News in Brief
- Life
Why some people may be more susceptible to deadly C. difficile infections
Proline, a type of amino acid, increases when gut microbe mixes are disturbed, giving this pathogen a ready food source.
- Tech
A new palm-sized drone is mini, but mighty
Unlike other small drones, this flying robot can tote objects up to 40 times its own weight.
- Neuroscience
Messing with fruit flies’ gut bacteria turns them into speed walkers
Without the right gut microbes, fruit flies walk faster and take shorter rests, results that highlight a new connection between the gut and brain.
- Physics
This cloud-zapping laser could help scientists create a quantum internet
A powerful fast-pulsing laser can bust through clouds to make quantum communication via satellite easier.
- Paleontology
T. rex pulverized bones with an incredible amount of force
Tyrannosaurus rex’s powerful bite and remarkably strong teeth helped the dinosaur crush bones.
- Climate
More tornadoes are popping up east of the Mississippi
Tornadoes are becoming slightly less frequent in Tornado Alley, while more are touching down farther east in the United States, a study suggests.
- Archaeology
An ancient child’s ‘vampire burial’ included steps to prevent resurrection
A 10-year-old skeleton in a Roman cemetery had a stone placed in its mouth to prevent the youngster from rising from the dead, researchers say.
- Neuroscience
People who have a good sense of smell are also good navigators
A sense of smell and a sense of direction are tangled in the brain, a new study finds.
- Agriculture
Add beer to the list of foods threatened by climate change
Barley crops around the world will be threatened by drought and heat.
- Animals
What bees did during the Great American Eclipse
A rare study of bees during a total solar eclipse finds that the insects buzzed around as usual — until totality.
- Health & Medicine
Nearly 2 million U.S. adult nonsmokers vape
A new study finds that an estimated 1.9 million U.S. adult nonsmokers use e-cigarettes, highlighting worries that the devices are addictive.
- Science & Society
The economics of climate change and tech innovation win U.S. pair a Nobel
Climate change and tech innovations inspired the new Nobel Memorial Prize winners in Economic Sciences.
