The World Can’t Wean Itself Off Chinese Lithium
China dominates the global supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. Now rival countries are scrambling for more control over “white oil.”
The Real Story Behind Jurassic World Dominion’s Dino Feathers
It took 29 years, six movies, and a flock of VFX artists and puppeteers, but the franchise finally bows to paleontologists in creating feathered dinosaurs.
Nuclear Fusion Is Already Facing a Fuel Crisis
It doesn’t even work yet, but nuclear fusion has encountered a shortage of tritium, the key fuel source for the most prominent experimental reactors.
For mRNA, Covid Vaccines Are Just the Beginning
With clinical vaccine trials for everything from HIV to Zika, messenger RNA could transform medicine—or widen health care inequalities.
The Farthest Star Sheds New Light on the Early Universe
A cosmic fluke helped Hubble spy Earendel, a giant star at the edge of the known universe that could tell us more about what happened after the Big Bang.
Turning Red Doesn’t Follow Pixar’s Rules. Good
The studio’s early works were lauded for their “universal” storytelling. Its new approach champions personal stories—and audiences are the richer for it.
The Batman Leans Hard Into the Emo Revival
From the sartorial choices to the scenery, the latest superhero reboot drips with alt-rock influences.
Netflix Has Defied the Russian Government, for Now
With Russia accused of war crimes in Ukraine, the streaming platform finds itself increasingly isolated as Western companies abandon the pariah state.
Gene-Edited Brain Organoids Are Unlocking the Secrets of Autism
Harvard researchers used lab-grown clumps of neurons called organoids to reveal how three genes linked to autism affect the timing of brain development.