News
- Life
Deadly for bugs, perfect for bat naps
A death chamber for insects, the interior of a carnivorous pitcher plant doubles as a cozy daytime roost for small, flying woolly mammals.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Mass vaccination could slow cholera
Immunizing people at the outset of an outbreak would limit the number of cases and deaths, an analysis finds.
By Nathan Seppa - Math
Unnatural selection
Inflicting damage on targeted species can help preserve perturbed ecosystems.
- Health & Medicine
U.S. lags in life expectancy gains
Among developed countries, Americans spend the most on health care even as they fall behind in extending longevity, a new study finds.
By Nathan Seppa - Space
Fresh pics of Mars’ groovy moon
New close-up images of Phobos will help determine the landing site for the first craft slated to touch down there.
By Ron Cowen - Health & Medicine
Sleep makes the memory
Napping while reliving memories stabilizes people’s ability to recall them later.
- Psychology
Stage set early for success, or failure
Youngsters who lack self-control tend to hurtle toward a harsh rendezvous with adulthood.
By Bruce Bower - Earth
Glaciers largely stable in one range of Himalayas
Amid icy retreats in neighboring ranges, ice in Karakoram region may even be growing, thanks to debris cover.
By Janet Raloff -
- Animals
Chimps wear personalities on their mugs
Humans can assess the dominance of their close evolutionary relatives by glancing at the apes’ expressionless faces.
By Bruce Bower - Chemistry
Wee work-around lets microbes thrive
Some crafty, salt-loving cells use stolen equipment for processing a key cellular building block.
- Psychology
Kids’ friendships sometimes illusory
A substantial minority of third to sixth graders think they're tight with a classmate who actually dislikes them.
By Bruce Bower