News
-
EarthEarth’s deep interior holds vast reservoir of water
Ocean’s worth of water trapped in Earth’s mantle, lab experiments and seismic data suggest.
-
LifeDinos straddled line between cold- and warm-blooded
Tyrannosaurus rex and other dinosaurs straddled line between cold- and warm-blood, a new analysis finds.
By Meghan Rosen -
GeneticsChimp and human lineages may have split twice as long ago as thought
New estimates of chimpanzee mutation rates suggest humans and chimps last shared a common ancestor 13 million years ago.
-
Health & MedicineNumber of skin moles tied to breast cancer risk
Women who have many moles also have increased disease risk, which may reflect higher estrogen levels.
By Nathan Seppa -
AnimalsWinter road salting reshapes next summer’s butterflies
Winter road salt treatments boost sodium in roadside plants and alter development for monarch butterflies.
By Susan Milius -
LifeOxytocin stimulates repair of old mice’s muscles
The naturally produced hormone oxytocin, well known for its role in social bonding, may help heal injured muscles in the elderly.
-
AstronomyStopping starlight may bring other Earths into focus
Two new telescope concepts compete for NASA’s approval, in hopes of taking the first picture of a life-bearing exoplanet.
-
AgricultureFertilizer produces far more greenhouse gas than expected
Farmers’ overuse of nitrogen-based fertilizers may explain previously puzzling high emissions of nitrous oxide.
By Beth Mole -
NeuroscienceRats feel regret, experiment finds
When they turn down a good meal for a lesser one, rodents regret their choice, a study suggests.
-
Materials ScienceNew invisibility cloak hides in the fog
A simple invisibility cloak relies on hazy environments to mask objects.
By Andrew Grant -
NeuroscienceSleep strengthens some synapses
Mice show signs of stronger neuron connections when allowed to sleep after learning a trick.
-
Planetary ScienceMoon’s origins revealed in rocks’ chemistry
A new chemical measurement of rocks from Earth and from the moon supports the giant impact hypothesis, which explains how the moon formed billions of years ago.
By Meghan Rosen