News
- Earth
Gulf spill harmed small fish, studies indicate
Effects vary but dire impacts seen with some very low exposures.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Protein’s destructive journey in brain may cause Parkinson’s
Clumps of alpha-synuclein move through dopamine-producing cells, mouse study finds.
- Planetary Science
Digging deep into Martian soil
NASA's rover takes a closer look at Mars' surface.
By Nadia Drake - Space
Rogue planet found among gang of stars
Astronomers report the closest such free-floating object to Earth.
By Tanya Lewis - Life
Rainforest katydids evolved mammal-like ears
Tiny hearing organs below insect’s knees have a structure similar to those in humans.
By Susan Milius - Tech
Tiny muscles pull a big punch
Coated carbon nanotubes form the basis of this smart new material.
- Humans
Oldest examples of hunting weapon uncovered in South Africa
A common ancestor of people and Neandertals may have flung stone-tipped shafts at animal prey.
By Bruce Bower -
- Life
Ebola may go airborne
Infected pigs can transmit virus to primates without contact, a new study finds.
- Earth
Global drought may have changed less than thought
Simple models have overestimated drying over past 60 years.
By Tanya Lewis - Earth
Pandas’ home range may move as climate changes
Warming might force animals’ food source, bamboo, to higher elevations.
- Humans
Ancient hominid had an unusual diet
A long-extinct member of the human evolutionary family had an uncommon taste for grasses and sedges.
By Bruce Bower