Life

Health, science, climate, and society-focused reporting.

Briefing: Forget Brussels and Paris: Here are Europe’s new unexpected chocolate capitals

Strategic angle: Europe’s lesser-known chocolate cities are drawing attention this Easter, with Turin, Perugia and York ranked among the continent’s sweetest destinations.

Editorial Staff Apr 3

Life

Briefing: Scientists say BMI gets it wrong for over one third of adults

Strategic angle: A new study reveals that BMI may misclassify a significant number of individuals when assessing health.

Editorial Staff Apr 3

Life

Briefing: Barents Sea Tied to Low Arctic Sea Ice

Strategic angle: Patches of open water in the region contributed to low sea ice extent across the Arctic in March 2026.

Editorial Staff Apr 3

Life

Briefing: The benefits of community Trap-Neuter-Return programs for unowned cats

Strategic angle: Exploring how managing stray cat populations can positively impact communities and the environment.

Editorial Staff Apr 3

Life

Briefing: Map shows scale of ecosystem disturbance across Australia

Strategic angle: University of Queensland researchers urge action to protect remaining ecosystems.

Editorial Staff Apr 3

Life

Briefing: Archival records reveal prevalence of sexually transmitted infections during Otago's gold rush less than purported

Strategic angle: Research from the University of Otago indicates that sexually transmitted infections were less common during the gold rush era than previously believed.

Editorial Staff Apr 3

Life

Briefing: Frequent prescribed burns help young oaks thrive despite invasive grasses, study finds

Strategic angle: A new study highlights the benefits of prescribed burns in promoting the growth of young oaks in the presence of invasive grasses.

Editorial Staff Apr 3

Life

Briefing: Study finds dangerous lead levels in children’s clothing

Strategic angle: Fast fashion might come with a hidden danger: lead. Researchers testing children’s shirts from multiple retailers found every sample exceeded U.S. safety limits.

Editorial Staff Apr 3

Life

Briefing: Research Questions Legitimacy of Promoting Harmful Products

Strategic angle: University of Otago researchers emphasize the need for marketers to reconsider practices that normalize harmful product consumption.

Editorial Staff Apr 3

Life

Briefing: Accelerator programs have more work to do when it comes to supporting women entrepreneurs, research finds

Strategic angle: Research highlights the need for improved support for women in accelerator programs amid ongoing gender disparities.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Scientists study radiation limits for safer seafood shipping

Strategic angle: Researchers at Florida International University explore gamma irradiation to preserve vitamin D in fish during long-distance transport.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Swift spacecraft reorientation buys time for reboost mission

Strategic angle: NASA modified operations of an astrophysics spacecraft in a decaying orbit to buy more time for a mission later this year that will attempt to raise its orbit.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Cell lineage tracing reveals early‑segregated germline in plants

Strategic angle: New research supports Weismann's germ plasm theory, highlighting the separation of germ cells in plant development.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: New microwave frying technique could make french fries much healthier

Strategic angle: Scientists have discovered a way to make French fries less greasy without ruining their taste.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: The unseen challenges of life on the moon

Strategic angle: For the first time since the Apollo era, humans are preparing not just to visit the moon, but to live and work there for weeks, months—and eventually years.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Dalí's 'sublime' amber medium may explain unusual aging in a museum masterpiece

Strategic angle: A multidisciplinary team investigates the unique aging process of a Dalí artwork using advanced scientific methods.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Q&A: Is the world really running out of chocolate?

Strategic angle: Chocolate prices have jumped again this Easter, raising concerns about future costs and availability.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Engineered E. coli dependency may help contain microbes to defined areas

Strategic angle: Scientists explore dependency as a method to control microbial activity and location.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: Medicare Advantage plans win extra $18.6 billion as feds cut star ratings measures

Strategic angle: CMS is scaling back the number of measures it uses to grade health insurers.

Editorial Staff Apr 2

Life

Briefing: New 2D Material Demonstrates Capability for Ultrathin Waveplates

Strategic angle: A breakthrough in 2D materials could enhance various technologies by improving light polarization control.

Editorial Staff Apr 2