News

Astronomy

A strange ‘chirp’ in a brilliant stellar blast points to a magnetar

Superluminous supernovas are the brightest stellar explosions in the universe. Astronomers may have found a mechanism that can trigger these events.

Animals

Submerged bumblebee queens breathe underwater

Submerged bees breathe and use strategies that don’t require oxygen, lab tests show. In nature, that trick could help the bees survive floods.

Health & Medicine

‘Smart underwear’ measures how often humans fart

“Zen digesters” rarely fart. “Hydrogen hyperproducers” fart a lot. Scientists are investigating what is typical.

Plants

Tree tops sparkle with electricity during thunderstorms

Ultraviolet cameras captured faint electrical flashes from leaves and branches as storm charges built up in the atmosphere.