News
- Space
Spacecraft captures dust from interstellar wind
Measurements of the particles reveal clues about the composition of space beyond the solar system.
By Nadia Drake - Health & Medicine
Bird flu leaves tracks in brain
H5N1 infection might make survivors vulnerable to Parkinson’s or other neurological disorders, a study in mice indicates.
- Life
No sleep, no problem, but keep the grub coming
A naturally occurring strain of fruit fly can thrive without slumber, but succumbs more quickly to starvation.
- Humans
Predatory pythons shift Everglades ecology
As invasive snakes expand territory, some mammal populations drop by more than 90 percent within a decade.
By Janet Raloff - Life
Long-lived people distinguished by DNA
A controversial study finds genetic signatures that may be able to identify people with the best chance of living to 100 or beyond.
-
- Psychology
Fighting willpower’s catch-22
Avoiding daily temptations works better than using willpower, which has oddly unintended effects.
By Bruce Bower - Humans
Catching a mood on Facebook
Happiness and other feelings filter among online friends through their brief posts.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
Prions more mobile than thought
Scientists coax pathogens from cow and goat to infect engineered mice, suggesting disease agents can readily jump from one species to another.
- Space
More like Faux-malhaut b
The Spitzer Space Telescope fails to find a visible planet circling where Hubble saw one four years ago.
By Nadia Drake - Chemistry
Measuring what makes a medicine
A new way to evaluate molecules offers a finer-grained picture of which ones could become drugs.
- Space
Molten blobs create moon flashes
Mysterious lunar lights are the superhot remains of meteorites pelting the surface.
By Nadia Drake