One of the Biggest Problems in Biology Has Finally Been Solved

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November 04, 2022

Artificial Intelligence One of the Biggest Problems in Biology Has Finally Been Solved Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis explains how its AlphaFold AI program predicted the 3-D structure of every known protein By Tanya Lewis

Climate Change Antarctica's Collapse Could Begin Even Sooner Than Anticipated Two expeditions to the Thwaites Ice Shelf have revealed that it could splinter apart in less than a decade, hastening sea-level rise worldwide By Douglas Fox

Animals Crows Perform Yet Another Skill Once Thought Distinctively Human Scientists demonstrate that crows are capable of recursion—a key feature in grammar. Not everyone is convinced By Diana Kwon

Vaccines The New COVID Booster Shot Could Save Your Life; Get One Now, FDA Expert Says FDA Chief Medical Officer Hilary Marston explains the importance of getting a booster shot, considers why so few people have gotten them and answers other questions By Tanya Lewis

Neuroscience Some People Who Appear to Be in a Coma May Actually Be Conscious Brain scans reveal that some people who can't speak or move are aware of the world around them By Jan Claassen,Brian L. Edlow

Extraterrestrial Life Life on Mars May Have Been Its Own Worst Enemy A new study suggests that billions of years ago microbes may have thrived on Mars before succumbing to freezing temperatures of their own making By Allison Gasparini

Fossil Fuels Utility Explores Converting Coal Plants into Nuclear Power The large utility PacifiCorp is studying the viability of turning five fossil-fuel plants into nuclear-energy-and-storage facilities By Benjamin Storrow,E&E News

Space Exploration Chinese Rocket Will Crash to Earth on November 5: Here's What We Know Yet another Chinese rocket is set to tumble uncontrollably back to Earth this week By Ben Turner,LiveScience

Epidemiology New Omicron Variants Are Here--What We Know So Far The variants appear to sneak past the immune system, but vaccines will likely continue to hold strong By Shannon Hall

Education Why Scientists Must Stand for Affirmative Action and against Scientific Racism The Supreme Court could destroy affirmative action in higher education, and STEM professionals must stand against the white supremacy and scientific racism that fuels arguments against it By Stacy Farina,K Amacker

Neuroscience Color Is in the Eye, and Brain, of the Beholder The way we see and describe hues varies widely for many reasons: from our individual eye structure, to how our brain processes images, to what language we speak, or even if we live near a body of water By Nicola Jones,Knowable Magazine

Public Health What to Do if You're Trapped in a Surging Crowd Crowd management experts explain the factors that enabled Seoul's deadly crowd crush By Daniel Leonard

FROM THE STORE Scientific American Volume 327, Issue 5

BRING SCIENCE HOME A Simple Sourness Detector Bubble, bubble, acid or base? Learn how you can easily find the pH of common kitchen products--and how their acidity relates to their taste. Credit: George Retseck Have you ever wondered why some foods or drinks taste sour whereas others do not? You might know that your tongue is picking up all kinds of flavors, including salty, sweet, bitter and sour. But what makes something taste sour? The sour taste is actually influenced by the pH and acids present in foods. In this activity you will find out how sour different foods are by testing foods and drinks for the presence of acids with baking soda. What do you think is the sourest food you can find in your kitchen?

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