News

  1. Life

    A giant penguin plumed in earth tones

    The first well-preserved feathers of 36-million-year-old diving bird give clues to color and evolution.

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  2. Space

    First it’s there, then it’s knot

    Discovered just a year ago, a tangle of atoms at the edge of the solar system disappears before astrophysicists’ eyes, leaving questions behind.

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  3. Life

    New genetic blueprint for bloodsuckers

    Mosquito genome number three could lead to new pesticides to fight the adaptable pests.

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  4. Humans

    Ancient New Guinea settlers headed for the hills

    Humans had reached the rugged land by sea and quickly adapted to the mile-high forested interior by nearly 50,000 years ago, stone tools and plant remains indicate.

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  5. Space

    Distant world could support life

    For the first time, astronomers detect a planet beyond the solar system with the potential to be habitable.

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  6. Animals

    Monkey in the mirror

    Monkeys with implanted head devices use mirrors to inspect themselves, perhaps signaling self-awareness.

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  7. Life

    A thousand points of height

    A study finds heaps of genetic variants that influence a person’s stature, but even added together they don’t stack up to much.

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  8. Physics

    Glacier found to be deeply cracked

    A new study finds deep fissures in Alaska ice that could affect future responses to melting.

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  9. Life

    A salty tail

    Just adding sodium can stimulate limb regrowth in tadpoles, a study finds, raising the possibility that human tissue might respond to relatively simple treatment.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    How the brain chooses sides

    A new study reveals where and how people decide which hand to use for a simple task.

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  11. Physics

    Being single a real drag for spores

    Launching thousands of gametes at once helps a fungus waft its offspring farther.

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  12. Tech

    Tiny tools aren’t toys

    Enzyme-based machinery could have medical applications.

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