Life

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

Briefing: California considers seal of approval for foods that are not ultra-processed

Strategic angle: A California bill would allow 'not ultraprocessed' labels on foods, even as scientists debate definitions and courts question the legality of similar laws.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Amazon wildfire emissions may be up to three times higher than estimated

Strategic angle: Fires in central South America are intensifying due to drought and deforestation, with 2024 marking a peak in wildfire activity.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Terran Orbital Introduces New Star Tracker Product Line at SATSHOW 2026

Strategic angle: Terran Orbital Corporation unveils innovative star tracker technology at the annual SATSHOW event.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Bhattacharya addresses CDC director role, works to bolster staff morale in first all-hands meeting

Strategic angle: Bhattacharya faced tough staff questions on job cuts and fallout from the shooting attack on the agency.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Rare mountain gorilla twins born in DR Congo: park authorities

Strategic angle: In a rare occurrence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, twin mountain gorillas were recently born in the Virunga National Park, renowned for its biodiversity but threatened by conflict.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: A captive chimp's instrumental performances hint at the evolution of vocal externalization

Strategic angle: Ayumu, a 26-year-old chimpanzee, showcases musical talent, shedding light on human vocal evolution.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Significant grade inflation may be occurring in graduate education, according to decades' worth of data

Strategic angle: Analysis of two decades of student data at a large U.S. university suggests that grade inflation exists in graduate education.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Heart failure is common. A quick MRI could improve diagnosis and guide treatment

Strategic angle: A new MRI method measures cardiac oxygen use in three minutes without catheters or radiation, offering a simpler way to study heart failure and metabolism.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Dancing to invisible choreography, quantum computers can balance the noise

Strategic angle: Large-scale quantum computers are on the horizon, but noise in quantum hardware remains a significant challenge.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Factcheck: Nine false or misleading myths about North Sea oil and gas

Strategic angle: The Iran war has triggered another fossil-fuel energy crisis, with surging global prices and increasing misinformation.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: STAT+: A 2023 health AI bet that seems to be paying off

Strategic angle: In this edition of STAT's AI Prognosis: A chat with Qualified Health co-founder and CEO, Justin Norden, as the company raises $125 million.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Massive insect body size 300 million years ago may not have been due to high atmospheric oxygen

Strategic angle: Research challenges the long-held belief linking insect size to atmospheric oxygen levels in ancient Earth.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Extreme global climate outcomes are possible even at 2°C warming, study warns

Strategic angle: A new study reveals that significant climate impacts can occur even with a 2°C increase in global temperatures.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: US has caused $10tn worth of climate damage since 1990, research finds

Strategic angle: US, top carbon emitter in history, has ‘a lot of responsibility’ for causing ‘substantial’ harm globally, scientist says.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: How the body senses cold has been a mystery—until now

Strategic angle: New research reveals the role of the TRPM8 protein in cold sensation.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Sarepta Therapeutics shares rise on early promise for rare disease drugs

Strategic angle: Sarepta Therapeutics’ next crop of medicines for muscular dystrophy appear to be safe and effective in early clinical trials, the company said.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Unusual signal may prove existence of primordial black holes

Strategic angle: A pair of University of Miami astrophysicists could be on the verge of a cosmic breakthrough confirming primordial black holes.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: Polymer uses movable molecular rings to overcome durability–degradability trade-off

Strategic angle: Innovative design in polymer materials addresses the challenge of balancing strength and environmental impact.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: DNA Origami Positions Single-Photon Emitters for Quantum Technologies

Strategic angle: A breakthrough method using DNA self-assembly allows for unprecedented precision in positioning molecules on ultrathin materials.

Editorial Staff Mar 25

Life

Briefing: More frequent ejaculation may improve male fertility, study suggests

Strategic angle: The study suggests that regular ejaculation could give male fertility 'a small but meaningful boost' - and that even a few days’ delay could matter for IVF success.

Editorial Staff Mar 25