Previous estimates of dementia risk may have been too low Nearly half of people in the United States will develop dementia after age 55, a new study predicts. adamkaz/E+/Getty Images Plus Baby Boomers may drive a bigger-than-expected boom in dementia cases. By 2060, 1 million U.S. adults per year will develop dementia, scientists predict January 13

The technology to make these vehicles already exists Long limited to science fiction, flying cars could soon take to the skies. Illustration by Kathleen Fu The year is 2015. “Mad scientist” Doc Brown has just brought wide-eyed teenager Marty McFly to the future in style: aboard a flying DeLorean. Although the time travelers are out

It’s all relative Betelgeuse may have a sun-sized companion starthat orbits it about once every 2,100 days, astronomy writer Lisa Grossman reported in “Betelgeuse’s invisible buddy.” The story describes Betelgeuse as “the red giant that marks Orion’s left shoulder.” Reader Chris Jespersen wrote: “I often see Betelgeuse on Orion’s right shoulder…. Am I mistaken?” This

Welcome to the next iteration of Science News! I’m thrilled to introduce a new look and format that includes everything you have always loved about this magazine, as well as new elements to enhance your experience. As our team embarked on this project, we knew we had to stay true to our 104-year-old mission of

It’s the first time the average temperature topped 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels Almost everywhere around the globe, it was hotter than the average from 1991 to 2020. In some places, such as the Canadian Arctic, temperatures were as much as 5 degrees Celsius (the darkest red) higher. Blue colors mark the few regions

The U.S. health care system is rife with problems — as many Americans have experienced firsthand. Access to quality care is patchy, and medical costs can leave people with lifelong debt for treatments that don’t always work. Frustration and anger at the system’s failures were a flash point in the presidential election and may have factored in

Shadows into Light looks at the mental health of Sierra Leone’s former child soldiers Researchers are studying how to help children and their families recover from the trauma of war. WENN Rights Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo Shadows into Light Theresa S. BetancourtHarvard Univ., $35 For more than two decades, Theresa S. Betancourt has followed the lives

A study of 100 people who survived the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks offers new insight For some people who had PTSD after the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, recovery came with changes in how their brains handled memories. Alexander Spatari/Getty Images Recovery from PTSD comes with key changes in the brain’s memory system, a new study

Fossilized kangaroo teeth hint at varied diets, helping the animals weather climatic changes Simothenurus occidentalis (illustrated) was one of dozens of kangaroo species that went extinct by 40,000 years ago. Nobu Tamura (CC BY 3.0) The demise of most of Australia’s kangaroo species by 40,000 years ago may have had less to do with climate-caused

Unusually dry conditions and hurricane-force seasonal winds are fueling multiple fast-moving and destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County. Gusts that reached over 145 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour) quickly drove the blazes into urban areas, forcing more than 100,000 people to evacuate from their homes and killing at least two people as of