All Stories
- Animals
In chimpanzees, peeing is contagious
The first study of copycat urination in an animal documents how one chimpanzee peeing prompts others to follow suit. Now researchers are exploring why.
- Health & Medicine
Cigarettes with less nicotine may help some smokers quit
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a rule to drastically reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products.
- Psychology
Survivors of the LA fires will face a complex blend of mental health challenges
Logistical needs, like employment and housing, along with psychological needs must be met after disasters like the LA wildfires, research shows.
- Science & Society
What nuclear weapons experts will watch for under Trump
As Trump takes office, issues of arms control, the U.S. arsenal and weapons testing will be on the radar for many nuclear weapons researchers.
- Physics
Hula-hooping robots reveal the physics behind keeping rings aloft
The gyrations of hoop-slinging robots reveal that hourglass-shaped objects are best at keeping a hoop in the air.
- Life
Early human ancestors didn’t regularly eat meat
Chemicals in the tooth enamel of Australopithecus suggest the early human ancestors ate very little meat, dining on vegetation instead.
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Megadroughts are on the rise worldwide
One of the most extreme megadroughts has helped fuel wildfires in Los Angeles County and elsewhere in California.
- Planetary Science
A crumbling exoplanet spills its guts
Astronomers have determined the internal composition of a distant, disintegrating planet for the first time.
- Health & Medicine
What bird flu experts are watching for in 2025
Since early 2024, the U.S. has logged 66 human cases of H5N1. Scientists are keeping a watchful eye on the virus’s spread as we enter a new year.
- Archaeology
Ancient, engraved stones may have been buried to summon the sun
Members of a Stone Age culture in Denmark may have ritually buried stones to counter the effects of a volcanic eruption.
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Why the FDA banned the common food dye Red No. 3
Evidence that the synthetic dye Red No. 3 is harmful comes from studies in rats, not people. Food companies now have two years to remove it from products.
- Genetics
Iron Age Celtic women’s social and political power just got a boost
Ancient DNA indicates women stayed in their home communities and married partners from outside the area.
