News
- Psychology
STEM professors’ beliefs on intelligence may widen the racial achievement gap
Seeing intelligence as fixed can result in lower grades, especially for certain minorities
By Bruce Bower - Earth
Muons reveal the whopping voltages inside a thunderstorm
Particle physics sheds new light on the electric potential of thunderstorms.
- Materials Science
A new insulation material is practically weightless yet still durable
Extreme heat and temperature swings are no match for this lightweight insulator.
- Climate
Climate change could increase foodborne illness by energizing flies
Warmer, more lively house flies could spread more Campylobacter bacteria by landing on more food.
By Susan Milius - Life
Slow sperm may fail at crashing ‘gates’ on their way to an egg
A new study describes how sperm navigate narrow straits in the reproductive tract’s obstacle course to reach an egg.
- Planetary Science
After 15 years on Mars, it’s the end of the road for Opportunity
After 15 years of exploring Mars, a dust storm led to the demise of NASA’s longest-lived rover.
- Quantum Physics
Photons reveal a weird effect called the quantum pigeonhole paradox
Quantum particles seem to disobey a fundamental principle of mathematics.
- Health & Medicine
Congo’s Ebola outbreak is a testing ground for new treatments
The first multidrug clinical trial of Ebola treatments is underway amid an outbreak in Congo.
- Archaeology
The spread of Europe’s giant stone monuments may trace back to one region
Megaliths spread across the continent due to seafarers’ influence, researcher says.
By Bruce Bower - Climate
An Antarctic expedition will search for what lived under the Larsen C ice shelf
The fourth attempt to investigate the seafloor once hidden by the Larsen C iceberg may have the best chance yet of success.
- Neuroscience
Brain scans decode an elusive signature of consciousness
Newly described patterns of brain activity may help reveal the level of awareness in people with brain injuries.
- Genetics
DNA reveals early mating between Asian herders and European farmers
A new genetic analysis could upend assumptions about the origins of Indo-European languages.
By Bruce Bower