News
-
SpaceBetween the sheets
The detection of layered minerals in a young star’s planet-forming region suggests an origin for Earth’s oceans.
By Ron Cowen -
LifeCuckoos thrown off by climate change
With earlier springs, the birds are duping a different mix of adoptive parents into raising their young.
By Susan Milius -
LifeDoing their part by not doing their part
Freeloaders can be good for a community, yeast experiments suggest.
-
Health & MedicineDNA-damaging disinfection by-products found in pool water
A study detects subtle changes in swimmers’ cells after 40 minutes of laps.
By Janet Raloff -
PsychologyVideo mayhem enlivens decision making
People who play action-oriented video games show improved ability to make quick decisions based on what they see and hear.
By Bruce Bower -
SpaceAsteroids miss with astronomers
Close brushes with small objects like the ones that swept past Earth on Wednesday are actually fairly common.
By Ron Cowen -
Dry air might boost flu transmission
Germs prefer an environment that’s cool, dry and UV-free, experiments suggest.
By Janet Raloff -
ChemistryCockroach brains, coming to a pharmacy near you
Insect tissue extracts show antibacterial activity in lab experiments.
-
Health & MedicineDefining normal in the brain
A new growth curve paves way for scans to be used to spot early signs of autism, schizophrenia or other disorders.
-
SpaceMars shows signs of recent activity
The surface of Mars had abundant liquid water as well as volcanic activity during the past 100 million years, a new study of the Martian atmosphere suggests.
By Ron Cowen -
Health & MedicineA cellular secret to long life
Longevity may depend in part on histones, proteins that keep DNA neatly spooled in the cell’s nucleus and help regulate gene activity.
-
Health & MedicineMutated gene cited in some ovarian cancers
The finding may help researchers devise a way to screen women with endometriosis for cancer risk.
By Nathan Seppa