ScientistPankaj: Week in Science: Do space and time follow quantum rules?

Friday, August 23, 2024

Week in Science: Do space and time follow quantum rules?

August 23—This week, new studies of dark matter suggest it may not be the constant force in the universe that scientists thought. Plus, a new nonaddictive pain medication is on its way, and bird flu is infecting pet cats. All that and more below!

--Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor

Top Stories

Something Is Wrong with Dark Energy, Physicists Say

Cosmic surveys suggest the force pulling the universe apart might not be constant after all

Rebecca Boyle

A messy, multilayered, semi-transparent and spiraling heap of digital blue 1's and 0's on a black background

The Paradox of 1 – 1 + 1 – 1 + 1 – 1 + …

Why a mathematician thought this infinite series explained how God created the universe

Jack Murtagh

Close up of model using injecting medication with an injection pen into their stomach in front of a window

People Are Overdosing on Semaglutide Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy

Dosing errors in the medication semaglutide, prescribed as Wegovy and Ozempic, can cause severe or prolonged gastrointestinal issues that require medical attention

Allison Parshall

Illustration of a woman depicting a pain in her head, in colors of red, orange, yellow and purple

New Painkiller Could Bring Relief to Millions—Without Addiction Risk

The medication initially known as VX-548 blocks sodium channels in nerves, blocking pain signals before they reach the brain

Marla Broadfoot

Mpox Is a Global Health Emergency. Here's What We Know

A new type of mpox has infected thousands in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries, but vaccines and treatments are hard to come by

Paul Adepoju

Beautiful ginger maine coon cat on the desk

Bird Flu Is Infecting Pet Cats. Here's What You Need to Know

As bird flu spreads in cats, cows and other animals, it has more opportunity to adapt to easily infect humans

Meghan Bartels

A small blue sphere orbits a larger green sphere against a purple background, with

A Survey of 16,000 Changes the Story of Prostates and Pleasure

Here's what the team at Science Vs learned about prostates and pleasure in its quest to understand the "male G-spot."

Rachel Feltman; Fonda Mwangi; Kelso Harper

The inside of a plant facility with gray and yellow equipment

Can Pulling Carbon from Thin Air Slow Climate Change?

Tech firms, oil companies and the U.S. government are investing billions of dollars in carbon capture technology to suck greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. Can it save the warming world?

Alec Luhn