Finding the story

Finding the story Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now Menu All Topics Health Humans Anthropology Health & Medicine Archaeology Psychology View All Life Animals Plants Ecosystems Paleontology Neuroscience Genetics Microbes View All Earth Agriculture Climate Oceans Environment View All Physics Materials Science Quantum Physics Particle Physics View All Space Astronomy Planetary Science Cosmology View All Magazine Menu All Stories Multimedia Reviews Puzzles Collections Educator Portal Century of Science Unsung characters Coronavirus Outbreak Newsletters Investors Lab About SN Explores Our Store SIGN IN Donate Home INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SINCE 1921 SIGN IN Search Open search Close search Home INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SINCE 1921 All Topics Earth Agriculture Climate Oceans Environment Humans Anthropology Health & Medicine Archaeology Psychology Life Animals Plants Ecosystems Paleontology Neuroscience Genetics Microbes Physics Materials Science Quantum Physics Particle Physics Space Astronomy Planetary Science Cosmology Tech Computing Artificial Intelligence Chemistry Math Science & Society All Topics Health Humans Humans Anthropology Health & Medicine Archaeology Psychology Recent posts in Humans Health & Medicine This itch-triggering protein also sends signals to stop scratching By Tina Hesman Saey3 hours ago Health & Medicine Meds like Ozempic could ease arthritis By Meghan RosenFebruary 20, 2026 Science & Society Project Hail Mary made us wonder how to survive a trip to interstellar space By Tina Hesman SaeyFebruary 20, 2026 Life Life Animals Plants Ecosystems Paleontology Neuroscience Genetics Microbes Recent posts in Life Health & Medicine This itch-triggering protein also sends signals to stop scratching By Tina Hesman Saey3 hours ago Paleontology A mouth built for efficiency may have helped the earliest bird fly By Jay BennettFebruary 19, 2026 Animals Some dog breeds carry a higher risk of breathing problems By Jake BuehlerFebruary 18, 2026 Earth Earth Agriculture Climate Oceans Environment Recent posts in Earth Climate Halting irreversible changes to Antarctica depends on choices made today By Carolyn GramlingFebruary 20, 2026 Climate Snowball Earth might have had a dynamic climate and open seas By Michael MarshallFebruary 19, 2026 Oceans Evolution didn’t wait long after the dinosaurs died By Elie DolginFebruary 13, 2026 Physics Physics Materials Science Quantum Physics Particle Physics Recent posts in Physics Physics Physicists dream up ‘spacetime quasicrystals’ that could underpin the universe By Emily ConoverFebruary 17, 2026 Physics A precise proton measurement helps put a core theory of physics to the test By Emily ConoverFebruary 11, 2026 Physics The only U.S. particle collider shuts down – so a new one may rise By Emily ConoverFebruary 6, 2026 Space Space Astronomy Planetary Science Cosmology Recent posts in Space Science & Society Project Hail Mary made us wonder how to survive a trip to interstellar space By Tina Hesman SaeyFebruary 20, 2026 Astronomy This inside-out planetary system has astronomers scratching their heads By Adam MannFebruary 12, 2026 Space Artemis II is returning humans to the moon with science riding shotgun By Lisa GrossmanFebruary 4, 2026 Editor's Note Finding the story By Nancy Shute Editor in Chief 4 hours ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Having a nose for news may be a cliché. But it’s key to a reporter’s ability to sniff out stories that are important and unique. This issue’s coverage of a scientist intent on using yeast to create vaccine beer is a prime example of this style of enterprise journalism. Senior molecular biology writer Tina Hesman Saey first encountered Chris Buck, a researcher at the National Cancer Institute, when she attended the World Vaccine Conference in Washington, D.C., last April. He was in the midst of a battle with his employer over his plan to test a home-brewed vaccine against polyomavirus on himself. Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday. “There were so many layers to this story that I wanted to explore,” Saey told me. “Who gets to decide whether a scientist can experiment on themselves? Is it legal and ethical to market a vaccine as a food or a dietary supplement? What could this approach do to public acceptance of and confidence in vaccines? What is the science behind this potential vaccine, and would it work for other diseases?” Saey pressed Buck on these questions, researched them herself, interviewed other scientists and investigated the potential benefits and risks of Buck’s approach, both to people and to public trust in vaccines. We leave it to our readers to decide whether Buck’s vaccine beer is ill-advised or visionary. This issue also includes a unique take on nuclear physics, using the sunsetting of a pioneering particle collider at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island to update readers on advances in the field. Senior physics writer Emily Conover grew up near Brookhaven and took part in a summer program there as a teenager. That experience started her on a path to becoming a physicist herself, and eventually a science journalist. Her tour of the lab as it switches from one type of particle collider to a new, more advanced one highlights the challenges of advancing science that requires long-term investments. And for the cover story, we look at how scientists are experimenting with using artificial intelligence as a research tool, one that might evolve to conduct research itself. Freelance writer Kathryn Hulick investigates AI’s potential for making science more efficient, but also its dangers. Risks include the flood of junk research papers scripted by AI that are threatening the integrity of scientific publishing. Stay tuned; we’ll continue to report on this important and fast-moving issue. Questions or comments on this article? E-mail us at feedback@sciencenews.org | Reprints FAQ A version of this article appears in the March 1, 2026 issue of Science News. About Nancy Shute E-mail X Nancy Shute is editor in chief of Science News Media Group. Previously, she was an editor at NPR and US News & World Report, and a contributor to National Geographic and Scientific American. She is a past president of the National Association of Science Writers. We are at a critical time and supporting science journalism is more important than ever. Science News and our parent organization, the Society for Science, need your help to strengthen scientific literacy and ensure that important societal decisions are made with science in mind. Please subscribe to Science News and add $16 to expand science literacy and u