Biochemistry
Oct 6, 2026
Molecular complexity as a signature of life
An abundance of complex molecules has been proposed as a universal signature of life.
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Plants & Animals
Oct 6, 2026
Africa's rhinos often get the spotlight—but Indonesia's two rhino species are far closer to extinction
Small, hairy and cheekily charismatic. Those words sprang to mind when I first met a Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) after traversing the maze of wooden slat paths at the conservation center in the dense, humid ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 6, 2026
As the planet warms, cities like Bangkok could be increasingly inundated by deadly floods
In the humid tropics of Southeast Asia, afternoon thunderstorms roll through almost every day. Daytime heat causes towering, fluffy cumulonimbus clouds to form and swell before unleashing torrential rain on cities such as ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 6, 2026
Nature's capacity to 'bounce back' when species are lost is vastly overestimated, global analysis finds
The idea that ecosystems carry plenty of backup, so if a small number of species become extinct there is little harm, has been greatly overestimated, according to the largest global study of its kind.
Environment
Oct 5, 2026
Why some Indigenous communities don't resist oil extraction in their territories
More than half of the Ecuadorian Amazon has been marked for oil drilling, overlapping with Indigenous territories and areas of high biodiversity. The ecological and cultural impacts of oil extraction are well documented and ...
Social Sciences
Oct 5, 2026
'Digital ibuprofen' offers Chinese youth comfort through cute characters facing familiar struggles
In China, young people are encountering a myriad of challenges, from societal pressures around success to life in a highly surveilled society, that have led them to turn to the internet in search of a balm to soothe their ...
Social Sciences
Oct 5, 2026
Attention can't be bought, so brands turn to memes
The funniest post you saw this week may not have come from a friend; it may have come from a brand. Whether it is Kohl's, Wendy's, or Netflix, brands are behaving more like internet users than traditional advertisers.
Plants & Animals
Oct 5, 2026
Unusual senses: The secret superpowers of amphibians and reptiles
The Surinam toad is one of the strangest frogs on Earth. Flat-bodied, tiny-eyed and adapted to the murky waters of the Amazon basin, it hunts well despite having very poor vision. When a fish swims close, the frog suddenly ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 5, 2026
Rhinos and elephants can cause huge problems if reintroduced badly—here's how to get it right
Moving large animals around is a seductive idea in conservation. If there are plenty of animals in one place and too few in another, moving some between the two seems an obvious solution. Sometimes it is. But with animals ...
Economics & Business
Oct 5, 2026
Does increased childcare funding help mothers into work?
Since Labor won the 2024 general election, policy focused on children in the early years—from birth to school age—and their parents has moved sharply up the political agenda.
