Posts by Sophie Clearwater
Alien Life Could Look Nothing Like What We Expect. Here’s How Microbes Beyond Earth Might Live Without Liquid Water
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Like the lead character of “Project Hail Mary,” some scientists are proposing ways that life might exist beyond a star’s “habitable zone,” often considered the gold standard of potential livability McKenzie Prillaman | Assistant Digital Editor, Science & Innovation March 20, 2026 An artist’s illustration of the exoplanet HD 219134 b, a rocky world about…
Read MoreThese Sea Slugs Can ‘Eat’ Sunlight—but They’re No Astrophage. Here’s How the ‘Project Hail Mary’ Antagonist Has a Real-Life Analogue in Earth’s Oceans
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By snatching chloroplasts from algae, animals called sacoglossans produce their own energy through photosynthesis Niamh Ordner March 18, 2026 Like Astrophage, the solar-radiation-eating microbes in Andy Weir’s novel Project Hail Mary, some sea slugs can derive energy from sunlight. Illustration by Emily Lankiewicz / Images via the Florida Museum Invertebrate Zoology Collection and public domain…
Read MoreThese Charcoal-Eating Fungi Flourish After Fires. Uncovering Their Genetic Secrets Could Help Rebuild Burned Ecosystems
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Mycologists cultivated fungi they found in post-wildfire landscapes to understand the evolutionary traits behind their ability to thrive in the wake of flames Kunjal Bastola | Editorial Intern March 13, 2026 The fire-loving fungus Geopyxis, seen here in 2022, after California’s Caldor Fire, has distinctive brown cups with white rims. Monika Fischer / UBC When…
Read MoreVenomous Snakes Represent a Serious Public Health Problem. Scientists Are Biting Back With a Groundbreaking Antidote
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There’s More to That A Smithsonian magazine special report Researchers around the world are attempting to create a safer and more effective treatment in hopes of saving hundreds of thousands of lives Ari Daniel | Host, “There’s More to That” March 12, 2026 Illustration by Emily Lankiewicz / Images from Paul Starosta via Getty Images…
Read MoreBumblebee Queens Breathe Underwater to Survive Drowning, Revealing How They Can Live Submerged for a Week
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After scientists accidentally discovered that the common eastern bumblebee can withstand flood conditions, they wanted to investigate what makes that super-ability possible Andrea Lius March 11, 2026 Common eastern bumblebee queens use underwater breathing and anaerobic metabolism to survive when submerged. Lucas Borg-Darveau / Proceedings of the Royal Society B You may not think of…
Read MoreWould You Jump Into Your Local River? Swimmable Cities May Be Within Reach as Once-Polluted Waterways Are Restored
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Efforts to improve the “swimmability” of urban areas are gaining global traction, from Paris to Chicago Mary Randolph | Correspondent March 10, 2026 Swimmable Cities is a global alliance of local government officials, experts and advocates working to make urban waterways clean enough to swim in. Jan de Groen / Swimmable Cities When government officials,…
Read MoreCCTV exposes probation officer’s secret relationship with convicted killer
A former probation officer has been jailed after CCTV exposed her secret fling with a convicted murderer when she was caught on camera kissing him during a prison visit. Bethany Dent-Reynolds, 27, has been sentenced to eight months behind bars after embarking on an “inappropriate” relationship with prisoner Kieran Robinson. The pair initially met while…
Read MoreRhode Island trans shooter Robert Dorgan’s daughter says killer dad’s rampage fueled by vendetta against family: ‘We were targeted’
The daughter of crazed transgender killer Robert Dorgan has claimed her dad’s ice hockey arena attack was fueled by a vendetta against his family – before revealing she feared her sons would be caught up in his heartless rampage. “I just want to make sure people understand this was one person’s vendetta against their family,”…
Read MoreYour bedroom temperature could be putting your heart in serious danger, study warns
The temperature of the bedroom at night could affect heart health — particularly in older adults. Heat places extra demands on the cardiovascular system, according to lead study author Dr. Fergus O’Connor from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. When the human body is exposed to heat, its reaction is to work harder to try and circulate blood…
Read MoreMamdani’s ‘cuckoo’ property tax hike will land him ‘Real Estate Agent of the Year’ after inevitable exodus, Kevin O’Leary says
Mr. Wonderful thinks it’s a wonderful idea. Kevin O’Leary mockingly celebrated Big Apple Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed 9.5% property tax hike Tuesday as “bat cuckoo crazy” that will win him “Real Estate Agent of the Year” in the near future. “What he is proposing is beyond insane, but I love it. You guys live here,…
Read MoreInnocent bystander, 23, shot in buzzy NYC neighborhood
A 23-year-old woman believed to be an innocent bystander was shot in the leg in front of a building in a buzzy Queens neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon — as a suspect remains on the lam. Police responded to a 911 call about a woman who was shot in front of a building on Wyckoff Avenue…
Read MoreMick Cronin caught on camera allegedly ejecting own player in loss
UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin is used to blowing up. Widely considered one of the most expressive and short-tempered coaches in the college game, Cronin had an all-time blowup Tuesday night in the Bruins 82-59 loss to No. 15 Michigan State. Trailing by 27 with less than five minutes to play, Bruins forward Steven…
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