What is monkeypox? A microbiologist explains what’s known about this smallpox cousin

On May 18, 2022, Massachusetts health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a single case of monkeypox in a patient who had...

Laboratory mice are usually distressed and overweight, calling into question research findings

Over 120 million laboratory rats and mice are used worldwide each year. Many are used to study distressing conditions like cancer, arthritis and chronic pain, and...

A tug of war between survival and fitness: how chameleons become even brighter without predators around

Invasive species offer a rare research opportunity, as they often colonise new environments very different to their native habitat. One such species is the Jackson’s three-horned...

Wealthy nations are carving up space and its riches – and leaving other countries behin

Satellites help run the internet and television and are central to the Global Positioning System. They enable modern weather forecasting, help scientists track environmental degradation and...

Corals and sea anemones turn sunscreen into toxins – understanding how could help save coral reefs

Sunscreen bottles are frequently labeled as “reef-friendly” and “coral-safe.” These claims generally mean that the lotions replaced oxybenzone – a chemical that can harm corals –...

Scientists in Antarctica discover a vast, salty groundwater system under the ice sheet – with implications for sea level rise

A new discovery deep beneath one of Antarctica’s rivers of ice could change scientists’ understanding of how the ice flows, with important implications for estimating future...

Amid tensions on Earth, the United States claims that ‘conflict in space is not inevitable’

In 1996, Joseph W. Ashy, former U.S. commander-in-chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, famously said: “We’re going to fight in space. We’re going to...

Space Blocs: The future of international cooperation in space is splitting along lines of power on Earth

Even during times of conflict on the ground, space has historically been an arena of collaboration among nations. But trends in the past decade suggest that...

From wolf to chihuahua: new research reveals where the dingo sits on the evolutionary timeline of dogs

Many people know modern dogs evolved from the grey wolf. But did you know most of the more than 340 modern dog breeds we have today...

Discovering new drugs is a long and expensive process – chemical compounds that dupe screening tools make it even harder