News
- Archaeology
First settlers reached Americas 130,000 years ago, study claims
Mastodon site suggests first Americans arrived unexpectedly early.
By Bruce Bower - Environment
‘Fossil’ groundwater is not immune to modern-day pollution
Ancient groundwater that is thousands of years old is still susceptible to modern pollution, new research suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Faux womb keeps preemie lambs alive
A device can keep premature lambs alive for a month in womblike conditions.
- Humans
Homo naledi’s brain shows humanlike features
South African Homo species had small but humanlike brain, scientists say.
By Bruce Bower - Astronomy
No long, twisted tail trails the solar system
The bubble that envelops the planets and other material in the solar system does not have a tail, new observations show.
- Particle Physics
Collider data hint at unexpected new subatomic particles
A set of particle decay measurements could be evidence for new physics.
- Life
Immune cells play surprising role in steady heartbeat
Immune system cells called macrophages help heart cells rhythmically contract, maintaining the beat of mice’s hearts.
- Climate
Plot twist in methane mystery blames chemistry, not emissions, for recent rise
The recent rise in atmospheric methane concentrations may have been caused by changes in atmospheric chemistry, not increased emissions from human activities, two new studies suggest.
- Neuroscience
Brain gains seen in elderly mice injected with human umbilical cord plasma
Plasma from human umbilical cord blood refreshes aspects of learning and memory in mice.
- Health & Medicine
Autism, ADHD risk not linked to prenatal exposure to antidepressants
Taking antidepressants during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, two new large studies suggest.
- Archaeology
Shock-absorbing spear points kept early North Americans on the hunt
Ancient Americans invented a way to make spear points last on an unfamiliar continent.
By Bruce Bower - Oceans
More than one ocean motion determines tsunami size
The horizontal movement of the seafloor during an earthquake can boost the size of the resulting tsunami, researchers propose.