News in Brief
- Life
Life on Earth may have begun as dividing droplets
Chemical droplets could split and reproduce in the presence of an energy source, new computer simulations suggest.
- Physics
Single-atom magnets store bits of data
Scientists read and write data by harnessing the magnetic properties of holmium atoms.
- Astronomy
Saturn’s moon Pan looks like ravioli
Photographs taken this week by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft provide a closer view of Saturn’s small moon Pan, which resembles ravioli.
- Genetics
Scientists move closer to building synthetic yeast from scratch
Scientists have created five more synthetic yeast chromosomes.
- Archaeology
Ancient dental plaque tells tales of Neandertal diet and disease
Researchers have reconstructed the diet and disease history of ancient Neandertals.
- Particle Physics
Triplet of high-energy neutrinos detected from unknown source
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory spotted three neutrinos within 100 seconds that seem to have come from the same place in the sky.
- Health & Medicine
Microcephaly, other birth defects are on the rise since Zika’s arrival
The rate of certain birth defects is much higher in babies born to Zika-infected mothers in the United States, the CDC reports.
- Astronomy
Hydrogen volcanoes might boost planets’ potential for life
Volcanoes that spew hydrogen could increase the number of potentially habitable planets in the universe.
- Planetary Science
Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon may not conceal ocean after all
A lack of cracks on Mimas suggests that the icy moon of Saturn doesn’t conceal a subsurface ocean of liquid water.
- Genetics
Human genes often best Neandertal ones in brain, testes
Differing activity of human and Neandertal versions of genes may help explain health risks.
- Life
Howler monkeys may owe their color vision to leaf hue
Better color vision gives howler monkeys an edge at finding food.
- Life
New imaging technique catches DNA ‘blinking’ on
Dye-free imaging technique zooms in below 10-nanometer threshold, allowing new cellular views.
