News
- Planetary Science
Voyager chasing solar system’s edge
On the 35th anniversary of the spacecraft’s launch, scientists ponder when it will move beyond the sun’s reach.
By Nadia Drake - Life
Team releases sequel to the human genome
ENCODE reveals the machinery that switches genes on and off.
- Health & Medicine
MRI spots silent heart attacks
Scanning elderly population finds many people with telltale cardiac damage that was not diagnosed.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Military combat marks the brain
Regions involved in memory and attention changed after soldiers' deployment, though most eventually returned to their pre-combat state.
- Space
Another potentially habitable world emerges
The newfound planet orbits a common type of dwarf star, suggesting even more may be out there.
By Nadia Drake - Chemistry
Big jobs go to loyal proteins
Cells offload much of their nonessential work on enzymes that juggle a number of tasks.
- Humans
DNA unveils enigmatic Denisovans
Technical advances amplify the genetic record of a Stone Age humanlike population, ancestors of modern Melanesians.
By Bruce Bower - Space
Stars’ missing elements could signal lurking small planets
The sun's chemistry suggests some good other places to hunt for rocky orbs.
By Nadia Drake - Health & Medicine
Low-cal longevity questioned
Limited food intake in rhesus monkeys fails to extend the animals’ survival, in a departure from earlier reports.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Brain learns while you snooze
Mind can make associations between smells and sounds during sleep.
- Humans
Young scientists make the cut
With the naming of the 30 finalists, middle school students will vie for top prize in national Broadcom MASTERS competition.
By Meghan Rosen - Space
Exoplanet pair orbits two stars
The Kepler spacecraft catches two exoplanets around a binary star system, with one planet in the habitable zone.
By Nadia Drake