Life Briefing: The raccoon raiding your garbage bin might just be solving a puzzle—for the fun of it Strategic angle: Raccoons are known for their innovative problem-solving skills, often turning trash into a playground. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Ancient DNA finds 15,800-year-old dogs in Anatolia, buried like humans Strategic angle: Evidence of some of the earliest dogs has been identified at archaeological sites in central Anatolia, Turkey. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Chemists harness electricity to create biomass-based building blocks Strategic angle: A new method developed by researchers at Wageningen University & Research and Utrecht University promises to revolutionize the production of chemical building blocks from biomass. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Bacteria invent another way to turn on genes Strategic angle: New research reveals a novel mechanism by which bacteria regulate gene activity, expanding our understanding of genetic control. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Giant craters may reveal if Psyche is a lost planetary core Strategic angle: Exploring the mysteries of asteroids and their origins in the solar system. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: College students are writing with AI, but a pilot study finds they're not simply letting it write for them Strategic angle: Research indicates that AI tools can enhance learning among college students, challenging assumptions about their usage. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Alaska Analysis Shows Continued Loss of Arctic Landfast Sea Ice Strategic angle: A 27-year study reveals diminishing landfast ice along Alaska's northern coast, impacting local ecosystems. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Saturday Citations: Birthday cetaceans; quantifying children's play experiences; placebos still effective Strategic angle: This week, we learned that across the animal kingdom, sperm cells have a short shelf life. A study implicated autoantibodies in the development of long COVID. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: This new carbon material could make carbon capture far more affordable Strategic angle: Scientists have created a new kind of carbon material that could make carbon capture much cheaper and more efficient. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Liquids can fracture like solids—researchers discover the breaking point Strategic angle: In a development that could shift our basic understanding of fluid mechanics, researchers from Drexel University have reported that, given the right circumstances, it is possible to induce a simple liquid to fracture like a solid object. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: After 20 years, scientists finally explain the Crab Pulsar’s strange “zebra stripes” Strategic angle: New research reveals the cosmic mechanics behind the enigmatic radio wave patterns of the Crab Pulsar. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Popular sugar substitute linked to brain damage and stroke risk Strategic angle: New research reveals potential dangers of erythritol, a common sugar substitute. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Scientists say we’ve been looking in the wrong place for human origins Strategic angle: A fossil ape discovered in northern Egypt is reshaping the story of human evolution. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Why use living cells? Researchers are making chemicals with enzymes alone Strategic angle: Exploring the role of enzymes in the biofuels economy and chemical production. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Watch the Earth split in real time: Stunning footage captures a 2.5-meter fault slip in seconds Strategic angle: A massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar in March 2025, but what makes this event extraordinary is what happened next. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Land animals evolved from ocean ancestors—new study unravels the genetics behind the transition Strategic angle: A new study explores the genetic adaptations that enabled ancient organisms to transition from water to land. Editorial Staff Mar 28
Life Briefing: Ancient bones show dogs have been woven into human life for nearly 16,000 years Strategic angle: New findings reveal the deep-rooted relationship between humans and dogs, dating back millennia. Editorial Staff Mar 27
Life Briefing: Quasi-liquid layer controls growth mechanisms of ice-like materials Strategic angle: Research reveals how clathrate hydrates form and their potential technological applications. Editorial Staff Mar 27
Life Briefing: Ultrafast microscopy sheds light on metallic nanoframe behavior Strategic angle: Argonne and Northwestern University scientists teamed up to understand how light interacts with metallic nanoframes, with implications for biosensing, quantum information science and beyond. Editorial Staff Mar 27
Life I Am Artemis: Michael Guzman Listen to this audio excerpt from Michael Guzman, Artemis II main propulsion systems engineer. Editorial Staff Mar 27