Ecology
Global Population Growth Is Slowing Down. Here’s One Reason Why
In 2022 the world’s population hit the eight-billion mark. But such milestones could top out by the end of the century
Stories by Katie Peek
Oceans
Coral Reefs Are Struggling, but There Is Some Good News
Graphics show how reefs around the globe are faring
Animals
Monarchs Take Generations to Make Annual South-North Journey
Citizen science data reveal how the declining species travels from its southern wintering site to its northern breeding grounds
Conservation
Track New Zealand’s Bid to Take Back Nature
The country’s audacious predator-eradication drive gains ground
Public Health
Flu Has Disappeared for More Than a Year
Mask wearing, social distancing and other steps to stop COVID-19 have also curtailed influenza
Space & Physics
How Human Space Launches Have Diversified
A plethora of new countries and private companies are getting in on the quest to send people to orbit
Public Health
Is Daylight Saving Time Good or Bad for You?
Research shows that the benefits may outweigh the drawbacks
Evolution
Dinosaur Discoveries Are Booming
Fossils are being found worldwide, and there are plenty more to come
Space & Physics
See Fast Radio Bursts Come of Age
An incipient field of radio astronomy is about to go mainstream
Public Health
How to Use Masks during the Coronavirus Pandemic
What kinds of face coverings work for protection against COVID-19? How do you use them safely? A series of simple steps outlines the answers
Public Health
Flu Season Never Came to the Southern Hemisphere
Mask wearing and social distancing for COVID-19 may have cut influenza cases south of the equator
Space & Physics
Gravitational Waves Are Being Detected at an Increasing Pace
Sensors have captured dozens of events
EARTH
A New Reality Up North
Climate change is dramatically altering life at the top of the world
EARTH
Nations Get Busy Inside the Arctic Circle
As ice retreats, countries are expanding military seaports, exploiting shipping lanes and exploring for oil and gas
Policy
The Great Ocean Divide
More than two million square kilometers are being carved up, leaving little for the rest of the world
Policy
How to Spot Clandestine Nuclear Bomb Tests
Illicit detonations are anything but secret
Space & Physics
The Sunspot Cycle Is More Intricate Than Previously Thought
The sun's dark spots cycle every 11 years—as well as every 88, 200, and 2,400 years
Biology
Misled Penguins Swim to Feeding Grounds That No Longer Have Food
Young birds follow the right signal to foraging grounds, but when they arrive there are no fish to eat
Space & Physics
Proposed Space Station Aims for the Moon and beyond
The ambitious plan to send astronauts to lunar orbit has drawn skepticism
Environment
The Northwest Passage Remains Treacherous, Despite Ice Retreat
Arctic route may remain treacherous for decades
