SpaceX Dragon splashes down off Florida coast with nearly 5,000 pounds of science on board

SpaceX’s latest cargo mission is back on Earth with a huge haul of science experiments on board. The Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship splashed down today (Jan. 24) in the Atlantic Ocean at 4:05 p.m. EST (2105 GMT), off the coast of Florida near Panama City. “Splashdown of Dragon confirmed, completing SpaceX’s 24th resupply mission to … Read more

Mother jaguars may flirt to save their cubs’ lives | Science

It was almost Valentine’s Day 2020, and love was in the air—jaguar love, that is. A pair of the spotted big cats tumbled in the grass, sending throaty mating growls through the grasses of Hato La Aurora Nature Reserve in Colombia’s tropical savanna region. When wildcat ecologist Diana Stasiukynas of the big cat conservation philanthropy … Read more

Hippos recognize the voices of their friends—and potential enemies | Science

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Science is increasingly revealing how we can boost our happiness

Kseniia Zagrebaeva “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These are three unalienable rights emphasised by the US Declaration of Independence as being the duty of their leaders to protect and secure. The third one gives perhaps most pause for thought. What should governments – and all of us – be doing to maximise societal … Read more

U.S. accepts plea by Arkansas scientist charged in controversial China Initiative | Science

A former University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, engineering professor today pleaded guilty to one count of lying to FBI about his status as an inventor. In return, the U.S. government agreed to drop its efforts to prosecute him for allegedly hiding his ties to China on federal grant applications. Simon Ang is one of two dozen … Read more

News at a glance: A volcanic eruption, a fired president, and long-distance hares | Science

VOLCANOLOGY Eruption in Tonga is biggest in 30 years As officials assessed the extent of death and damage caused by last week’s rapid, violent volcanic eruption in Tonga, scientists began to piece together the global impact of the rare event. The explosion at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai on 15 January caused a tsunami and likely created … Read more

China aggressively recruited foreign scientists. Now, it avoids talking about those programs | Science

The criminal charges against Harvard University chemist Charles Lieber—and dozens of others ensnared in the U.S. Department of Justice’s China Initiative—have put a spotlight on the Thousand Talents Program (TTP), a Chinese government effort that brought Lieber and other scientists from overseas to China’s universities and research institutes. U.S. authorities have portrayed the program as … Read more

In rare cases, coronavirus vaccines may cause Long Covid–like symptoms | Science

In late 2020, Brianne Dressen began to spend hours in online communities for people with Long Covid, a chronic, disabling syndrome that can follow a bout with the virus. “For months, I just lurked there,” says Dressen, a former preschool teacher in Saratoga Springs, Utah, “reviewing post after post of symptoms that were just like … Read more

Spit take: Even young infants know we only swap saliva with the ones we love | Science

If you love someone, you’re probably willing to share spit with them. Whether it’s splitting an ice cream cone with your child or kissing your partner, we don’t mind trading a few germs with the people we hold dear. A new study reveals even 8-month-old children get the gist. When they see puppets or cartoon … Read more

Watch an Orca Pod Free a Humpback Whale From a Coil of Rope, Possibly Saving Its Life

In a strange encounter off the coast of western Australia, a pod of orcas seems to free a humpback whale from a rope entangling its tail. But were they really trying to rescue it?   It isn’t clear whether the orcas (Orcinus orca) were trying to manipulate the rope or why they approached the humpback in the … Read more