Thousands of U.S. Cities Could Become Virtual Ghost Towns by 2100
These projected findings about depopulation in U.S. cities are shaped by a multitude of factors, including the decline of industry, lower birth rates and the impacts of climate change
Stories by Rachel Nuwer
Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science journalist and author who regularly contributes to Scientific American, the New York Times and National Geographic, among other publications. Follow Nuwer on Twitter @RachelNuwer
This Powerful Psychedelic Shows Promise for Relieving Traumatic Brain Injury
In combat veterans, a single dose of ibogaine improved symptoms of TBI, PTSD, depression and anxiety
Scientists Finally Invent Heat-Controlling Circuitry That Keeps Electronics Cool
A new thermal transistor can control heat as precisely as an electrical transistor can control electricity
Sniffing Women’s Tears Makes Men Less Aggressive
For the first time, researchers have used behavioral measures, brain imaging and molecular biology to test how odorless chemicals from human tears affect people
Dog ‘Language Geniuses’ Are Rare but Apparently Real
A subset of exceptional pooches can identify by name more than 100 different objects, mostly toys
Funding for Research on Psychedelics Is on the Rise, Along with Scientists' Hopes for Using Them
As interest and support for psychedelic research grows, scientists share their hopes for the future.
Do You Need to ‘Trip’ for Psychedelics to Work as Medicine?
Psychedelic researchers are engaged in heated debate over whether the mind-altering effects of the drugs are necessary for realizing their therapeutic potential.
The Search for New Psychedelics
As companies join the hunt, can the field of mind-altering synthetic substances stay true to its original pioneering spirit of wonder, curiosity and connection?
Some Patients Who ‘Died’ but Survived Report Lucid ‘Near-Death Experiences,’ a New Study Shows
In some cardiac arrest patients, a flurry of brain activity during life-saving CPR may be a sign of a “near-death experience”
How a Color-Changing Hogfish Knows whether Its Skin Is White, Brown or Polka-Dotted
A hogfish may provide the first example of a vertebrate with specialized light-detecting cells that reside outside the central nervous system
Octopuses Redesign Their Own Brain When They Get Chilly
Hyperintelligent octopuses just got weirder: scientists have found the cephalopods can recode their brain when temperatures change
Cute and Ugly Pygmy Lorises Are Actually Two Different Species
It turns out there are two species of mysterious, venomous pygmy lorises
Gorillas’ Resilience after Early-Life Trauma Holds Lessons for Humans
A young mountain gorilla who is able to survive the tough early years may live as long or longer than peers who coasted through their youth without incident
Strange Material Breaks a Classic Rule of Physics
An unusual semiconductor is making physicists rethink the science of extreme conditions
Bumblebees Show Off Their Own Puzzle-Solving Culture
Like chimpanzees, bees can learn specific strategies for opening a puzzle box and accessing a reward inside by mimicking the behavior of their trained mates
A Famed Dolphin-Human Fishing Partnership Is in Danger of Disappearing
A call for help sounds to ensure survival of a 140-year-old fishing partnership pairing cetaceans and humans
Vertebrates May Have Used Vocal Communication More Than 100 Million Years Earlier Than We Thought
Animals with a backbone may have first emitted something akin to bleeps, grunts, crackles, toots and snorts more than 400 million years ago
Mountain Goats Battle Bighorn Sheep over Climate-Limited Resources
Climate change may be leading to strange hostilities between different animal species over limited resources
Why Elephants Don’t Get Cancer
Elephants use 20 copies of a key cancer-fighting gene—and humans just have one
Extinction Risk May Be Much Worse Than Current Estimates
A machine-learning algorithm predicts that more than half of the thousands of species whose conservation status has yet to be assessed are probably in danger of disappearing for good
Two Cancer Patients Battle to Make Psilocybin Accessible for Palliative Care
Their efforts could benefit countless others in need of an end-of-life measure
Universal Health Care Could Have Saved More Than 330,000 U.S. Lives during COVID
The numbers of lives lost and dollars spent would have been significantly lower if coverage had been extended to everyone, a new study says
Stress Management Helped Wolves Become Dogs
Genetic mutations related to production of the stress hormone cortisol may have played a role in the process of canine domestication
Ancient Giraffe Relative Was Evolution’s Headbutting Champion, Perhaps Besting Dinosaurs
Natural selection propels the giraffe family to absolute extremes—and it is not just about the absurdly long necks