News
- Chemistry
Compounds cool without minty taste
Scientists have created a compound that delivers a more potent version of the cooling sensation of menthol, without the minty taste or smell.
- Chemistry
Everything Midas touched turned to rot
Researchers have found the nutrient sources for fungi that caused the decay of much of King Midas' tomb and its contents.
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Native signers may get right-brain aid
Controversial brain-imaging data suggest that the right side of the brain contributes to the grammatical skills of people who grow up using sign language.
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Neural peek at anxious, depressed kids
A brain structure called the amygdala may play an influential role in severe cases of childhood anxiety and depression.
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Foster infants retain security option
As late as age 18 months, foster infants quickly develop a secure relationship with a nurturing foster mother.
- Math
Searchers capture a champion megaprime
A participant in the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search set the record for the largest known prime number, which runs to 4,053,946 decimal digits.
- Tech
Fly lends an ear to microphone design
The unique way some flies localize sound has inspired engineers to design tiny directional microphones for hearing aids and surveillance devices.
- Health & Medicine
Surprise! Fat proves a taste sensation
The share of consumed fat that travels into a person's bloodstream depends on whether the person tasted fat to begin with.
- Health & Medicine
Delayed surgery aids spinal cord repair
Postponing surgery to repair a severed spinal cord in rats improves the likelihood that the operation will counteract the injury.
- Materials Science
Synthetic molecules mimic bone growth
Researchers have created molecules that assemble into a microscopic structure that mimics bone.
- Animals
Female ducks can double eggs by trickery
Female goldeneye ducks can double their offspring by sneaking eggs into other females' nests before settling down to a nest of their own.
- Astronomy
X-ray craft sees Venus in whole new light
Astronomers have unveiled the first X-ray image of Venus.
