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Editor's Choice
Spotted a jellyfish bloom recently? Here’s what may have triggered it
On a calm summer morning in southern Australia, the water can look deceptively clear, until you see thousands of gelatinous shapes washing ashore. In January, thousands of pink lion’s mane…
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Editor's Choice
Does the Iran ceasefire mean the fuel crisis is over? Not even close
It might feel like a lifetime ago, but it was just last week analysts began talking about fuel rationing in Australia. This week, that prospect seems less likely. A temporary…
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Editor's Choice
Water conservation works, but climate change is outpacing it: Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas offer a glimpse of the future
When a drought turns into an urban water crisis, a city’s first step is often to limit lawn watering and launch a campaign to encourage everyone to conserve. It might…
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Editor's Choice
Mutual aid and self‑sufficiency are key to life near USSR’s contaminated nuclear test zone in Kazakhstan
About a year into my field research in Kazakhstan, I went to the city of Kurchatov, once the secret command center of the Soviet nuclear program, to make some photocopies.…
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Editor's Choice
From a vaccine mascot to business leadership, lessons for the US from Brazil’s public health system in building public trust and keeping it
Public health institutions are under threat by populist governments across the globe. From Budapest to Jakarta, Indonesia, public health agencies are being stripped of funding and independence. Meanwhile, disinformation has…
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Editor's Choice
City animals act in the same brazen ways around the world
The urban monkeys in New Delhi are so bold they’ll steal the lunch right off your plate. If you’ve spent time in New York, you’ve probably seen squirrels try to…
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Editor's Choice
NZ’s latest push to roll out more EV chargers is a good thing – but can it go the distance?
A $50 million plan to expand New Zealand’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging network marks another step toward a lower-emissions transport system. The government will provide interest-free loans to private…
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Editor's Choice
Why the phrase “Super El Nino” makes Australian climate scientists roll their eyes
Frightening headlines predicting a Super El Niño or even a Godzilla El Niño amp up anxiety levels for farmers and residents of bushfire-prone regions. But these phrases are not particularly…
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Editor's Choice
AI can design and run thousands of lab experiments without human hands. Humanity isn’t ready for the new risks this brings to biology
Artificial intelligence is rapidly learning to autonomously design and run biological experiments, but the systems intended to govern those capabilities are struggling to keep pace. AI company OpenAI and biotech…
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Editor's Choice
Psilocybin mushrooms are going mainstream, but scientific research and regulation lag behind
Amid a renaissance in the science of psychedelics, public interest in psilocybin – or magic mushrooms, as they’ve long been known – is surging. One study found that rates of…
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Editor's Choice
It’s OK to love all the bees (the honey bees, too)
North America’s bee populations are in trouble, but don’t blame the honey bees. While some people argue that an overabundance of managed honey bees – those raised to help pollinate…
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Editor's Choice
Fixating on a ‘magic number’ of childcare hours misses what’s most important for kids’ development
Families with kids juggling full-time work may have been alarmed by media reporting this week, suggesting “too much” time in early childhood education and care could harm their child’s development.…
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Editor's Choice
NZ is surrounded by ocean energy. Just what would it take to tap it?
“Same as it ever was” is a phrase that continues to resonate in 2026. The oil shocks of the 1970s, triggered by conflict in the Middle East, sent global energy…
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Editor's Choice
I found a new meteor shower, and it comes from an asteroid getting broken down by the Sun
Across the Earth, every night, thousands of automated stargazers are waiting to take pictures of shooting stars. I am one of the scientists who study these meteors. Most movies and…
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Editor's Choice
Doctors can refuse to treat LGBTQ+ patients in several states – these religious exemption laws lead to drops in HIV testing
An increasing number of U.S. states have passed laws that allow health care providers – including doctors, nurses and pharmacists – to refuse to treat patients based on their personal…
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