To keep communications secure in a post-quantum world, cryptographers are digging down into the concept of cause and effect.
Category: Science
science
Cosmic Voids May Contain the Universe’s Best Secrets
Once dismissed as empty expanses between galaxies, cosmic voids are becoming one of the most promising tools for probing the universe’s biggest mysteries.
A ‘Golden Orb’ on the Ocean Floor Came From a Mysterious Animal
A fascinating, unclassifiable orb found in the Gulf of Alaska is not an alien object, as some speculated, but the remains of a poorly documented animal.
All the Fancy Measuring Devices Used in Science Rely on Two Stone-Age Techniques
The many methods we use to gather data ultimately boil down to either counting or comparing.
Why the 2026 Hurricane Season Might Not Be That Bad
The impending arrival of El Niño will help keep the number of storms low. But it only takes one landfall to create a catastrophe.
California’s Wildfire Season Is Already Overactive
Major fires are threatening homes and ecologically sensitive areas following a hot, dry winter.
The US Built a Site to Ensure Fair Access to Public Lands. Then Everything Went Wrong
Recreation.gov was supposed to make access to public lands more equitable and streamlined. Instead, it’s rife with bots and inequality, while a government contractor benefits.
The Backward Logic of Chickenpox Parties
Before vaccines, some parents intentionally exposed their children to the virus. In the internet age, that thinking is resurfacing.
Supercharging Immune Cells May Help Control HIV Long-Term
CAR-T cell therapy is already a potent treatment for certain cancers. Now, a small study is showing early promise for managing HIV.
A Danish Couple’s Maverick African Research Finds Its Moment in RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Policy
The work of Peter Aaby and Christine Stabell Benn has long been controversial. Until Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became US health policy chief, most vaccine scientists tended to ignore it. Now they can’t.
The First Atomic Bomb Test in 1945 Created an Entirely New Material
The discovery from the Trinity nuclear test site shows how extreme conditions can result in materials never before seen in nature or in the lab.
Old Oil and Gas Wells Could Find Second Life Producing Clean Energy
States across the US are looking to take major sources of pollution and use them to generate much-needed power.
Asteroid 2026 JH2 Is About to Fly Right Past Earth—Relatively Speaking
On May 18, an asteroid about the size of Chicago’s Cloud Gate will fly four times closer to Earth than the moon.
Build a Radio Wave Detector With Balls of Aluminum Foil!
Here’s how you can hack together a radio transmitter and receiver out of stuff you have at home—and explore the weirdness of wireless.
Trump’s Federal Gas Tax Holiday Isn’t Likely to Bring Down Prices
Reducing the fee will have only a marginal impact on prices while depriving the government of revenue to maintain roads.
We Now Know How Many People the CDC Is Monitoring for Hantavirus
There are no confirmed cases in the US, but 41 people who were potentially exposed to the Andes virus are in quarantine or being monitored for symptoms.
What It Will Take to Make AI Sustainable
Researcher Sasha Luccioni argues we need better emissions data and a better sense of how people are using AI in the first place.
Inside the Race to Develop a Test for the Rare Andes Hantavirus
A University of Nebraska lab has developed a test that can detect the virus before symptoms become severe. Now, it’s ready to start testing those returning to the US after a cruise outbreak.
xAI Adds 19 New Gas Turbines Despite Ongoing Lawsuit
Emails show that Elon Musk’s company is expanding its use of portable gas-fired power at its Colossus 2 site as a fight over air quality continues.
All Your Hantavirus Questions, Answered by an Infectious Disease Expert
Here’s what you need to know, from why the cruise ship outbreak won’t spark the next pandemic to how hantavirus spreads.