Finding the story

Science News · Feb 21, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Having a nose for news may be a cliché. But it’s key to a reporter’s ability to sniff out stories that are important and unique. This issue’s coverage of a scientist intent on using yeast to create vaccine beer is a prime example of this style of enterprise journalism. Senior molecular biology writer Tina Hesman Saey first encountered Chris Buck, a researcher at the National Cancer Institute, when she attended the World Vaccine Conference in Washington, D.C., last April. He was in the midst of a battle with his employer over his plan to test a home-brewed vaccine against polyomavirus on himself. “There were so many layers to this story that I wanted to explore,” Saey told me. “Who gets to decide whether a scientist can experiment on themselves? Is it legal and ethical to market a vaccine as a food or a dietary supplement? What could this approach do to public acceptance of and confidence in vaccines? What is the science behind this potential vaccine, and would it work for other diseases?” Saey pressed Buck on these questions, researched them herself, interviewed other scientists and investigated the potential benefits and risks of Buck’s approach, both to people and to public trust in vaccines. We leave it to our readers to decide whether Buck’s vaccine beer is ill-advised or visionary. This issue also includes a unique take on nuclear physics, using the sunsetting of a pioneering particle collider at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island to update readers on advances in the field. Senior physics writer Emily Conover grew up near Brookhaven and took part in a summer program there as a teenager. That experience started her on a path to becoming a physicist herself, and eventually a science journalist. Her tour of the lab as it switches from one type of particle collider to a new, more advanced one highlights the challenges of advancing science that requires long-term investments. And for the cover story, we look at how scientists are experimenting with using artificial intelligence as a research tool, one that might evolve to conduct research itself. Freelance writer Kathryn Hulick investigates AI’s potential for making science more efficient, but also its dangers. Risks include the flood of junk research papers scripted by AI that are threatening the integrity of scientific publishing. Stay tuned; we’ll continue to report on this important and fast-moving issue.