Science Summaries and Reviews
See all summaries and reviews from Science at a glance.
What Can Machine Learning Do? Workforce Implications
Profound change is coming, but roles for humans remain.
Science, 2017
Bringing Machine Learning to the Masses
Scientists without coding skills adopt easy-to-use artificial intelligence software
Science, 2019
Widely Available Supplement May Explain Brain Boost from Exercise
Studies in mice show selenium increases the number of new neurons, and improves memory in old age.
Science, 2022
How AI Can Be a Force for Good
An ethical framework will help to harness the potential of AI while keeping humans in control
Science, 2018
The War on Gluten
Wheat sensitivity isn’t imaginary, most researchers now agree. But what’s really behind it?
Science, 2018
Where Are the Women?
Female scientists allege discrimination and neglect of research on women at NIH’s child health institute
Science, 2020
The Bias Detective
Psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt explores the roots of unconscious bias – and its tragic consequences for US society
Science, 2020
Discrimination Causes Nearly Instantaneous Spikes in Stress Hormones
The study of real-time cortisol levels opens the door to understanding how daily life events influence health
Science, 2022
The Little Reactors that Could
Billed as safe and cheap, NuScale’s small reactors aim to revive the ailing nuclear industry and help save a warming planet.
Science, 2019
Dubious Diagnosis
A war on “prediabetes” has created millions of new patients and a tempting opportunity for pharma. But how real is the condition?
Science, 2019
‘Ancestry problem’ Sends CRISPR Astray in Some People
Reference genomes used to direct the gene editor fail to account for human diversity in those of African descent
Science, 2022
Witnessing a Wearables Transition
Assistive robots must mimic human dynamics and move toward neural-interface control.
Science, 2019
The Calorie Counter
Evolutionary anthropologist Herman Pontzer busts myths about how humans burn calories – and why
Science, 2021
Nitrogen in the Environment
Excess nitrogen causes problems in developed nations, but nitrogen-poor soils threaten food security elsewhere.
Science, 2019
Making Chemicals with Electricity
Hydrogen can be produced in electrically heated reactors, reducing CO2 emissions
Science, 2019
Genealogy Databases and the Future of Criminal Investigation
The police can access your online family-tree research – and use it to investigate your relatives.
Science, 2018
The Organoid Architect
Han Clevers pioneered lab-built mini-organs that can serve as models of disease
Science, 2017
The Case for a Supply-Side Climate Treaty
The Paris Agreement can be strengthened by a treaty limiting global fossil fuel supply
Science, 2019
Quest for Fire
Rob McGinnis aims to use renewable energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into gasoline
Science, 2019
China’s CRISPR Revolution
Editing of plant, animal and human genomes has never been easier, as this country’s scientists are rapidly demonstrating.
Science, 2019
The New Potato
Breeders seek a breakthrough to help farmers facing an uncertain future
Science, 2019
Lighting Up the Nighttime
Artificial light at night needs to be reduced to limit negative environmental impacts.
Science, 2018
The Paradox of Irrigation Efficiency
Higher efficiency rarely reduces water consumption
Science, 2018
Liquid Sunshine
Ammonia made from sun, air and water could turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower.
Science, 2018
Scientifically Assess Impacts of Sustainable Investments
Metrics can inform investors wary of “green washing”
Science, 2018
Flashes in the Scan
A Homespun Telescope in Western Canada Could Solve the Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts by Detecting Dozens Each Day
Science, 2019
The Light Fantastic
Physicists in China and elsewhere are vying to build lasers so powerful they could rip apart empty space
Science, 2018
After the Deluge
Twelve years after Hurricane Katrina, social scientists seek lessons from its survivors
Science, 2018
Was There Ever Really a “Sugar Conspiracy”?
Twists and turns in science and policy are not necessarily products of malevolence
Science, 2018
Germany Seeks ‘Big Flip’ in Publishing Model
Consortium hopes to make all German-authored papers open access by paying annual fee
Science, 2017
Zapping Cocaine Addiction
Powerful magnetic pulses that modify brain activity may loosen the drug’s grip.
Science, 2017
The Realist
Vaclav Smil looks to history for the future of energy. What he sees is sobering.
