Weekly Headlines (Excerpts)

1. New nanoparticle therapies target two major killers

Particles loaded with RNA reverse symptoms of respiratory failure and atherosclerosis in mice

BY ROBERT F. SERVICE 28 MAR 2025 

2. This lump of melted soil may push back the origin of metallurgy by thousands of years

Hunter-gatherers in what today is Turkey may have smelted copper more than 10,000 years ago

BY SAHAS MEHRA  27 MAR 2025 

3. Genetic surprise gives horses exceptional endurance

A mutation that should have cut a protein short instead makes it more sensitive to the stress of exercise

BY CHRISTIE WILCOX  27 MAR 2025 

4. Scientists scramble to track LA wildfires’ long-term health impacts

Urban infernos spew a unique brew of toxic smoke and ash—with unknown effects on the risk of diseases such as cancer

BY WARREN CORNWALL  27 MAR 2025 

5. Elusive stem cells discovered in human retina may lead to treatment for blindness

Transplants of similar cells grown in a lab protected vision in mice

BY CATHERINE OFFORD  27 MAR 2025 

6. This ancient parasitic wasp subdued prey with its ‘flytrap’ tail

The unusual structure may have helped the insect deposit eggs inside its victims

BY RODRIGO PÉREZ ORTEGA  26 MAR 2025

7. AI models miss disease in Black and female patients

Analysis of chest x-rays underscores need for monitoring artificial intelligence tools for bias, experts say

BY RODRIGO PÉREZ ORTEGA  26 MAR 2025 

8. This isn’t a spaceship. It’s a cuttlefish ‘cloaked’ while hunting

Motion camouflage makes creatures invisible while stalking prey

BY ALEXA ROBLES-GIL  26 MAR 2025 

9. Shocker: This tropical tree thrives after being struck by lightning

The almendro withstands thunderbolts that blast away parasitic vines

BY ERIK STOKSTAD  26 MAR 2025 

10. Listen to the first sounds ever known to be made by sharks

What, if anything, this chittering means remains a mystery

BY ERIK STOKSTAD  25 MAR 2025 

11. A year later, cow flu origins are an unsettling puzzle

It’s still unclear how H5N1 virus jumped into U.S. cattle—and why it keeps doing so

BY KAI KUPFERSCHMIDT  25 MAR 2025

12. Curiosity rover detects long-chain carbon molecules on Mars

Fatty acid byproducts could be the remains of microbes—or not

 BY PAUL VOOSEN  24 MAR 2025 

13. Does daylight saving time make sense? Scientists debate pros and cons

A new paper says seasonal clock changes help align human activity with the sunrise, but the practice is associated with numerous health risks

BY PHIE JACOBS  24 MAR 2025