News in Brief
- Paleontology
Mystery fossils belonged to giant ostrichlike dinosaur
Two recently found skeletons reveal that Deinocheirus, first discovered 50 years ago, was the largest-known dinosaur of its kind.
- Humans
Anglo-Saxons left language, but maybe not genes to modern Britons
Modern Britons may be more closely related to Britain’s indigenous people than they are to the Anglo-Saxons, a new genetic analysis finds.
- Physics
Laser tractor beam tugs on beads
A new experiment is the first to construct a tractor beam that can pull objects over long distances with light.
- Genetics
Gene variant helps dog evade muscular dystrophy
A dog that has a mutation causing muscular dystrophy has another genetic variant that appears to counteract the disease.
- Psychology
Majority doesn’t always rule in teen booze use
Having one abstainer as a friend cuts teens’ odds of getting drunk and binge drinking, a study finds.
- Health & Medicine
Poop-transplant pills treat intestinal infection
Frozen capsules stuffed with healthy gut bacteria from donated poop fight C. difficile infections.
- Planetary Science
Surprises lurk inside a Saturn moon
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft finds possible ocean or football-shaped core inside Mimas.
- Health & Medicine
Ebola continues rapid spread in West Africa
Ebola continues to spread in West Africa, but some countries are poised to declare victory over the deadly virus.
- Paleontology
Extinct giant kangaroos tiptoed one leg at a time
Stiff spines, flared hips and other fossil clues suggest extinct, refrigerator-sized kangaroos stepped one hind leg at a time instead of hopping.
- Anthropology
Ancient Greek shipwreck found to be world’s largest
Special diving suits enable discovery that much of a nearly 2,100-year-old Greek vessel and its cargo survive.
- Health & Medicine
Pneumococcal vaccine thwarts resistant infections in children
Since a new vaccine was introduced in 2010, the number of antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal infections in kids has plunged.
- Health & Medicine
Drug appears safe in children with C. difficile infections
Early test suggests adult med may work in kids with diarrheal disease.
