Science Magazine

The Venus flytrap is renowned for its ultrafast snap traps, which can capture insects in a fraction of a second. New research reveals that trap closure is triggered by a rapid softening of the epidermal cell walls, uncovering the physical mechanism behind this remarkable movement. Learn more this week in Science: scim.ag/4fG2Bg3

Brown bears can be terrifying meat eaters, tearing into salmon, elk, and other prey. But an extinct subspecies from Africa was a strict vegetarian, researchers report. In fact, the diet of this “Atlas bear” was remarkably similar to the elk its modern relatives hunt. The animal’s unusual eating habits may have helped it avoid competition with hypercarnivores such as lions and leopards. Learn more: scim.ag/4eGPp8L @NewsfromScience

A landmark @ScienceTM study shows that latent #HIV can convert CD4+ T cells to CD8+ T cells and identifies the latter as a previously overlooked component of the viral reservoir—a surprising finding with critical implications for HIV cure efforts. 📄: scim.ag/4482ouU

Hundreds of scientists who study cancer and aging have made an easily avoidable but significant mistake, deploying the wrong antibody to test for a key protein, according to a researcher who exposes errors in the biomedical literature. Learn more: scim.ag/4akPaP4 @NewsfromScience

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) form local immune hubs inside tumors, but they are diverse and not all are equally functional. In a new Science study, researchers built a pan-cancer atlas and developed an #AI–based framework to detect and characterize TLSs in human tumors. The study provides insights into TLS biology and may offer a path toward integrating TLS features into future clinical trials. Learn more: scim.ag/4uA1sdQ

How do T cells restrain their activation? A new imaging analysis identifies how the protein PTPN22 controls how #TCells remodel their cytoskeletons to form synapses with their targets—and suggests that defects in this constraint mechanism may contribute to #autoimmunity. @SciSignal scim.ag/4g91zcv

A new Science study shows that bumble bees can position a ball underneath a fake “flower” to reach a reward, suggesting they can exhibit spontaneous problem-solving and challenging the notion that such advanced cognitive abilities are exclusive to large-brained vertebrates. Learn more: scim.ag/4vvcNwr

For one of the biggest and most ferocious predators to ever live, Tyrannosaurus rex sure had puny arms, not much longer than our own. Several other members of its lineage—the diverse group of two-legged dinosaurs known as theropods—had similarly wimpy appendages, and new analyses of the beasts now suggest why. Learn more: scim.ag/3Q1wFbH @NewsfromScience

Works of fiction with strong science themes—some far-fetched, others eerily familiar—once again populate Science’s summer reading list, offering readers carefully refracted views of reality and creative glimpses into possible futures. Learn more about the roundup’s 10 featured titles: scim.ag/4uC5TF1

Some animals and plants, such as oysters and trees, serve as cornerstones for their ecosystems. Now, a new @ScienceAdvances study examines how the influence of these foundational species continues after death—finding both negative and positive effects. scim.ag/4vHFExN

How do childhood environments shape the brain? In the latest #SciencePodcast🎙️, researcher Scott Marek sheds light on brainwide association studies for childhood brain development. 🎧 Listen here: scim.ag/4vCiEAa

Scientists uncover a surprising function for the cell cycle protein CDK1, according to a @SciSignal study that shows the protein also regulates how cells in the epithelium adhere to each other. scim.ag/43QCNXD

Science is publishing an Editorial Expression of Concern for the September 2024 Research Article “Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI.” scim.ag/49U3nlW

Decades of improvement in surface ozone exposure in the United States risk being reversed by wildfires, according to a new study in Science. 📄: scim.ag/3RLhLa5 #SciencePerspective: scim.ag/3Sbb8xI

"The real work is not convincing myself I belong, as though this were a confidence problem I could fix with enough willpower. Instead, the challenge is rewiring my own perspectives and my responses to the subtle and persistent messages telling me I’m not what a professor looks like." #ScienceWorkingLife scim.ag/4dTmRcV

Picture reaching for something on a high shelf and coming up short. You don’t give up; instead, you find a stool, carry it over, and climb up. Buried in that action is something remarkable: You held the goal in your mind, identified what you needed, and executed a plan. No training required. A study suggests bumble bees can do the same—the first demonstration of this kind of goal-directed problem-solving in an insect. Learn more: scim.ag/49Craqw @NewsfromScience

A subset of tumor-associated natural killer cells show enhanced cytotoxicity and respond to inhibitory checkpoint blockades, showcasing their potential as immunotherapeutic targets for lung cancers. Learn more in @SciImmunology: scim.ag/4enkQ8P

Will #AI replace astronomers? In the latest #SciencePodcast🎙️, journalist Joshua Sokol explores the intense discussion happening in the astrophysics community as AI and machine learning become increasingly powerful. 🎧 Listen here: scim.ag/4enIouf

In April 2026, #SciencePodcast🎙️ host and producer Sarah Crespi launched a three-part series on a topic she had been thinking about since March 2023: healthy human subjects. A new #ScienceVisualsBlog post discusses how she incorporated visuals such as archival documents, letters, and personal journal entries into the Normals. Read more: scim.ag/4oeUCZz

🌱🦠New in @ScienceMagazine ! Selective autophagy helps plants survive viral infections by fine-tuning immune responses and limiting excessive cell death by M. Clavel (@MarionClavel4) & Y. Dagbas (@PlantoPhagy). Congrats to all, including IBMP members involved !

We have a new paper in @ScienceMagazine today on the air quality benefits of expanded use of prescribed fire, capably led by @ivanhigueram. Rx fire can lead to substantial net reductions in smoke, but effects will take years to be realized. Link/ deep dive in thread below