endanger the food supply. But there are things we can do to reverse the trend.

Quantum computing will make cryptography obsolete. But computer scientists are working to make them unhackable.
By Joanna Thompson published
When quantum computers become commonplace, current cryptographic systems will become obsolete. Scientists are racing to get ahead of the problem and keep our data secure.

One molecule could usher revolutionary medicines for cancer, diabetes and genetic disease — but the US is turning its back on it
By Nicoletta Lanese published
The U.S. government is divesting from mRNA vaccines, but will other uses of the technology be spared? In a time of uncertainty, scientists worry that revolutionary treatments for cancer, immune dysfunction and genetic disease may be left on the lab bench.

Could simple blood tests identify cancer earlier?
By Emily Cooke published
Blood tests that detect early cancer are coming to market. Could they lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment?

Plate tectonics may be why Earth has life — and the key to finding life elsewhere in the universe
By Stephanie Pappas published
Feature Emerging evidence suggests that plate tectonics, or the recycling of Earth's crust, may have begun much earlier than previously thought — and may be a big reason that our planet harbors life.

'Like trying to see fog in the dark': How strange pulses of energy are helping scientists build the ultimate map of the universe
By Perri Thaler published
Astronomers are using radio pulses from space to find missing baryonic matter and learn about supermassive black holes, stellar formation and galaxy evolution.

Will the James Webb telescope finally lead us to alien life?
By Brandon Specktor published
Three years into its mission, the James Webb Space Telescope has advanced the search for alien life more than any machine before it. What will it find next?

A braided stream, not a family tree: How new evidence upends our understanding of how humans evolved
By Kristina Killgrove published
Evidence is mounting that the evolution of our species is more convoluted than we imagined — more like a braided stream than a branching tree.

AI is entering an 'unprecedented regime.' Should we stop it — and can we — before it destroys us?
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet published
The technological singularity — the point at which artificial general intelligence surpasses human intelligence — is coming. But will it usher in humanity's salvation, or lead to its downfall?

Earth's magnetic field is weakening — magnetic crystals from lost civilizations could hold the key to understanding why
By Sierra Bouchér published
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Artifacts from the Iron Age have revealed an intense historical magnetic anomaly in the Middle East. Could using a similar approach elsewhere help us unravel the mysteries of Earth's magnetic field?
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