Science

4 of the biggest archeological advancements of 2021 — including one 'game changer'
Global lockdowns and political strife made it a tough year for archaeologists, at least in terms of getting out to excavation sites. But while there was less time spent digging, 2021 was still a good year in archaeology.
Why the most powerful space telescope ever needs to be kept really, really cold
The James Webb Space Telescope will give a glimpse of the earliest galaxies formed after the Big Bang — but only if the telescope is kept frigid. That's why there's a tennis court-sized sunshield.
How climate change is affecting winter in Minnesota
Climate change is reshaping Minnesota's winter. Change is evident in the state’s ecosystem, its economy and its collective identity, a climatologist and a climate researcher discussed on MPR News with Angela Davis Tuesday.
Christmas Eve telescope launch has astronomers hoping for good tidings of great joy
As they count down the hours to the highly anticipated launch of NASA's powerful, $10-billion James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers hope for the best while fearing the worst.
The scientist in Botswana who identified omicron was saddened by the world's reaction
He and his team were stunned by the number of mutations. They felt they'd made a contribution by alerting the world to a dangerous variant. Then came the travel bans for residents of southern Africa.
Pfizer confirms COVID pill's results, potency versus omicron
Pfizer says that its experimental COVID-19 pill appears effective against the omicron variant. The company also confirmed Tuesday that the pill delivered on promising early results in reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. 
Southeast Asians are underrepresented in STEM. The label 'Asian' boxes them out more
The way data on racial groups is typically collected in the U.S. has sidelined smaller Asian populations like Hmong, Lao and Filipino Americans for decades. Now, there are growing calls for change.