Stories by Lori Youmshajekian

See how climate disasters cause rippling effects far beyond the initial event

A missing mammal rediscovered in Indonesia, a speedy new species of dinosaur in Brazil, Ivory Coast chimpanzees that snoop on their neighbors, and much more in this month’s Quick Hits

Deciphering a scorched scroll from ancient Herculaneum, unlikely flavors in climate-change-affected wine, an undiscovered ore found in China, and more in this month’s Quick Hits

A newly released image from the James Webb Space Telescope provides a detailed view of a star’s infancy

In 2023 we learned that cats really are choosing to ignore humans and that—despite dogs getting all the glory when it comes to retrieving prowess—cats want to play fetch, too

It turns out that your chronological age really is just a number. What’s more important for knowing disease risk is the biological age of each of your organs

A recent study finds varying combinations of microbes in the vaginal microbiome may influence health outcomes such as risk of sexually transmitted disease and preterm birth

The complexity of the brain comes to life in the annual Art of Neuroscience competition

An AI model could speed up laborious and dangerous demining efforts

The explosive secret behind Saturn’s rings, a Scandinavian arrow frozen for 4,000 years, the world's deepest-known virus, and much more in this month’s Quick Hits

A year of exciting ideas and research has given us much to be grateful for

Survivors of gun violence, especially young ones, are often forgotten among those affected by such shootings, and they bear a substantial health burden over the following year

Dozens of mating bats caught on video at a Dutch church reveal an unusual use for their "huge" penises

Women are outliving men by nearly six years—and COVID and drug overdoses are a major cause, according to a new report

Ultraprocessed foods have become a mainstay of modern diets and could be taking a toll on our health

Scientists have finally figured out how to make heads or tails of starfish

Laxative misuse is cropping up in wellness and weight-loss social media communities—and some experts are concerned about its close ties to eating disorders

More than half of our diet consists of foods that have been industrially processed in some way, and they may be harmful to our health

Superbolts of lightning that are up to 1,000 times more intense than ordinary lightning may form because of a particular setup between storm clouds and Earth’s surface 

These mysterious spots of barren soil have fascinated scientists for years. Now evidence of their existence beyond two known locations is stirring up a fresh round of contention