Weekly Headlines (Excerpts)

1  Hormone linked to morning sickness may help reduce alcohol intake

GDF15, which is thought to contribute to nausea during pregnancy, may keep our drinking in check, researchers propose

 20 Mar 2026 By Catherine Offord 

2 Microscopic spikes on snakeskin block bacterial buildup

Structures on python scales could inspire chemical-free antimicrobial designs

 20 Mar 2026 By Ada McVean 

3  How realistic is the science in Project Hail Mary?

From the viability of waterless life to how researchers should handle cosmic emergencies, astronomer Wendy Freedman weighs in on the new sci-fi film

 19 Mar 2026 By Perri Thaler 

4  Rice needs to be replanted every year. Genetic tinkering could make it more like apples

Researchers re-create key aspects of long-lived wild relative, which could make rice fields longer lasting

 19 Mar 2026 By Erik Stokstad 

5  Floating wetlands boost water quality, slash greenhouse emissions

Fabricated platforms at an Australian wastewater lagoon soak up water pollution and methane

 19 Mar 2026 By Claudia Steiner 

6  Mysterious type of static electricity has a hidden culprit

Find explains how volcanic ash plumes spark lightning and why dust in grain silos can explode

 18 Mar 2026 By Rachel Berkowitz 

7 Mitochondria packaged in blood cell membranes improve disease symptoms in mice

Tiny capsules can deliver healthy organelles into animals with Parkinson’s-like and other mitochondria-linked disorders

 18 Mar 2026 By Catherine Offord 

8  Colliding currents can target the deep brain without surgery

Human studies show promise of stimulation approach for epilepsy and other diseases

 17 Mar 2026 By Jennie Erin Smith 

9  This hot pink cricket is no mutant

Arota festae’s unusual hue may help it blend in with immature plants

 17 Mar 2026 By Taylor Mitchell Brown 

10  Research on fruit flies and other ‘model’ organisms may be declining

Analysis of published papers on eight widely studied species suggests work on them is fading, but not everyone is worried

 17 Mar 2026 By Mitch Leslie 

11  Can potatoes grow on the Moon?

Experiments show the crop can survive in lunar soil—with a lot of help

 16 Mar 2026 By Perri Thaler 

12  Ancient DNA reshapes the story of early Pacific migrations

Neolithic seafarers who settled Palau were already a blend of Asian and Papuan peoples

 16 Mar 2026 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre 

13  Bronze Age loom weaves a tale of ancient textiles

A collapsed roof preserved wood from one of the world’s oldest weaving machines

 15 Mar 2026 By Andrew Curry