Stories by Joanna Thompson

New cross-species research suggests a theory of mind is one thing that sets humans apart from apes

A 3-D-printed tube stymies microbes with a tiny obstacle course to combat rampant infections in hospitals

A new study confirms the blood pressure-lowering power of a low-sodium diet

Caffeine can help you feel energized. But is there a limit to how much your body can handle?

A machine-learning model helps identify and measure the prevailing buzz about peace in the news cycle

Postreproductive life was once thought to be confined to humans and a couple of toothed whales, but some wild chimpanzees experience it, too

Levels of murder, assault, torture, and the like fluctuated greatly in the ancient world, according to new research

By not going into the office, an at-home worker can cut greenhouse emissions in excess of 50 percent if they take energy-conservation steps

A brain chemical may play a role in the development of our complex brain, as well as our inclination toward obesity and addiction

A new study reveals the absorbency of pads, tampons and other menstrual products is significantly different than labels suggest

A new misinformation quiz shows that, despite the stereotype, younger Americans have a harder time discerning fake headlines, compared with older generations

At least some of our planet’s water was carried here by hydrogen-rich space rocks, but it’s not yet clear how much

Cultured meat, grown from real animal cells, will soon be available in restaurants in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

The cold and mysterious Oort cloud at the edge of our solar system may be hiding a rogue planet

Politically polarized Google users are not steered to partisan sites by the search engine’s algorithm but generally decide to go there on their own

The evolution of terrestrial plant roots could have kicked off large-scale extinctions by throwing the planet’s mineral cycle into disarray

Futuristic food science technology could finally bring plant-based salmon filets and tuna steaks to the table

In 2015 the moon’s wobble and an El Niño teamed up to kill off tens of millions of Australian mangroves

Tiny subterranean cracks can upend aquifer microbes’ ecology

Scientists and medical experts weigh in on how to recognize the signs of heat-related illness and avoid the worst health impacts from increasingly intense heat waves

Sea angels, telescope fish and blanket octopuses can be real monsters

In case you missed it

These little-studied mini twisters form beautiful loops under the water’s surface

Salivary glands make unexpected use of tiny ionocytes, essential to frogs and fish