All Stories

Anthropology

Dogs may have helped ancient Middle Easterners hunt small game

Jordanian finds point to pooch-aided hunting of small prey around 11,500 years ago, offering new clues into dog domestication in the Middle East.

Animals

Male birds’ sexy songs may not advertise their brains after all

A biologist backs off an idea he studied for years that the mastery of birdsong is a sign of bird smarts.

Health & Medicine

Lack of sleep is tied to increases in two Alzheimer’s proteins

In people and mice deprived of sleep, researchers found an increase in tau, a protein involved in Alzheimer’s disease, in the fluid bathing the brain.

Neuroscience

Rocking puts adults to sleep faster and makes slumber deeper

People sleep better when their beds are gently rocked, a small study finds.

Paleontology

Tiny eyes make a bizarre, ancient platypus-like reptile even weirder

An ancient oddball marine reptile had teeny-tiny eyes, suggesting it probably used senses other than sight to catch food.

Earth

50 years ago, scientists tried to control earthquakes with earthquakes

In the 1960s, researchers proposed preventing a big earthquake by creating smaller ones. That hasn’t quite worked out.

Animals

Young emperor penguins brave icy, winter waters in their first year

Young emperor penguins learn survival skills on their own, including how to navigate Antarctica’s icy winter ocean.

Genetics

A CRISPR gene drive for mice is one step closer to reality

Researchers have made progress toward creating a gene drive for mice in the lab. Such genetic cut-and-paste machines have yet to be made for mammals.

Tech

Ordinary cameras can now photograph out-of-sight objects

Thanks to a new photo-analyzing computer program, a photographer’s line of sight no longer has to be a straight shot.

Neuroscience

The cerebellum may do a lot more than just coordinate movement

A study in mice finds that the cerebellum helps control social behavior, a result that has implications for autism and schizophrenia.

Planetary Science

Ring ripples reveal how long a day lasts on Saturn

Clues in Saturn’s rings divulge the planet’s rotation rate: 10 hours, 33 minutes, 38 seconds.

Materials Science

Being messy on the inside keeps metamaterials from folding under stress

Inspiration from disordered arrangements of atoms in crystalline metals may lead to longer-lasting, next-gen materials.