News
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AstronomyKepler telescope discovers another 554 possible planets
Extra year of Kepler telescope data adds 554 possible planets and eight confirmed ones that might be able to host life.
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ClimateStalled global warming linked to North American drought
Strong Pacific Ocean winds blamed for the global warming hiatus also boosted the odds of severe drought in the southwestern United States.
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LifeInsect-eating bats implicated as Ebola outbreak source
Insect-eating bats, not fruit bats, may have started the Ebola epidemic.
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Health & MedicinePriming the elderly for flu shots
A drug that shuts down a potent signaling molecule in cells might boost protection elicited with flu vaccination, a study finds.
By Nathan Seppa -
AstronomyEuropa’s geysers play hard-to-see
Follow-up observations of Europa failed to confirm the existence of geysers venting the Jupiter moon’s hidden ocean into space.
By Andrew Grant -
AnimalsRock ants favor left turns in unfamiliar crevices
Rock ants’ bias for turning left in mazes, a bit like handedness in people, may reflect different specializations in the halves of their nervous system.
By Susan Milius -
LifeHydrogen sulfide offers clue to how reducing calories lengthens lives
Cutting calories boosts hydrogen sulfide production, which leads to more resilient cells and longer lives, a new study suggests.
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ChemistryRetraction looms for brute-force chemistry study
A 2011 study on tearing apart ring-shaped molecules is set to be retracted following a misconduct investigation.
By Beth Mole -
ArchaeologyAncient Egyptian blue glass beads reached Scandinavia
Chemical analysis of Danish discoveries extends northern reach of Bronze Age trade.
By Bruce Bower -
AnimalsLucky break documents warbler tornado warning
Warblers fitted with data collecting devices for other reasons reveal early and extreme measures when dodging April’s tornado outbreak.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsCrows may be able to make analogies
Crows with little training pass a lab test for analogical reasoning that requires matching similar or different icons.
By Susan Milius -
AgricultureRestoring crop genes to wild form may make plants more resilient
Restoring wild genes could make plants more resilient in tough environments.