Scientists

Activism Goes Viral: How scientists are using TikTok to campaign for climate change

A growing number of scientists are using the short-form video app TikTok to increase climate change literacy, campaign for action, and combat online misinformation. Some of them have gone viral

Explained: Why minks falling sick to bird flu is worrying for humans

The bird flu virus drawing attention today — Type A H5N1 — was first identified in 1959 in Scotland. As bird flu affects more and more animals, such as those at the mink farm, there is concern that the virus will evolve to spread more easily between people, potentially triggering a pandemic

The city that didn't collapse: How one Turkish city survived the earthquake while others didn't

Erzin, located less than 50 miles from the epicentre of the quake, was spared casualties and suffered only minor damage. Engineers and scientists attribute its survival to a variety of factors, including better construction that adhered to the latest seismic codes and its advantageous location

Explained: What's eroding the Doomsday Glacier and why is it a big concern?

A 13-foot pencil-shaped robot is providing scientists with their first glimpse of the forces eroding the Thwaites glacier. Two recent studies show that the rate of melting isn't as fast as predicted, but fracturing is wreaking havoc on the glacier

Explained: How Twitter's new data fees are impacting scientists' research

Twitter is discontinuing free access to its application programming interface, or API, which allows users to collect and share data within and across organisations. This additional cost will most likely impede the scientific community's use of the Twitter API as a data source

Explained: How severe is China's COVID-19 outbreak?

In the absence of credible information from the Chinese government, determining the size and severity of the COVID-19 surge is a big scientific guessing game. Scientists from all over the world are looking for clues about the outbreak

Scientists still try to figure out why some people get long COVID and why some have lasting symptoms

Millions of people worldwide have had long COVID, reporting various symptoms including fatigue, lung problems, and brain fog and other neurological symptoms

Scientists try to bolster Great Barrier Reef in warmer world

Underwater heat waves and cyclones driven in part by runaway greenhouse gas emissions have devastated some of the 3,000 coral reefs making up the Great Barrier Reef. Pollution fouls its waters, and outbreaks of crown of thorns starfish have ravaged its corals

World Science Day for Peace and Development 2022: History and significance

From highlighting the significant role of science in society to engaging the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues, the day is dedicated to marking the importance of science in keeping the fabric of society intact

Toys for the rich: Do multimillion-dollar dinosaur auctions erode trust in science?

More and more palaeontologists are ringing alarm bells about high-profile auctions in which dinosaur fossils sell for outrageous sums. The most recent example involves a 77-million-year-old ‘Gorgosaurus’ skeleton that Sotheby’s sold for over US$6 million in August 2022