Weekly Headlines (Excerpts)

 1. ‘Aerial arms race’ with birds may have turned ancient cicadas into ace fliers

Giant cicadas’ wing shape evolved millions of years ago to make them nimbler

BY RODRIGO PÉREZ ORTEGA 25 OCT 2024 

2. Can science and Islam coexist? A chemical engineer–turned–theologian sees common ground

Shoaib Ahmed Malik discusses his work on evolution, extraterrestrials, and more

BY DYNA ROCHMYANINGSIH 25 OCT 2024 

3. Web of Science index puts eLife ‘on hold’ because of its radical publishing model

Journal that is experimenting with peer reviewing but not accepting manuscripts could lose its impact factor

BY JEFFREY BRAINARD 24 OCT 2024 

4. Buoyed by ‘milestone’ clinical result, RNA editing is poised to treat diseases

Multiple approaches aim to counteract mutant genes by fixing the faulty RNA they produce

BY MITCH LESLIE 24 OCT 2024 

5. Pregnancy wakes up viruslike ‘jumping genes’ to help make extra blood

Research in mice and humans identifies a surprising role for these copy-and-paste snippets of DNA

BY CATHERINE OFFORD 24 OCT 2024 

6. ‘Not a free-for-all’: Indigenous communities want limits on how their data are shared

Push for “data sovereignty” could reshape how scientists share information

BY SANDEEP RAVINDRAN 24 OCT 2024 

7. News at a glance: Biomed researchers using AI, whales eating plastic, and digital archive outage

The latest in science and policy

BY SCIENCE NEWS STAFF 24 OCT 2024 

8. DNA ‘printing press’ could quickly store mountains of data

Inspired by ancient invention of movable type, researchers use blocks of DNA to dramatically increase writing speed

BY ROBERT F. SERVICE 23 OCT 2024 

9. Medieval Silk Road metropolis unearthed in Uzbek mountains

Discovery challenges idea that ancient trade routes only linked lowland oases

BY ANDREW LAWLER 23 OCT 2024 

10. Predation, not fear of wolves, keeps elk from denuding Yellowstone

Study challenges idea that a “landscape of fear” allows aspen and willows to grow

BY VIRGINIA MORELL 23 OCT 2024 

11. A scientific showdown seeks the biological ‘clock’ that best tracks aging

A contest with $300,000 in prize money aims to improve molecular assays needed to test aging treatments

BY MITCH LESLIE 22 OCT 2024 

12. ‘Daunting’: Hurricane-battered researchers assess damage from Helene and Milton

Years of recovery lie ahead for the southeastern United States

BY CHRISTIE WILCOX, PHIE JACOBS 21 OCT 2024 

13. To glide and stride, this tiny feathered dino flapped as it ran

South Korean footprints suggest wings helped dinosaur bound, hinting at evolution of flight

BY KERMIT PATTISON 21 OCT 2024 

14. ‘Electric plastic’ could open door to new generation of implants and wearable tech

Self-assembling, biocompatible molecular ribbons can store energy and information

 BY REHAM ATYA 21 OCT 2024 

15. Pacific Island scientists to launch Academy of Sciences

New organization will strive to give Pacific region scholars recognition and support

BY DENNIS NORMILE 21 OCT 2024