Amid Coronavirus Fears, a Mask Shortage Could Spread Globally
It’s been less than two weeks since the Chinese government quarantined 35 million people in the city of Wuhan and surrounding regions to control the fast-spreading coronavirus, but the images...
The Coronavirus Is a Threat to the Global Drug Supply
Shoppers have rushed to stores in Toronto, Chicago, New York, and elsewhere, buying out all the face masks as coronavirus cases began emerging across the globe. As of Tuesday, the...
No, the Wuhan Virus Is Not a ‘Snake Flu’
Sharing data during an outbreak is vital for public health. But it can also lead to sensational, and even spurious, research, like a controversial new paper claiming that people probably...
This ultrasonic gripper could let robots hold things without touching them – TechCrunch
If robots are to help out in places like hospitals and phone repair shops, they’re going to need a light touch. And what’s lighter than not touching at all? Researchers...
The Macabre Science of Mass Animal Die-Offs
Unfolding right now across swaths of Australia is an ecological catastrophe, as massive, turbo-charged fires reduce whole landscapes to nothingness. Tens of thousands of koalas had no way of escaping....
A Surge of New Plastic Is About to Hit the Planet
Global emissions linked to plastic—now just under 900 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually—could by 2030 reach 1.3 billion tons, as much as almost 300 coal-fired power plants, the...
A Feral Cat Infestation, Swarms of Snake Emoji, and More News
Cats are in the rubble and snakes are causing trouble, but first: a cartoon about the internet frontier.Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less.Want to...
Scientists Fight Back Against Toxic ‘Forever’ Chemicals
On the day Susan Gordon learned Venetucci Farm, in Colorado, was contaminated by toxins, the vegetables looked just as good as ever, the grass as green, and the cattle, hogs,...
Meet Xenobot, an Eerie New Kind of Programmable Organism
Under the watchful eye of a microscope, busy little blobs scoot around in a field of liquid—moving forward, turning around, sometimes spinning in circles. Drop cellular debris onto the plain...
Scientists Made a Nearly Invincible Lithium-Ion Battery
Lithium-ion batteries have shaped the modern world. These power pouches are at the heart of most rechargeable electronics, from cell phones and laptops to vapes and electric cars. But while...
