‘Groups’ Underpin Modern Math. Here’s How They Work
What do the integers have in common with the symmetries of a triangle? In the 19th century, mathematicians invented groups as an answer to this question.
Alcohol Plays a Major Role in New Cancer Cases
A new report estimates that 40 percent of all cancer cases are associated with factors we can change—alcohol consumption being a prominent one.
What You Need to Know Before You Freeze Your Eggs
Celebrities do it (or wish they had), influencers won't stop talking about it, and clinics will all but tell you to do it now. The devil, though, is in the details.
Taiwan Makes the Majority of the World’s Computer Chips. Now It’s Running Out of Electricity
Highly dependent on imported fossil fuels, soon to shutter its last nuclear plant, and slow to build out renewables, the world’s largest producer of advanced computer chips is heading toward an energy crunch.
The US Is Loading Up on Bird Flu Vaccine
As more farm workers get sick with avian influenza, the US federal government is putting $72 million toward strengthening its vaccine stockpile.
Wastewater Offers an Early Alarm System for Another Deadly Virus
A surveillance system proven during Covid-19 is now being used to track outbreaks of RSV.
Making an RSV Vaccine Was Hard. Getting People to Take It Is Even Harder
New vaccines could help stem the spread of respiratory syncytial virus, but there are already huge inequities in access and uptake.
The Secret Alchemy of Making Ice Cream
Ice cream is deceptively simple, but that sweet burst of flavor and soft melt on the tongue is a finicky, frozen science of water, fat, and air delicately held together.
Inside the Anti-Vax Facebook Group Pushing a Bogus Cure for Autism
Parents of newborns are reporting symptoms including diarrhea, twitching, and “complete toddler meltdowns” after giving them Pure Body Extra detox treatment.
Bird Flu Fears Stoke the Race for an mRNA Flu Vaccine
Researchers have been working on mRNA flu vaccines since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but we may get one for bird flu first.