News in Brief
- Health & Medicine
Cancer drug’s effectiveness overinflated in animal studies
Claims about the cancer drug sunitinib are overblown because of poorly designed studies and negative results that were never published, a new analysis suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Sperm protein may offer target for male contraceptive
With the identification of a new sperm protein that helps sperm penetrate eggs, researchers may be closer to developing birth control pills for men.
- Life
Babies low on key gut bacteria at higher risk of asthma
Asthma risk may be set early in life, but mice data suggest that the risk could altered by friendly gut bacteria.
- Planetary Science
Salt streaks point to present-day water flows on Mars
Salt deposits on Mars hint at contemporary seasonal water flows on the Red Planet.
- Anthropology
Ancient hominid ears were tuned to high frequencies
Two ancient hominid species may have heard high-frequency sounds especially well.
- Materials Science
Invisibility cloaks slim down
A new invisibility cloak offers more stealth in a thinner package.
- Health & Medicine
Clinical trial suggests new blood pressure standard
Preliminary results from a clinical trial suggest lower blood pressure targets could reduce rates of cardiovascular diseasae.
- Animals
Invading Argentine ants carry virus that attacks bees
The first survey of viruses in the globally invasive Argentine ant brings both potentially bad and good news.
- Paleontology
New dolphin fossil makes a splash
A newly discovered dolphin fossil provides clues to the evolution of river dolphins in the Americas.
- Life
New microscope techniques give deepest view yet of living cells
Two new microscopy techniques are helping scientists see smaller structures in living cells than ever glimpsed before.
- Animals
Tropical songbirds get their growth spurt late
Tropical songbirds are late bloomers, but that delayed development may give them an advantage after leaving the nest.
- Physics
3-D printed device cracks cocktail party problem
A plastic disk does what sophisticated computers cannot: solve the cocktail party problem.
