News
- Math
Prime Finding: Mathematicians mind the gap
Mathematicians have taken a significant step toward proving the twin-prime conjecture by simplifying formulas for estimating the average spacing of primes.
- Astronomy
Honors for Science News astronomy writer
Science News astronomy writer Ron Cowen is a recipient of the third David N. Schramm award for distinguished writing on high-energy astrophysics.
- Animals
Techno Crow: Do birds build up better tool designs?
Researchers surveying tool use by New Caledonian crows propose that the birds may be the first animals besides people shown to ratchet up the sophistication of their technology by sharing design improvements.
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A Tale of the Tapeworm: Parasite ploy suggests drug-delivery tactic
A chemical used by tapeworms to slow intestinal pulsations may help people absorb drugs more efficiently.
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No Rest for the Waking: Brain cells for alertness fire without cues
The brain cells that keep people awake fire spontaneously and continuously on their own, suggesting that sleep depends on signals from other brain regions that quiet these neurons.
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Original Kin: Six-legged bugs may have evolved twice
Insects may have evolved independently from other six-legged land bugs and may be more closely related to crustaceans than to their fellow so-called hexapods.
- Astronomy
Cosmic Afterglow: Gamma-ray bursts may one-up themselves
New observations suggest that gamma-ray bursts may be even more energetic than scientists had estimated.
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Genetically Driven: Mutation shows up in binge eaters
Overweight binge eaters are more likely to harbor a genetic mutation that disrupts brain signals governing satiety than are people of normal weight.
- Physics
Muon Manna? Particle shower may spotlight loose nukes
Radiation from space may help border guards spot loose nukes stowed in shipping containers.
- Paleontology
Was T. rex just a big freeloader?
A new study suggests that an ecosystem like today’s African savanna could provide sufficient carrion to nourish a scavenger the size of a Tyrannosaurus rex.
- Animals
Ants lurk for bees, but bees see ambush
A tropical ant has perfected the un-antlike behavior of hunting by ambush, but its prey, a sweat bee, has developed some tricks of its own.
- Physics
Squirming through space-time
In the exotic realm of curved space, the topography of space itself might provide a propulsion assist—albeit a tiny one.
