News
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Hands, not eyes, hold clue to illusion
Psychologists disprove a leading hypothesis for the size-weight illusion—an error that arises when people try to estimate the weights of two bodies of different sizes but the same mass.
- Earth
Candid cameras catch rare Asian cats
Remote cameras have confirmed that despite 30 years of armed conflict, jungle cats and many other large mammals continue to thrive in Cambodia.
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Brain wiring depends on multifaceted gene
A single gene may produce 38,000 unique proteins that guide the growth of the developing brain.
- Astronomy
Sugarcoated news arrives from space
Scientists spotted a simple sugar in interstellar space for the first time.
- Paleontology
Overlooked fossil spread first feathers
A new look at a fossil that had been lying in a drawer in Moscow for nearly 30 years has uncovered the oldest known feathered animal.
- Health & Medicine
Moms’ POPs, Sons’ Problems: Testicular cancer tied to a fetus’ pollutant contact
Women who've had substantial exposure to certain environmental pollutants are more likely than other women to bear sons who develop testicular cancers.
- Chemistry
Jet Streams: Droplet behavior captured by high-speed camera
A series of images has captured charged droplets spouting microscopic jets of fluid, a phenomenon that was proposed by Lord Rayleigh in 1882.
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Losing Rhythm: Gene mutation causes heart problems
Chinese researchers have for the first time identified a genetic defect that causes atrial fibrillation, a disorder in which the heart's upper chambers beat irregularly and too rapidly.
- Humans
Science Revalued: Report seeks revived Smithsonian science
A long-awaited report on science at the Smithsonian Institution calls urgently for more funding and also recommends preservation of beseiged materials-research center.
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Bipolar Math Subtractions: Mental disorder may spur math problems in teens
A new study suggests that bipolar disorder, a psychiatric illness best known for its stormy mood swings, may frequently undermine mathematical reasoning as well.
- Humans
Unfounded Fear: Scared to fly after 9/11? Don’t reach for the car keys
A new analysis of transportation in the United States shows that flying remains a much safer way to travel than driving, even when airline fatalities resulting from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are included.
- Animals
Stalking Larvae: How an ancient sea creature grows up
Scientists have finally observed living larvae of a sea lily, an ancient marine invertebrate related to starfish.
