Feature

  1. Science & Society

    This ‘hidden figure’ of entomology fought for civil rights

    Margaret S. Collins, the first Black American female entomologist to earn a Ph.D., overcame sexism and racism to become a termite expert.

    By Susan Milius
  2. Animals

    Stray DNA is all around us. It could revolutionize conservation

    Environmental DNA harvested from the ocean, land and air can help scientists monitor wildlife. The challenge is figuring out how to interpret this eDNA.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  3. Anthropology

    How does a fossil become a superstar? Just ask Lucy.

    Geologic good fortune, skilled scientific scrutiny and a catchy name turned Lucy into an evolutionary icon.

    By Bruce Bower
  4. Archaeology

    A race to save Indigenous trails may change the face of archaeology

    As construction of a pipeline nears, an effort to preserve an Indigenous trail in Canada tests whether heritage management can keep up with advances in archaeology.

    By Sujata Gupta
  5. Science & Society

    Is U.S. democracy in decline? Here’s what the science says

    Political scientists disagree over how to interpret a slight dip in the health of U.S. democracy.

    By Sujata Gupta
  6. Life

    The fruit fly revolutionized biology. Now it’s boosting science in Africa

    African researchers are using Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies to advance studies of genetics, biomedicine, developmental biology, toxicology and more.

    By Darren Incorvaia
  7. Health & Medicine

    HIV and illicit drugs are a bad mix. This scientist found an unexpected reason why

    The neuroscientist considers themself an outsider, which allows them to embrace people who have been marginalized, including people who have HIV.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  8. Science & Society

    10 early-career scientists tackling some of the biggest problems of today

    For the ninth year, Science News honors researchers in its SN 10: Scientists to Watch list.

    By Science News Staff
  9. Cosmology

    How did dark matter shape the universe? This physicist has ideas

    Theoretical physicist Tracy Slatyer proposes new scenarios for dark matter and helped discover the Fermi bubbles.

    By Adam Mann
  10. Neuroscience

    By studying the eyes, a researcher explores how the brain sorts information

    Freek van Ede seeks to understand how the brain selects information to plan for the future. He’s finding clues in the tiny movements people make with their eyes.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  11. Environment

    A biogeochemist is tracking the movements of toxic mercury pollution

    Exposing the hidden movements of mercury through the environment can help reduce human exposure.

    By Nikk Ogasa
  12. Materials Science

    A materials scientist seeks to extract lithium from untapped sources

    Lithium is an essential ingredient for batteries in electric vehicles but getting enough will become a problem.

    By Anna Gibbs