Week in Science: Should we let bird flu spread unchecked?

View in web browser

March 21—This week, Stone Age Europeans sailed to Africa, and the colors of space explained. Plus, food dye Red No. 3 is banned, but this scientist says it's safe. All that and more below! —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor

Top Stories

Are the Colors in Astronomical Images 'Real'? In colorful photographs of galaxies, stars, planets, and more, what you see isn't necessarily what you get Phil Plait

Ancient DNA Shows Stone Age Europeans Voyaged by Sea to Africa Roughly 8,000-year-old remains unearthed from present-day Tunisia held a surprise: European hunter-gatherer ancestry Ewen Callaway, Nature magazine

RFK, Jr. Wants to Let Bird Flu Spread on Poultry Farms. Why Experts Are Concerned Health secretary RFK, Jr. has repeatedly suggested that farmers should let bird flu spread through flocks. Experts explain why that's a dangerous idea Stephanie Pappas

Scientist's Study Led FDA to Ban Red No. 3 Food Dye. Yet He Says It Is Safe Almost 40 years ago, Joseph Borzelleca published a study on the food coloring Red No. 3. The FDA cited his work when banning the additive in January. But the researcher says the dye is safe Phil Galewitz, KFF Health News

Dark Matter Might Lurk in Its Own Shadow World Dark matter could be an entire dark sector of the universe, with its own particles and forces Kathryn Zurek

If you want to read all these stories and more, consider a subscription to Scientific American. You'll never miss a discovery!

Best-Yet 'Baby Pictures' of the Universe Unveiled The final results from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope offer the sharpest, most sensitive view of the early cosmos that anyone has ever seen Lee Billings

After Hiding My Undiagnosed Neurological Condition for Decades, I Finally Found Answers A personal quest and progress in brain science finally put a name on baffling behaviors Paul Marino

Lifesaving mRNA Vaccine Technology Appears Targeted under Trump and RFK, Jr. Scientists say that officials from the National Institutes of Health urged them to remove references to mRNA vaccine technology Arthur Allen, KFF Health News

New Treatments Are Rewriting Our Understanding of Schizophrenia As a complex picture of schizophrenia emerges, so do new ways to treat the disorder Diana Kwon

How to Protect Pets and Backyard Chickens from Bird Flu As bird flu outbreaks continue to affect animals, experts answer questions about keeping pets and their owners healthy Jude Coleman

USAID Funding Saved Millions of Children's Lives. Recent Cuts Put It in Jeopardy USAID investments significantly reduced deaths among children under age five and women of reproductive age, studies show Tanya Lewis

RFK, Jr., Once Poisoned by Mercury, Is Silent as EPA Weakens Rules against It RFK, Jr. fought mercury pollution for years, but he is now in an administration that wants to make it easier for industries to dump it into the air and water Ariel Wittenberg, E&E News

Follow Us Instagram  |  X/Twitter  |  Threads  |  Facebook  |  YouTube Manage your email preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us Scientific American One New York Plaza, New York, NY, 10010