News

  1. Planetary Science

    NASA’s Perseverance rover has touched down on Mars

    The spacecraft will arrive at Mars on February 18, joining missions from China and the United Arab Emirates.

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  2. Animals

    A rare bird sighting doesn’t lead to seeing more kinds of rare birds

    The idea that more kinds of rare birds are seen when birders flock to where one has been seen, the so-called Patagonia Picnic Table Effect, is a myth.

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  3. Anthropology

    A body burned inside a hut 20,000 years ago signaled shifting views of death

    Ancient hunter-gatherers burned a hut in which they had placed a dead woman, suggesting a change in how death was viewed.

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  4. Plants

    Modified genes can distort wild cotton’s interactions with insects

    In a Yucatan nature park, engineered genes influence nectar production, affecting ants’ and maybe pollinators’ attraction to the wild cotton plants.

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  5. Psychology

    In the social distancing era, boredom may pose a public health threat

    Boredom contributes to pandemic fatigue and may account for why some people don’t follow social distancing rules.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Pfizer’s vaccine appears to reduce coronavirus transmission

    People who carry low amounts of the coronavirus in their bodies are less likely to spread COVID-19. Pfizer’s shot appears to help reduce viral loads.

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  7. Physics

    Tiny, sunlight-powered aircraft could soar beyond airplanes’ reach

    Microfliers levitate when hit with light, in conditions like those high in Earth’s atmosphere.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Making masks fit better can reduce coronavirus exposure by 96 percent

    Double masking, rubber bands and other hacks can produce a tighter fit and prevent aerosol particles that can carry coronavirus from getting through.

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  9. Astronomy

    The number of Milky Way nova explosions per year has been pinned down

    Knowing how frequently these stellar eruptions occur will help determine their contribution to the galaxy’s chemical makeup.

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  10. Archaeology

    Stonehenge may have had roots in a Welsh stone circle

    Ancient migrants to southern England brought the makings of the iconic monument with them, researchers suspect.

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  11. Science & Society

    Black, Hispanic and female police use force less often than white male officers

    A case study of Chicago policing suggests that diversifying to include more Black, Hispanic and female officers may improve how civilians are treated.

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  12. Earth

    Fin whale songs can reveal hidden features of the ocean floor

    Fin whale calls can penetrate into Earth’s crust, offering scientists a new way to study the properties of the ocean floor.

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