News
- Astronomy
Repulsive Astronomy: Strengthening the case for dark energy
Astronomers have found new evidence that a mysterious substance, dubbed dark energy, is ripping the cosmos apart, causing the universe to expand at an ever-faster rate.
By Ron Cowen - Animals
Why do two-sex geckos triumph?
Just the smell of an invasive species of gecko suppresses egg laying and subdues aggression in a resident.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Maybe what Polly wants is a new toy
Changing the toys in a parrot's cage may ease the bird's tendency to fear new things.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Some female birds prefer losers
When a female Japanese quail watches two males clash, she tends to prefer the loser.
By Susan Milius - Animals
The secret appetite of cleaner wrasses
The little reef fish that nibble parasites off bigger fish that stop by for service actually prefer to nibble the customers.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Anthrax toxin curbs immune cells
A toxin produced by the anthrax bacterium suppresses cells that launch the body's immune response.
By John Travis - Physics
Antiglare eye black is better than tape
Black grease that athletes smear under their eyes to control the glare of the sun really helps them discern contrast; what's more, it works better than black tape, a newer antiglare aid.
By Nathan Seppa - Materials Science
Miniature Motor: Nanotubes central to new rotating device
Researchers have used miniature, nested cylinders, called multiwalled carbon nanotubes, to make a motor only 300 nanometers long.
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Beyond Clots: Platelets in blood may guide immune response
Platelets, best known for their ability to create blood clots in wounds, may also have a role in the immune system.
By John Travis - Astronomy
Taking the Crab’s pulse
Simultaneous recordings of a pulsar's radio emissions and its visible beam shed new light on the seemingly chaotic variations in the intensities of those emissions.
By Ben Harder - Tech
Press ‘n’ Peel Lasers: Coaxing light beams out of cheap plastic
Researchers have devised a way to imprint lasers in plastic—an achievement that may one day lead to ultracheap lasers mass-produced like poker chips.
By Peter Weiss - Astronomy
Sky Prospecting: Surveying the universe’s middle-aged galaxies
With a new sky survey, astronomers can tell the story of what happened during the universe’s middle years—about 7 billion years ago.