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July 24, 2026
 

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F.D. Flam
A small group of people carry rare genes that slow aging itself, protecting them from major diseases even when their lifestyles are far from ideal. Scientists hope to replicate these protective effects.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 10, 2026
Why some people live to 100 despite doing everything wrong
A recent study showed that longevity is roughly 50% genetic and 50% environmental ¡ª a substantially higher genetic contribution than earlier research indicated.
Gray wolves and ancient dire wolves diverged millions of years ago, yet groundbreaking efforts to resurrect the extinct species by modifying modern wolves cannot replace the lost ecosystems that once sustained it.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 30, 2025
Science still made incredible breakthroughs while under attack
Scientists around the world produced amazing discoveries every day ¡ª some of which made a big splash while others didn¡¯t get nearly the attention they deserved.
Chimpanzees show genuine reasoning and metacognition ¡ª the ability to weigh evidence, update beliefs and judge what they do or don¡¯t know ¡ª while current AI systems do not.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 9, 2025
AI thinks it¡¯s smart. Chimps may beg to differ.
Many people believe that animals with higher intelligence deserve to be treated more humanely, or at least not used for food.
Scientists still don¡¯t fully understand why women live longer than men. The aging process differs between the sexes and in most mammals, with females tending to live longer than males.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 9, 2025
How women could be the key to unlocking longer life
Scientists still don¡¯t fully understand why women live longer than men. The aging process differs between the sexes and in most mammals, females tend to live longer than males.
Recent research shows obesity may be driven by ultraprocessed and hyperpalatable foods that disrupt fullness signals and lead to overeating.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 13, 2025
What if everything we think about obesity is wrong?
New research offers novel insight into the causes of overeating but it¡¯s being lost to political posturing.
Some of science¡¯s most sensational claims were later debunked by skeptical scientists, showing how hype can overshadow facts but also how scrutiny keeps science reliable.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 1, 2025
Too many scientific ¡®discoveries¡¯ get discredited
Volunteer scientific sleuths play an important role in policing their fields.
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover takes a selfie on July 23, with the rock nicknamed Cheyava Falls visible to the left. The feature is of interest to scientists studying signs of ancient microscopic life on the Red Planet.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 21, 2025
Crucial evidence about life on Mars is stuck ¡ª on Mars
To actually see what¡¯s inside potential Martian life, scientists would need to bring samples back to Earth to study ¡ª a project NASA launched but has struggled to complete.
AI can amplify the long-known ability to implant false memories, with new MIT and University of California, Irvine, research showing that chatbots, misleading summaries and altered images or videos can distort what people recall.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 4, 2025
AI doesn¡¯t just lie ¡ª it can make you believe it
Memory manipulation, notes Pat Pataranutaporn, a researcher with the MIT Media Lab, is a very different process from fooling people with deep-fakes.
Private companies are rushing into risky, profit-driven geoengineering projects to fight climate change without clear regulations, raising fears of dangerous unintended consequences.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 6, 2025
Geoengineering¡¯s risks need to be studied more
With for-profit organizations already releasing chemicals into the oceans, it¡¯s important for scientists with no financial stake in this industry to collect data.
The executive order U.S. President Donald Trump signed imposing a ¡°gold standard¡± in science appears to champion research integrity but is seen by experts as a political move to control which evidence is accepted.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 6, 2025
This isn¡¯t how you ¡®restore gold standard¡¯ science
There¡¯s widespread concern the executive order could allow government officials to flag almost anything as not up to their definition of ¡°gold standard.¡±
An artist's impression of the K2-18b super-Earth, the only super-Earth exoplanet known to host both water and temperatures that could support life
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2025
In a galaxy far, far away ... did we find life?
K2-18b, which has eight times the mass of Earth, just might be covered with a massive ocean and blanketed by an atmosphere complete with water vapor and rain clouds.
Instead of spending billions to resurrect woolly mammoths, we could focus on preserving endangered species, saving ecosystems, and securing biodiversity for the future.
COMMENTARY
Mar 17, 2025
Got $10 billion? Don¡¯t blow it cloning a woolly mammoth.
Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotechnology and genetic engineering startup valued at $10 billion, has raised $435 million to ¡°de-extinct¡± the woolly mammoth.
A new study analyzing organs from deceased individuals found plastic particles accumulating primarily in the brain, with the highest concentrations in recent autopsies, raising concerns about long-term exposure despite unclear health effects.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 3, 2025
You might have plastic in your brain. Don¡¯t panic ¡ª yet.
It¡¯s unsettling, but the amount of plastic in your brain is probably less than the plastic spoon¡¯s worth grabbing the headlines.
Ancient trees and animals play crucial roles in ecosystems, carbon storage and even human health, yet their populations are dwindling due to deforestation, fishing and climate change.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 23, 2025
Who will speak for the trees?
A slew of scientific discoveries shows why we should protect not just 1,000-year-old trees but also 200-year-old whales, 400-year-old fish and 10,000-year-old sea sponges.
Some of the same mistakes made during COVID-19 can be seen in the U.S. government's response to H5N1, which started in poultry before a new variant began infecting the nation¡¯s dairy cows.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 23, 2024
Another pandemic is inevitable, and the U.S. isn¡¯t ready
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump¡¯s picks to lead the nation¡¯s top public health agencies also don¡¯t inspire confidence.
Scientists worry that if H5N1 spreads through commercial pig farms, it could evolve into a form capable of causing a human pandemic.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 20, 2024
Bird flu in pigs is one step closer to endangering humans
Flu viruses have historically been transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs ¡ª either on farms or at agricultural fairs.
Adapting to new information when faced with public health crises like COVID-19 is crucial, as oversimplified public health messaging can erode trust in science.?
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 10, 2024
The best answer science may have right now is ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯
Acknowledging uncertainty and adapting to new information is crucial, as oversimplified public health messaging can erode trust in science.
Knowing how Earth¡¯s temperature behaved deep in the past can also help scientists test climate models that predict the future.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 30, 2024
We just got a wake-up call from the time before dinosaurs
The die-offs happen when the Earth¡¯s temperature changes too rapidly for organisms to evolve and adapt ¡ª as is starting to happen now.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to kill thousands of barred owls in California, Oregon and Washington to protect the endangered spotted owl.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 23, 2024
If killing one species might save another, should we do it?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to kill thousands of barred owls in California, Oregon and Washington to protect the endangered spotted owl.
Scientists used a version of ChatGPT to challenge conspiracy theories and beliefs and found people more open to evidence than expected, contradicting the "post-truth" era idea.
COMMENTARY
Sep 20, 2024
AI can debunk conspiracy theories better than humans
Believers often invest huge amounts of time in researching their theories online. Maybe only LLMs can keep up.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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