News

  1. Brain Gain: Odd RNA converts stem cells into neurons

    An unusual strand of RNA guides stem cells to transform into neurons.

    By John Travis
  2. Astronomy

    Planetoid on the Fringe: Solar system record breaker

    Lurking more than 13 billion kilometers from Earth in the coldest, remotest part of the solar system, a newly discovered body is the most distant object ever found to orbit the sun and the largest denizen of the solar system discovered since Pluto.

    By Ron Cowen

  3. Movie sparks group brain responses

    People exhibit a surprising amount of brain activity in common while viewing a dramatic movie, a brain-imaging study finds.

    By Bruce Bower
  4. Health & Medicine

    Ear piercings cause illness, disfigurement

    Piercing the upper-ear cartilage under nonsterile conditions can leave a person vulnerable to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, as happened in Oregon in 2000.

    By Nathan Seppa
  5. Animals

    Road rage keeps ants moving smoothly

    Streams of ants manage to avoid traffic gridlock by a bit of strategic pushing and shoving.

    By Susan Milius
  6. Health & Medicine

    Heart patients gain from steep cholesterol drop

    Heart patients can lessen their risk of a heart attack and increase their odds of survival by aggressively reducing harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in their blood.

    By Nathan Seppa
  7. Physics

    Complexity by way of simplicity

    Researchers have demonstrated a new way to simplify some intricate patterns whose extreme complexity has convinced theoretical physicist Stephen Wolfram that traditional science can't explain many important natural phenomena.

    By Peter Weiss
  8. Anthropology

    Grannies give gift of longer lives

    Data from two 18th- and 19th-century farming communities supports the theory that child care assistance from grandmothers has contributed to the evolution of extended human longevity.

    By Bruce Bower
  9. Health & Medicine

    Drug for migraines helps some patients

    An experimental drug that slows blood flow in the brain knocks out migraine headaches in some people.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Animals

    Hornbills know which monkey calls to heed

    Hornbills can tell the difference between two kinds of alarm calls given by monkeys.

    By Susan Milius
  11. Planetary Science

    Revisiting a forgotten planet

    Engineers are readying a NASA spacecraft for a May 11 launch to Mercury, one of the least-explored planets in the solar system.

    By Ron Cowen
  12. Earth

    Smoking out a source of painful menses

    Breathing in secondhand smoke may contribute to the development of menstrual cramps.

    By Janet Raloff