News
- Health & Medicine
Fractals can catch cancer
Analyzing shapes of cell borders may prove useful in cancer diagnosis.
By Sam Lemonick - Astronomy
Tiny sphere bends light like a black hole does
Previously seen at the megascale, gravitational lensing goes micro.
By Andrew Grant - Health & Medicine
Good bacteria from poop stop resistant infection
Pills fashioned from beneficial microbes in feces overcome C. difficile infections.
By Nathan Seppa - Life
Blocking a hormone helps mice beat lengthy jet lag
A timekeeping brain molecule steadies the beat of the circadian clock, while stopping it allows for a quick reset.
- Genetics
Cancer variants found in ‘neglected’ region of genome
Mutations outside of genes associated with disease in study using data from a thousand people.
- Neuroscience
Some grape-scented compounds repel mosquitoes
Molecules discovered to drive away bugs after researchers identify cells that detect, and are disgusted by, DEET.
- Anthropology
Ancient farming populations went boom, then bust
Agriculture’s introduction led to big falls as well as rises in numbers of Europeans.
By Bruce Bower - Microbes
Microbes signal deceased’s time of death
In a study using mice, germs accompany the body’s decay in a consistent time sequence.
- Climate
Humans found guilty in climate change
International panel’s confidence increases that society is responsible for global warming.
By Beth Mole - Planetary Science
Curiosity gets the dirt on Mars
The NASA rover completes an analysis of the first soil collected from Gale Crater.
By Beth Mole - Neuroscience
An on-off switch for eating
By triggering or silencing certain brain cells, scientists can get mice to feed or stop feeding regardless of hunger.
- Life
Newfound biological clocks set by the moon
Two unrelated marine organisms have rhythms dictated by tides, lunar cycle.