science

China’s Mice See Stars as Nation Sends Its First Rodents to Space

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

The mice launched on Oct. 31 and are currently aboard China’s Tiangong space station, where they are being studied for their behavioral response to the spatial environment.

Chen Yiru

China’s First Macaque Biobank Addresses Lab Monkey Shortage

Chinese scientists have analyzed the genomes and physical characteristics of nearly 1,000 macaques to provide domestic researchers with improved human disease modeling techniques.

China’s Paper Chase: ‘Paper Mills’ Help Academics Commit Fraud

A recent investigation has brought to light a network of underground firms helping doctors and researchers get ahead with ghostwritten publications.

Jiang Xinyi

China Makes HPV Vaccine Free for Girls in National Program

Beginning this year, the vaccine schedule will now protect young girls from the two strains of HPV accounting for most invasive cervical cancers, at no cost to families.

He Qitong

For a Team of Chinese Scientists, the Oyster Is Their World

Inspired by oysters’ natural grip, a team of researchers from Zhejiang have created a bio-glue to fuse shattered bones, a world first.

Shanghai Pilot Offers Grants to Help New Mothers Stay in Science

The city’s Chinese Academy of Sciences branch is offering one-time grants to new mothers in science, aiming to offset career setbacks from childbirth.

Samples From China’s Chang’e Mission Rewrite Moon’s Violent History

Analysis of rock samples brought back from the far side of the Moon in June 2024 suggests that our only natural satellite’s crater formation period began 100 million years earlier than previously believed.

The Chinese Neuroscientists Mapping Feelings Through Art

At Tsinghua University’s Neural Engineering Lab, researchers are using brain-computer interfaces to study how people respond to live art.

Breathe Easy: Chinese Device Offers No-Needle Diabetes Tracking

The device analyzes acetone in exhaled breath, offering a faster, noninvasive alternative to traditional blood tests.

Chinese Scientists Detect New ‘Super-Earth’ 2,500 Light Years Away

The breakthrough came using a cutting-edge observational method that detects unseen planets via subtle deviations in their orbit.

The Mother Line: Oldest Matrilineal Society Unearthed in China

An archeological site in Shandong province has provided evidence of a matrilineal society dating back to 2750 to 2500 BC, shattering previous assumptions.

Ding Rui

Chinese Scientists Use Gene Therapy to Cure Thalassemia in Children

Geneticists have used a cutting-edge DNA base editing treatment on several patients to cure thalassemia, a prevalent and severe genetic blood disease.

‘A Needle in a Haystack’: How a New Study Could Revolutionize Parkinson’s Treatment

Your questions, answered. In-depth interviews with the minds and makers shaping today’s China.

Q & A

Five years ago, Wu Kaimin was worried her dissertation proposal might not be approved. Now, her research could fundamentally alter how doctors treat Parkinson’s.

China’s Antarctic Outpost Swaps Fossil Fuels for Hydrogen, Wind

The renewable energy system ensures stable power in Antarctica’s extreme conditions, and is estimated to cut fossil fuel use by more than 100 tons annually.

Learning to Fly: How a Jurassic Fossil Decodes the History of Flight

Paleontologist Wang Min on the luck, science, and persistence behind a groundbreaking find.

Meet China’s ‘Six Little Dragons’

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

The Hangzhou-based firms have upended China’s tech scene — and sent governments across China scrambling for their own champions.

Liu Yuanju

New China-Led Study Links Pesticides to Massive Ecological Damage

The study, involving experts from multiple countries, reveals the harmful effects of pesticide use on non-target species, and urges urgent policy shifts toward eco-friendly alternatives.

Fan Yiying

New Fossil in China Pushes Bird Origins Back 20 Million Years

The fossil, dating back 172 million years, may reshape our understanding of bird evolution and early flight.

In a First, Chinese Scientists ‘Heal’ Lithium Batteries

In a paper published Wednesday, Chinese scientists claim to be able to extend the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries by “an order of magnitude.”

Li Xin

Xs and Whys: China's Top Math Coach Looks Back

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

A Chinese national team head coach talks on the triumphs and recent travails of the popular mathematics competition in China.