News
- Health & Medicine
Experimental blood pressure drug takes natural approach
Dual-action compound tests well in large group of people with mild to moderate hypertension
By Nathan Seppa - Chemistry
Methane-making microbes thrive under the ice
Antarctica’s ice sheets could hide vast quantities of the greenhouse gas, churned out by a buried ecosystem.
- Space
Spacecraft takes express tour of Martian moon
New images and gravity data reveal details about the origin and composition of Phobos.
By Ron Cowen - Life
To catch a thief, follow his filthy hands
Bacteria from a person’s hands may provide a new type of fingerprint.
- Ecosystems
Iron fertilization in ocean nourishes toxic algae
Efforts to prevent global warming by fertilizing the oceans with iron could trigger harmful algal blooms.
By Sid Perkins - Psychology
Soothing start to childhood weight problems
Pacifying infants with food may raise likelihood of later obesity.
By Bruce Bower - Humans
Babies see human hand behind ordered events
Experiments find that infants attribute actions to people.
By Bruce Bower - Plants
Chemists pin down poppy’s tricks for making morphine
Scientists have figured out two of the final key steps in the chain of chemical reactions that the opium poppy uses to synthesize morphine, suggesting possible signaling strategies for new ways of making the drug and its cousin painkillers.
- Chemistry
Pit vipers’ night vision explained
A new study finds the protein responsible for snakes’ sense of heat.
- Science & Society
Don’t know much about…
A measure of U.S. science literacy has increased - to 28%
By Janet Raloff - Humans
One key to teaching toddlers with TV: trickery
Kids under 3 can learn from educational videos if they believe what they’re seeing is real.
By Bruce Bower - Humans
Young science scholars to be recognized
Finalists in the Science Talent Search are in Washington, D.C., to present their research; winners are to be announced March 16.