News
- Astronomy
A record-breaking, oxygen-starved galaxy may be full of gigantic stars’ shrapnel
The newly discovered galaxy may have once been home to stars more than 300 times as massive as the sun — a peek at conditions in the early universe.
- Anthropology
Ancient humans may have had apelike brains even after leaving Africa
Modern humanlike brains may have evolved surprisingly late, about 1.7 million years ago, a new study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is tied to uncommon blood clots in rare cases
Blood clots should be listed as a possible side effect of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, but its benefits still outweigh the risks, experts say.
- Psychology
People add by default even when subtraction makes more sense
People default to addition when solving puzzles and problems, even when subtraction works better. That could underlie some modern-day excesses.
- Particle Physics
Muon magnetism could hint at a breakdown of physics’ standard model
After two decades, a new measurement of the muon magnetic anomaly reinforces earlier hints that its value disagrees with standard physics.
- Genetics
Europe’s oldest known humans mated with Neandertals surprisingly often
DNA from ancient fossils suggests interbreeding regularly occurred between the two species by about 45,000 years ago, two studies find.
- Animals
Tiny crystals give a plain fish twinkling, colorful dots under light
Fishes’ flashing photonic crystals may provide inspiration for ultra-miniaturized sensors that work in a living body.
- Life
Yawning helps lions synchronize their groups’ movements
A lion yawn is contagious, and when lions start yawning together, they start moving together. Synchronization may be key for group hunters like lions.
- Earth
A spike in Arctic lightning strikes may be linked to climate change
Global warming may be revving up summer thunderstorms in the Arctic, leading to skyrocketing numbers of lightning strikes.
- Physics
Newly made laser-cooled antimatter could test foundations of modern physics
Physicists have finally used laser cooling to tame unruly antimatter atoms. That could allow new tests of symmetry and Einstein’s theory of gravity.
- Paleontology
The dinosaur-killing asteroid impact radically altered Earth’s tropical forests
The asteroid impact fundamentally reset the nature of Earth’s tropical rainforests, decreasing diversity at first and making them permanently darker.
- Health & Medicine
4 takeaways from the WHO’s report on the origins of the coronavirus
The leading hypothesis is that the coronavirus spread to people from bats via a yet-to-be-identified animal, but no animals have tested positive so far.