Science, 2018
Using Nature to Understand Nurture
Genetic associations show how parenting matters for children’s education
Science, 2018
In Thousands of Brain Scans, Group Seeks Clues to Diseases
Amid probe of many brain disorders, ENIGMA finds common structural changes in diverse kinds of epilepsy
Science, 2018
Omicron Booster Shots Are Coming – With Lots of Questions
COVID-19 vaccines get their first update since the pandemic began. Here’s what you need to know about them
Science, 2022
New Artificial Enamel is Harder and More Durable Than the Real Thing
Novel material mimics enamel’s complex structure with stronger components
Science, 2022
An Atomic-Scale View of Cyclocarbon Synthesis
Combining organic synthesis with microscopy addresses long-standing bottlenecks in cyclocarbon production.
Science, 2019
To Help Aging Populations, Classify Organismal Senescence
Comprehensive disease classification and staging is required to address unmet needs of aging populations
Science, 2019
Financial Temptation Increases Civic Honesty
Altruism and self-image, not selfishness, drive surprising findings
Science, 2019
Missed Shots: Science Revisits its 2020 Breakthrough of the Year
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout was a spectacular success – and a stunning tragedy.
Science, 2021
Novavax’s Long-Awaited COVID-19 Vaccine Authorizations Offer an Alternative to mRNA
European Commission and World Health Organization approvals usher in key addition to vaccine supply
Science, 2021
The Confession
A psychologist has shown how police questioning can get innocent people to condemn themselves.
Science, 2019
When Health Tech Companies Change Their Terms of Service
Consumers may have limited control over their data
Science, 2020
The Reemergence of Yellow Fever
Since 2016, yellow fever outbreaks have become a major public health concern
Science, 2018
Advances in Weather Prediction
Better weather and environmental forecasting will continue to improve well-being.
Science, 2019
The Preprint Dilemma
Biologists are posting unreviewed papers in record numbers. Here’s a survival guide
Science, 2017
Ethics of Maternal Vaccination
Involvement of women is critical in establishing guidelines
Science, 2017
Science, 2020
A Change of Mind
Scientists are Learning to Predict Psychosis Years in Advance – and Possibly Prevent it
Science, 2017
The Controversial Correlates of Consciousness
New data suggest that the prefrontal cortex ignites networks supporting consciousness.
Science, 2018
When Did Modern Humans Leave Africa?
A ~180,000-year-old fossil from Israel provides evidence for early forays of Homo sapiens into western Asia.
Science, 2018
The Stem Cell Skeptic
Through 7 years and 2000 blog posts, Paul Knoepfler has insisted that stem cells are being oversold
Science, 2017
A “Technology-Smart” Battery Policy Strategy for Europe
Batteries’ inherent characteristics should inform policies.
Science, 2018
Crystalline Nets Snare Water and Make Fuel from Thin Air
Having solved stability problems, chemists think metal-organic frameworks are ready for a commercial ascent.
Science, 2019
Daring to Hope
Patients thrill to reports of a promising antisense drug against Huntington disease, but no one is sure yet whether it works
Science, 2018
Global Warming Policy: Is Population Left Out in the Cold?
Population policies offer options to lessen climate risks
Science, 2018
The Carbon Harvest
Vast bioenergy plantations could suck up carbon and stave off climate change. They would also radically reshape the planet.
Science, 2018
How Cleaner Air Changes the Climate
Air quality improvements affect regional climate in complex ways
Science, 2018
Engaging over Data on Fracking and Water Quality
Data alone aren’t the solution, but they bring people together
Science, 2018
How to Pay for Saving Biodiversity
Can private sector involvement in a global agreement help to conserve global biodiversity?
Science, 2018
China’s AI Imperative
The country’s massive investments in artificial intelligence are disrupting the industry – and strengthening control of the populace.
Science, 2018
Medical Centers Spearhead China’s Pharma Push
Nation hopes reforms will yield more and better drugs
Science, 2017
Science, 2017
The Perfect Wave
A scientist and a surfer team up to convert a landlocked lake into The Endless Summer dream
Science, 2017
Finding a New Purpose for Old Drugs
Drugs used for the treatment of asthma might prevent Parkinson’s disease
Science, 2017
Tracing Single-Cell Histories
Origins of mutations in single cells during human brain development and aging are revealed
Science, 2018
Free Agents
Monumentally complex models are gaming out disaster scenarios with millions of simulated people.
Science, 2018
Making Room for New Memories
Clearing neuronal networks from transient memory engrams during sleep consolidates memories.
Science, 2018
Human Nature, Observed
For decades, two psychologists have kept watch over 1,000 New Zealanders, teasing out factors that shape a life’s course.
Science, 2018
Killer Clones
Overgrowth of mutant blood cells is common in older people – and a risk factor for serious disease
Science, 2017
The Rewarding Nature of Social Contact
New research in mice elucidates neural mechanisms underlying social interactions
Science, 2017
