News
- Earth
Not in this toad’s backyard
Yellow crazy ants meet a hungry obstacle as they spread into cacao plantations.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Study clarifies obesity-infertility link
In female mice, high insulin levels cause a disruptive flood of fertility hormones.
- Chemistry
Light-harvesting complexes do it themselves
A new technique could yield solar cells with no repair or assembly required.
- Space
Changing one of nature’s constants
A controversial new study suggests that an immutable value that governs the strength of the electromagnetic force varies along different directions.
By Ron Cowen - Life
Microbe’s survival manual
Researchers have uncovered how D. radiodurans can withstand extreme radiation.
- Humans
DVDs don’t turn toddlers into vocabulary Einsteins
Young children don’t learn words from a popular educational program, but some of their parents think they do.
By Bruce Bower - Physics
String theory entangled
Scientists forge an intriguing mathematical link between black holes and the physics of the very small.
- Earth
Geomagnetic field flip-flops in a flash
Rocks in Nevada preserve evidence of superfast changes in Earth’s magnetic polarity.
- Health & Medicine
Diabetes drug might fight cancer
A widely prescribed medication with few side effects shows promise in both mice and humans.
By Nathan Seppa - Life
Feud over family ties in evolution
Prominent scientists dispute kinship’s role in self-sacrifice among highly social creatures.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Alzheimer’s trade-off for mentally active seniors
Staying mentally active may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease but may also prompt rapid cognitive decline once symptoms appear.
By Bruce Bower - Life
Hints of altruism among bacteria
E. coli bacteria fight antibiotics with help from drug-resistant neighbors.