Life

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

Briefing: Asia ramps up use of dirty fuels to cover energy shortfall triggered by Iran war

Strategic angle: Governments across Asia are increasing coal usage as they face energy shortages due to the ongoing conflict in Iran.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: Women are being shut out of workplaces because of a hidden time gap, new research shows

Strategic angle: A new study reveals that women face a significant disadvantage in the workplace due to time constraints compared to men.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: How squid survived Earth’s biggest extinction and took over the oceans

Strategic angle: Scientists have cracked a mystery about squid and cuttlefish evolution through genome analysis.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: March of the Harmattan

Strategic angle: Strong winds in March 2026 carried Saharan dust across northwestern Africa and toward the Canary Islands, reducing visibility and prompting alerts.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Artemis II's long countdown: A space historian explains why it has taken over 50 years to return to the moon

Exploring the lengthy journey back to lunar exploration and the historical context behind it.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: NASA’s asteroid Bennu sample reveals a hidden chemical patchwork

Strategic angle: Scientists studying Bennu samples have discovered that its chemistry is far from uniform, revealing distinct regions shaped by past water activity.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: Inside the high-stakes decisions of the NFL draft

Strategic angle: On NFL draft day, every team has the chance to win—or lose—big. With millions of dollars on the line and just minutes to make a final decision on each pick, a single choice can shape a franchise for years.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: Why a social media ban for teenagers misses the point

Strategic angle: Exploring the deeper issues behind teenage smartphone addiction.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: 'One Plant Health Concept' connects tradition and technology to address plant diseases in Africa

Strategic angle: An article published in CABI Agriculture and Bioscience advocates for a diverse approach combining indigenous knowledge and modern technologies to combat plant diseases in Africa.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: Seven missions launched to test optimized data transfer from space

Strategic angle: Eight CubeSats and one payload supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) have reached orbit to improve data transmission and processing.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: Uranus mission concept CASMIUS to probe ice giant secrets

Strategic angle: The ice giant Uranus is one of the most fascinating objects in the solar system, with its sideways rotation and intricate ring system.

Editorial Staff Apr 1

Life

Briefing: Great hammerheads maintain peak hunting across wide temperature swings, biologging data suggest

Strategic angle: These ocean predators are masters of the 'thermal hustle,' maintaining peak hunting performance across a surprisingly wide range.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: How medieval chess created a space in which players, regardless of race, could engage as equals

Strategic angle: Exploring the role of medieval chess in fostering equality among players of diverse backgrounds.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Targeting the tiniest divide: Research reveals potential vulnerability in bacterial reproduction

Strategic angle: A Université de Montréal study uncovers a new mechanism in bacterial reproduction that could be targeted by future antibiotics.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Racetrack-shaped lasers developed for bright, stable frequency combs

Strategic angle: A new, miniature laser source could revolutionize precision measurement and communication technologies.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Introducing a new citizen science nature app that's geared towards the scientific community

Strategic angle: PlantNet offers a wealth of data for identifying plants and understanding biodiversity.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Cast your vote for the best sci-fi spaceship and then watch debaters duke it out at Space Symposium

Strategic angle: Voting ends April 14. Resistance is futile – you must comply.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: NASA Probe Data Suggests a More Complex Sun's Magnetic Engine

Strategic angle: A new study reveals differing reactions of protons and heavy ions to solar magnetic reconnection events, indicating a complex magnetic engine behind the solar wind.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Chiral Metasurfaces Guide Twisted Light into Free Space

Strategic angle: Innovative technology harnesses the angular momentum of light for advanced applications.

Editorial Staff Mar 31

Life

Briefing: Crushing Soda Cans and the Mathematics of Corrugation Formation

Strategic angle: Exploring the science behind why objects squash in specific ways under pressure.

Editorial Staff Mar 31