News
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EcosystemsAustralian fairy circles first to be found outside Africa
Strange patterns of grassland bald spots called fairy circles show up in Western Australia.
By Susan Milius -
Planetary ScienceWandering Jupiter could have swept inner solar system clean
If Jupiter formed close to the sun and then wandered out, that might explain why there are no planets interior to Mercury’s orbit.
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PaleontologyNew tyrannosaur bridges gap from medium to monstrous
Horse-sized Timurlengia euotica had a brain and ears like its bigger relative Tyrannosaurus rex, which lived millions of years later.
By Beth Geiger -
AnthropologyAncient DNA reveals who is in Spain’s ‘pit of bones’ cave
Ancient DNA shows Neandertals lived in northern Spain 430,000 years ago; the early date raises new questions about Neandertals’ origins.
By Bruce Bower -
ClimateAntarctic history suggests ice sheet ‘danger’ threshold
Carbon dioxide levels during the Antarctic ice sheet’s formation 34 million years ago suggest that Earth could soon enter “danger zone” for ice sheet’s demise.
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PlantsHow to keep seagrasses as happy as a clam
Drought can do more damage to seagrass meadows if their partnership with clams break down.
By Susan Milius -
Health & MedicineMolecules found to counter antibiotic resistance
Molecules made in a lab can foil antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
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Health & MedicineNew techniques regrow lens, cornea tissue
Preliminary stem cell discoveries may restore lenses and corneas.
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AnthropologyH. erectus cut, chewed way through evolution
A diet that included raw, sliced meat changed the face of early Homo evolution, scientists say.
By Bruce Bower -
ClimateHurricane frequency dropped during 17th century ‘Little Ice Age’
Atlantic hurricane activity fell around 75 percent when the sun dimmed from 1645 to 1715, a new analysis of shipwrecks and tree rings suggests.
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Health & MedicineMicrocephaly: Building a case against Zika
Zika virus is the prime suspect for Brazil’s recent surge in birth defects. New evidence in human cells strengthens the case, but more definitive proof could come this summer from Colombia, where thousands of pregnant women have been infected.
By Meghan Rosen -
PsychologyPsychology’s replication crisis sparks new debate
Controversy flares again about whether psychology studies survive further scrutiny.
By Bruce Bower