News
- Space
Super Saturnian storm
The Cassini spacecraft captured images of massive tempest in planet’s northern hemisphere.
By Nadia Drake - Life
Immune cells function beyond battle
Cells lining the intestines take cues from immune cells and gut bacteria when deciding whether self-defense or metabolism is more important.
- Health & Medicine
Coffee delivers jolt deep in the brain
Caffeine strengthens electrical signals in a portion of the hippocampus, a study in rats finds.
- Humans
Two feet or four, software is the same
All walking animals use the same basic nerve patterns to put one leg in front of the other(s).
By Nick Bascom - Psychology
Babies may benefit from moms’ lasting melancholy
Fetuses pick up on maternal depression and thrive after birth if mothers don’t get better, a new study suggests.
By Bruce Bower - Chemistry
Plastic isn’t over yet
A tough new form of the 20th century’s signature polymer could extend its usefulness and make it more recyclable.
- Life
How both macho and meek persist
Research in voles demonstrates one way that evolution preserves two divergent strategies in a single population.
By Susan Milius - Life
Chromosome glitch tied to separation anxiety
The finding is the latest in a series linking extra or missing gene copies to mental conditions.
- Physics
Metallic hydrogen makes its debut, maybe
German scientists claim to have squeezed the gas into a liquid that could have multiple applications.
By Devin Powell - Space
Lakes may lurk beneath chaos on Europa
Pockets of liquid water underlie fractured ice on the Jupiter moon’s surface, a new study concludes.
By Nadia Drake - Health & Medicine
Busting blood clots with a nanoparticle
An experimental technology that delivers medication directly to a dangerous blockage might augment heart attack treatment, a new study finds.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Magic trick reveals unconscious knowledge
People know more than they think when it comes to visual information, study shows.