News
- Anthropology
Stone Age signs of complexity
Ancient engravings found in South Africa support the theory that humans began to think and behave in symbolic ways a surprisingly long time ago.
- Anthropology
The gene that came to stay
A gene thought by some scientists to foster a bold, novelty-seeking personality, as well as attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), apparently spread substantially in human populations over roughly the past 40,000 years.
- Health & Medicine
Viruses stop antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Bacteriophages, viruses that destroy bacteria, can protect mice from bacteria that are impervious to antibiotics.
- Chemistry
New structure reveals catalysts’ details
Researchers have created a new compound that contains a palladium atom bonded in a unique way to six silicon atoms.
- Earth
Earth’s inner core could include silicon
Laboratory experiments investigating the crystal structure of iron-silicon alloys at high temperatures and pressures may yield new insights into the mineral composition of Earth's core.
- Animals
Hanging around Mom’s web helps everybody
For nearly grown spiderlings, lingering in their mother's web instead of setting off on their own turns out to be a boon for the mom, as well as themselves.
- Health & Medicine
Genes make potential target in lymph cancer
Scientists looking for DNA variations in a cancer called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma have found that excess activity in certain genes may indicate whether the disease will be fatal.
- Astronomy
Milky Way galaxy: Cloaked in a hot shroud?
Spacecraft observations indicate that a vast, unseen halo of hot gas envelopes our home galaxy, the Milky Way, and could literally be brushing up against its nearest neighbors.
- Humans
Record science budget evaded proposed cuts
Congress and the Bush administration have now agreed on unprecedented rises in funding for research and development programs.
-
Ancient Gene Takes Grooming in Hand
A gene involved in body development also plays a critical role in regulating the grooming behavior of mice, a discovery that may advance the understanding of certain psychiatric disorders.
- Physics
Electrons grab unexpected energy share
When atoms or molecules react with a metal surface, even briefly, they can inject much more energy into surface electrons than previously realized.
- Physics
Liquid computer takes key quantum step
The first, rudimentary implementation of a method, called Shor's algorithm, for using quantum mechanics in computations suggests that larger-scale implementations are possible and may eventually break the codes used today to protect secret messages on the Internet and elsewhere.
