Life

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

Briefing: Alaska's glacial lakes are expanding, increasing the risk of destructive outburst floods

Strategic angle: Residents near Juneau are on high alert as rising water levels signal potential flooding from glacier-dammed lakes.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Eaton fire sent a pollution wave across Los Angeles, study shows

Strategic angle: A new study reveals the 2025 Eaton fire significantly increased carbon monoxide and particulate matter levels in Los Angeles.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Next-gen interferometric diffusing wave spectroscopy achieves 20x signal boost in cerebral blood flow monitoring

Strategic angle: A breakthrough in monitoring cerebral blood flow could enhance understanding of neurological diseases.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Dry ice detected in a planetary nebula for the first time

Strategic angle: Astronomers use the James Webb Space Telescope to make groundbreaking observations of NGC 6302.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Tsunami risks in the Mediterranean: Why Nice should prepare an evacuation plan

Strategic angle: The Mediterranean Sea is widely perceived as having a low tsunami risk, but history shows otherwise.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Cell death in photoreceptor cells is reversible, study finds

Strategic angle: A groundbreaking study reveals that photoreceptor cell death, previously thought to be irreversible, can actually be reversed, offering hope for vision restoration.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: NMR Reveals Site-Specific Structural Signatures of Therapeutic Antibodies

Strategic angle: New research demonstrates a method to analyze monoclonal antibodies without the need for isotope labeling.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Germany misses climate targets as emissions barely fall in 2025

Strategic angle: Greenhouse gases dropped just 0.1% last year as environment minister criticises lack of improvement.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Saturday Citations: Neurology of boring sounds; one huge croc; Travels With Sol

Strategic angle: This week, researchers successfully reconstructed videos from the brain activity of mice and explored the singing behavior of female birds.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Enhanced fluorescence technique illuminates rapid, coordinated protein folding

Strategic angle: A team of US researchers has gained new insights into how large protein molecules consistently fold themselves into useful shapes.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Mining Rush for Critical Minerals Threatens Amazon Land Reform Settlements

Strategic angle: A survey reveals a surge in mining requests for critical minerals in Brazil's Carajás region, endangering land reform settlements.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Fetuses likely have more ‘forever chemicals’ in blood than thought – report

Strategic angle: New research reveals alarming levels of PFAS compounds in fetal blood samples.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Some top US lobbying firms are working both sides of the Pfas issue at the same time

Strategic angle: Review from non-profit finds range of scenarios of firms simultaneously lobbying for and against Pfas regulations.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Study documents record 118-kilometer dispersal by young female fisher in New Hampshire

Strategic angle: Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have documented the farthest trek of a young female fisher moving 118 kilometers from Durham to Lincoln.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Scientists discover giant swirling plumes hidden deep inside Greenland’s ice sheet

Strategic angle: New research reveals the formation of mysterious plume-like structures through thermal convection in Greenland's ice.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Study finds abusive bosses can make workers feel 'dehumanized,' fueling burnout

Strategic angle: New research reveals the profound impact of toxic leadership on employee perception and well-being.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Bacteria that generate electricity: How a shellfish-based gel could monitor wastewater and food

Strategic angle: Microbial bioelectronic sensors utilize living bacteria to create electrical signals in response to target substances, offering advantages over traditional biosensors.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: New Panama tree species identified after 25 years is already endangered

Strategic angle: A newly discovered tree species in Panama faces immediate threats despite being identified only recently.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: Pi Day: From rockets to cancer research, here's how the number pi is embedded in our lives

Strategic angle: Math nerds and dessert enthusiasts unite to celebrate Pi Day every March 14, the date that represents the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi.

Editorial Staff Mar 14

Life

Briefing: A lab mistake at Cambridge reveals a powerful new way to modify drug molecules

Strategic angle: Cambridge scientists have discovered a light-powered chemical reaction that allows for safer modifications of complex drug molecules.

Editorial Staff Mar 14