News
- Genetics
Neandertal genes in people today came from hook-ups around 47,000 years ago
Most present-day humans carry a small amount of Neandertal DNA that can be traced back to a single period of interbreeding, two genetic analyses find.
- Earth
Earth’s inner core may be changing shape
Earthquake data suggest that all or small patches of the inner core's surface may be swelling and contracting.
- Earth
The 2004 tsunami killed hundreds of thousands. Are we better prepared now?
Twenty years after the deadliest wave in recorded history, most oceans have warning systems and communities have learned how best to escape the danger.
- Health & Medicine
U.S. hospitals continue to shut down labor and delivery services
More than half of rural hospitals and more than one-third of urban hospitals did not offer labor and delivery services in 2022.
- Animals
The screams of thirsty plants may prompt some moths to lay eggs elsewhere
Female moths may pick up on the ultrasonic wailing of distressed plants and opt to lay their eggs on different, healthier plants.
- Health & Medicine
Some countries have eliminated malaria, but cases are growing elsewhere
Egypt was added to the list of malaria-free places in 2024, but climate change, conflict and other threats could increase cases especially in Africa.
- Health & Medicine
During an allergic response, some immune cells digest others
Mast cells lure and trap other immune cells during allergic reactions, using their compounds to increase inflammation in a process dubbed nexocytosis
- Archaeology
The oldest known ritual chamber in the Middle East has been found
Engravings and other evidence suggest ancient humans attended religious ceremonies in the cave as early as 37,000 years ago.
- Health & Medicine
A squid-inspired medical device could reduce the need for needles
The device, which directs a liquid by mimicking squids’ high-pressure jets, could provide alternative delivery methods for injectable drugs.
- Health & Medicine
Proposed time limits on anesthesia may have jeopardized patient safety
Blue Cross Blue Shield’s now rescinded plan to put time limits on anesthesia put a spotlight on a poorly understood profession.
- Physics
Notre Dame is reopening. What does that mean for its acoustics?
Researcher Brian Katz is studying the acoustics of the Paris cathedral and how it’s been altered throughout the centuries.
- Astronomy
Astronomers see the astrosphere of a sunlike star for the first time
Finding a bubble of hot gas blown by the stellar wind from a young star gives researchers a peek at what our sun was like when it was young.
