Have you ever observed a parrot in a bizarre position? If you listen to a flock of squawky, massive and vibrant birds and speculate if you’re viewing factors, you are not. Different species of parrots have escaped from the pet trade and have founded flourishing colonies in cities about the world—Sarasota, Fla. New York Town Shock, Ariz. Singapore Amsterdam Tel Aviv—they’re everywhere. It can be difficult not to anthropomorphize. As science author Ryan F. Mandelbaum clarifies, they’re intelligent, social, adaptable and assertive. They consume just about anything and breed everywhere. They’re generally us with wings.

We’re eagerly awaiting the return of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in September. If all goes nicely, it will launch its sample canister to blaze by means of the ambiance, open up a parachute and land in Utah carrying a scoop of content from the asteroid Bennu. Our area and physics editor Clara Moskowitz narrates how the seven-calendar year mission has progressed and what to count on subsequent.

Scientists are obtaining treasure less than the seafloor—unexpected, popular aquifers of contemporary drinking water off coastlines globally. As coastal populations mature and worry existing water materials, these deposits could be a excellent supply of drinkable water. Geophysicist Rob L. Evans shares how he assisted to detect these aquifers and what we know about them so much.

Deadly twister clusters are starting to be extra common in the U.S., and Twister Alley is going eastward. Our sustainability editor Mark Fischetti, with graphics by Matthew Twombly and a map by Daniel P. Huffman, demonstrates us how, where by and why tornadoes type and who is most at chance. 

When you sense “in sync” with a person, that may possibly replicate literal synchronized designs in your brains. A new area of collective neuroscience is obtaining stunning similarities in people’s brains as they interact, in particular in pairs who have a near romantic relationship or involving effective lecturers and their learners. Our Science of Wellbeing columnist and contributing editor Lydia Denworth participated in a mind-scanning experiment to come across out far more.

We are going to likely in no way know specifically how the COVID-producing virus SARS-CoV-2 commenced circulating between folks, but our overall health editor Tanya Lewis recaps the proof for the major theory—a spillover from an contaminated animal, quite possibly in a Wuhan current market in China—as well as the chance of a lab leak.

What is actually it like to be a bee? Researchers have observed that some bugs are amazingly clever. They can rely, find out and teach, even come to feel satisfaction and discomfort. Behavioral ecologist Lars Chittka explores the implications of these intriguing discoveries.

Extraordinary heat functions are the deadliest temperature-related disasters in the U.S., but we are likely to underestimate the risk. Researcher Terri Adams-Fuller is experimenting with means to alert and defend men and women, specifically in urban heat island environments where temperatures increase a great deal bigger than in the suburbs.

In a delightful heritage of how ice inspired the modern-day cocktail, Amy Brady, our Assessments editor, describes how bartenders are now making an attempt to modify how they make and use ice. We hope you can study the article sipping a refreshing cocktail or mocktail. And be sure to get pleasure from this excess-very long summer problem for July and August. Excellent luck being amazing and hydrated!