News in Brief
- Planetary Science
Ice gave Pluto a heavy heart
Sputnik Planitia, the left half of Pluto’s heart-shaped region, might have been carved out by the weight of thick layers of ice built up billions of years ago.
- Astronomy
Giant gathering of galaxies discovered hiding on far side of Milky Way
An uncharted supercluster of galaxies lurks about 800 million light-years away, partly hidden by the Milky Way.
- Plants
Bacteria help carnivorous plants drown their prey
Pitcher plant drowning traps are more difficult for an insect to escape when bacteria colonize them.
- Archaeology
Glassmaking may have begun in Egypt, not Mesopotamia
Ancient Mesopotamians lagged behind Egyptians as glassmakers.
- Health & Medicine
Old blood carries risks for brain
Young blood may not save the brain, by one measure at least.
- Archaeology
For some early monks, impaired hearing amplified sounds of silence
Middle-ear ailments probably had little impact on early Christian monks’ lives.
- Paleontology
Cretaceous bird find holds new color clue
New molecular clues in 130-million-year-old bird fossil could help paleontologists firm up case for ancient color in dinosaurs.
- Health & Medicine
Heartburn drugs may raise stroke risk
Drugs used by millions for heartburn linked to increased risk of stroke.
- Neuroscience
Despite Alzheimer’s plaques, some seniors remain mentally sharp
Plaques and tangles riddle the brains of some very old and very healthy people.
- Health & Medicine
Downside of yo-yo dieting is rise in heart disease risk
Yo-yo dieting hurts the heart, even if you’re not overweight.
- Animals
Skimpy sea ice linked to reindeer starvation on land
Unseasonably scant sea ice may feed rain storms inland that lead to ice catastrophes that kill Yamal reindeer and threaten herders’ way of life.
- Neuroscience
Infant brains have powerful reactions to fear
Babies can recognize facial emotions, especially fear, as early as 5 months old.
