News

  1. Earth

    Vermiculite turns toxic

    Federal agencies issued a warning that much of the vermiculite ceiling insulation installed a decade or more ago may be tainted with cancer-causing asbestos.

    By Janet Raloff
  2. Earth

    To contain gene-altered crops, nip them in the seed

    Researchers have demonstrated that, in principle, they can add genes that block genetically modified crops from breeding with conventional varieties and thus from spreading their artificial traits.

    By Ben Harder
  3. Math

    Uncovering a prime failure

    Mathematicians have returned to the drawing board after what looked like a dramatic step forward in understanding prime numbers.

    By Erica Klarreich
  4. Anthropology

    Humanity’s pedestal lowered again?

    A new genetic study reaches the controversial conclusion that chimpanzees belong to the genus Homo, just as people do.