Fascinating science stories overlooked this year
The discoveries, advances and curious research findings that were missed amid covid-19 coverageDec 16th 2020COVID-19 CONSUMED…
Magnetic tape has a surprisingly promising future
Dec 15th 2020THE WHIRR of spooling magnetic tape is more likely to evoke feelings of nostalgia than technological awe. Yet tape…
Wheat absorbs phosphorus from desert dust
Dec 16th 2020WHEAT WAS among the first plants to be domesticated and is now the most widespread crop in the world. It thus sounds…
Sound engineers have better ways to trick listeners’ ears
Dec 16th 2020HUMAN BEINGS are good at locating the sources of sounds. Even when blindfolded, most people can point to within ten…
Evidence mounts: a new coronavirus variant is more transmissible
Dec 23rd 2020VIRUSES reproduce abundantly, and with imperfect fidelity, so mutations are commonplace among them. Most such mutations,…
A new coronavirus variant may derail pandemic-control efforts
More transmissible than other strains, it may require stricter lockdownsDec 20th 2020VIRUSES ARE the fashionistas of the microbe…
SARS-CoV-2 is following the evolutionary rule book
Jan 2nd 2021NATURAL SELECTION is a powerful force. In circumstances that are still disputed, it took a bat coronavirus and adapted…
Going viral
Covid-19 dominated the scientific news. But other stories mattered, tooDec 31st 2020ON JANUARY 19TH 2019 The Economist published…
Using urine to heat homes
Jan 2nd 2021URINE, THOUGH distained by modern society, was once surprisingly useful stuff. Street-facing laundries in ancient…