All Stories
- Anthropology
Neandertals had an eye for patterns
Neandertals carved notches in a raven bone, possibly to produce a pleasing or symbolic pattern, scientists say.
By Bruce Bower - Oceans
Thinning ice creates undersea Arctic greenhouses
Arctic sea ice thinned by climate change increasingly produces conditions favorable for phytoplankton blooms in the waters below, new research suggests.
- Astronomy
Asteroid in Jupiter’s orbit goes its own way
Asteroid shares Jupiter’s orbit around the sun but travels in the opposite direction as the planet.
- Genetics
Gene editing of human embryos yields early results
Gene editing in embryos has started in labs, but isn’t ready for the clinic.
- Neuroscience
Sarcasm looks the same in the brain whether it’s words or emoji
Sarcasm via winking emoji affects the brain like verbal irony does.
- Astronomy
Supermassive black hole gets kicked to the galactic curb
Gravitational waves may have given a supermassive black hole a big kick, with enough energy to send it flying toward the edges of its host galaxy.
- Health & Medicine
Spray-on mosquito repellents are more effective than other devices
To avoid mosquito bites, stick with spray-on repellents and skip the bracelets and citronella candles, a new study says.
- Health & Medicine
Don’t put greasy Q-tips up your kid’s nose, and other nosebleed advice
Nosebleeds in children are common and usually nothing to fret about.
- Neuroscience
Math-anxious brains tackle simple problems differently
An fMRI study found more variable brain activity in people who get nervous about math problems.
- Archaeology
Palace remains in Mexico point to ancient rise of centralized power
An ancient royal structure gets new life in southern Mexico.
By Bruce Bower - Quantum Physics
Millions of atoms entangled in record-breaking quantum tests
Scientists make advance in the quest to take quantum effects to larger scales.
- Science & Society
Most Americans like science — and are willing to pay for it
Americans drastically overestimate how much the government spends on science. But when correctly informed, they want the government to spend more.