Science

Why rapid COVID tests aren't more accurate, and how scientists hope to improve them
Recent research — and plenty of anecdotes — suggest some rapid tests may be less sensitive at detecting the omicron variant if you don't have symptoms. Here's how researchers hope to make them more effective.
A prehistoric eruption may help recalibrate our timeline of human origins in Africa
Some of the oldest human remains ever unearthed are the Omo 1 bones found in Ethiopia. For decades, their precise age has been debated, but a new study may have the answer.
Why humans are losing the race against superbugs
A new report in The Lancet finds that in 2019, antibiotic-resistant bacteria killed 1.2 million people — more than were killed by malaria or HIV/AIDS. The problem is mounting in lower-income nations.
Medicare limits coverage of $28,000-a-year Alzheimer's drug
Tuesday's decision from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is a major development in the nation’s tug-of-war over the fair value of new medicines that offer tantalizing possibilities but come with prohibitive prices.
Who gets to use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope? Astronomers work to fight bias
With the James Webb Space Telescope safely deployed, many scientists want to use it. To minimize the effect of unconscious biases, they go through a process developed for the Hubble Space Telescope.
Scientists vacuum zoo animals' DNA out of the air
Researchers who detected environmental DNA, or eDNA, in two zoos say the technique could one day be used to look for endangered species in remote locations in the wild.