News in Brief
- Climate
How wind power could contribute to a warming climate
If the United States had enough wind turbines to generate all of its power, they would warm the country by 0.24 degrees Celsius on average.
- Humans
A 90,000-year-old bone knife hints special tools appeared early in Africa
The discovery of a bone knife in a Moroccan cave points to the ancient emergence of specialized toolmaking in the region.
- Materials Science
This reflective paint could keep sunbaked buildings cool
A new type of polymer coating that reflects sunlight to control heat could supplement or replace air conditioning systems.
- Life
In China, a deadly strain of bird flu now easily infects ducks
H7N9 evolved the ability to infect ducks just as a vaccine for chickens came into use.
- Planetary Science
The first rovers to explore an asteroid just sent photos home
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft has deployed a pair of rovers to the surface of asteroid Ryugu.
- Astronomy
Japan has launched a miniature space elevator
The Japanese space agency just launched a prototype space elevator to the International Space Station to test motion along a taut cable in space.
- Health & Medicine
Kidney stones grow and dissolve much like geological crystals
Kidney stones are dynamic entities that grow and dissolve, a new study finds, which contradicts the prevailing medical assumption.
- Astronomy
The TESS space telescope has spotted its first exoplanet
TESS’s first exoplanet is twice Earth’s size and may have lots of water.
- Life
Here’s how clumps of honeybees may survive blowing in the wind
Honeybees clumped on trees may adjust their positions to keep the cluster together when it’s jostled by wind, a new study suggests.
- Tech
This flying robot could reveal secrets of the aerial world of insects
A new winged robot with the exceptional agility of a fruit fly could lend insight into animal flight.
- Anthropology
Butchered bird bones put humans in Madagascar 10,500 years ago
Humans reached the island near Africa 6,000 years earlier than thought, raising questions about how its megafauna went extinct.
- Physics
Sound waves can make bubbles in levitated drops of liquid
A new technique reveals how to make bubbles from droplets suspended in the air.
