Science

Weekly Dose of Wonder: Spending time with a dog can be good for your health

4:26pm August 02, 2023

by Maria Godoy

What's four-legged, furry and often serves up a mood boost? That's right: dogs. As part of our series Weekly Dose of Wonder, here's how even brief interactions with pups can be good for health.

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A NASA image of one of the twin Voyager space probes. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory lost contact with Voyager 2 on July 21 after mistakenly pointing its antenna 2 degrees away from Earth.

Earth to Voyager: NASA detects signal from spacecraft, 2 weeks after losing contact

2:00pm August 02, 2023

by Emily Olson

The Jet Propulsion Lab lost contact with Voyager 2, which is traveling 12.3 billion miles away from Earth, after engineers mistakenly pointed its antenna 2 degrees away from its home planet.

Jeremy Nottingham (bottom right) sits for a family photo with his parents, Junius and Sharon, and sister Briana.

Testing your genes for cancer risk is way cheaper now — and it could save your life

1:18pm August 02, 2023

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Millions of people in the U.S. have a genetic variant that raises their risk of cancer. Genetic testing can help people find cancer earlier and seek treatment. But many patients aren't offered it.

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A painting of Henrietta Lacks by Kadir Nelson is displayed at the HeLa Project exhibit in New York City in 2017. Lacks' genetic material, taken without her knowledge in 1951, has helped facilitate numerous scientific breakthroughs. Her life was the subject of the popular nonfiction book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Henrietta Lacks' descendants reach a settlement over the use of her 'stolen' cells

5:25pm August 01, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

Her genetic material, taken without her knowledge in 1951, has helped facilitate numerous scientific breakthroughs, including the development of the polio and COVID-19 vaccines.

A series of storms brought massive, damaging waves to much of the California coast earlier this year. The pier in Ventura, Calif., was damaged by the waves.

Surf's up! Wave heights increase on California's coast as climate warms

4:29pm August 01, 2023

by Nathan Rott

A new study finds that winter wave heights have increased along California's coastline as human actions have warmed the world's climate. Bigger waves are a threat to the already vulnerable coast.

A relief carved on a block in a stairway, one of the many exciting artifacts uncovered at Ocomtun in May.

How scientists lasered in on a 'monumental' Maya city — with actual lasers

12:13pm August 01, 2023

by Emily Olson

Light-mapping technology is expediting the pace of archaeological discovery in the dense jungles of central Mexico. The latest find could offer clues about how humans advanced agriculturally.

Science

Researchers study cricket courtship to understand sexy behavior in other animals

5:01am August 01, 2023

British researchers have discovered that the way crickets rub their wings together to sing — is about the closest an insect can come to a dating app.

A supermoon on July 3 in Kansas City, Missouri. The next two supermoons of 2023 will take place at the beginning and end of August.

Science

If you miss August's Super Blue Moon, you'll have to wait 9 years for your next chance

7:29pm July 31, 2023

by Dustin Jones

Two stellar lunar events are happening this August, with a sturgeon supermoon on Aug. 1 and then a rare blue supermoon on Aug. 30.

Extreme heat can slow cognition and increase anxiety, research finds.

Yes, heat can affect your brain and mood. Here's why

10:42am July 31, 2023

by Allison Aubrey

Hot summer temperatures can make you anxious and irritable and dull your thinking. Here's what researchers think is going on.

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The median age of U.S. senators is 65 — a record high — while the median age of representatives in the House is 58.

After McConnell's and Feinstein's episodes, should age limits be on the table?

5:00am July 31, 2023

by Juliana Kim

Two of the oldest members of the U.S. Senate showed the vulnerabilities that come with gerontocracy last week. But age limits can still be difficult to talk about or pass as law.