News
- Health & Medicine
Calming Factor: DNA vaccine for MS passes initial test
A DNA vaccine against multiple sclerosis passes a safety trial and shows signs of suppressing immune-directed nerve damage.
By Nathan Seppa -
Mood Bugs: Beetle changes color in fluid fashion
A Central American beetle changes color in a novel way, using its body fluid to control the reflectivity of its shell.
- Planetary Science
Geyser gawker: Plans for a closer look at Enceladus
The Cassini spacecraft will change course to take a close look next March at plumes of water vapor emanating from the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus.
By Ron Cowen - Health & Medicine
Anti-inflammatory prevents pancreatic cancer in mice
An anti-inflammatory drug of the COX-2 inhibitor family blocks precancerous lesions in mice prone to pancreatic cancer.
By Nathan Seppa - Tech
Uncharted atomic landscapes
A refinement to electron microscopes enables them not only to visualize atoms but also to identify different elements.
- Earth
How reading may protect the brain
People who read well show more resistance to the toxic brain effects of lead exposure.
By Janet Raloff - Animals
What’s so great about ‘chuck’?
A particular flourish in a male frog's call attracts extra interest from predators as well as female frogs, and researchers now have an idea why.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Badly matched birds make troubled parents
Cockatiel pairs that don't cooperate well have trouble raising their chicks.
By Susan Milius - Physics
Newton’s Dusty Mirror: Old experiment inspires ultrafast imaging
An experiment devised by Isaac Newton inspires a modern successor, in which X rays capture the image of a microscopic explosion.
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Bad News, Good News: ADHD-risk gene has silver lining
A gene variant that increases the risk for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder in young children also helps the problem resolve by the teen years.
By Brian Vastag - Earth
Drug Overflow: Pharmaceutical factories foul waters in India
A treatment plant in India that processes waste from drug factories feeds enormous amounts of antibiotics and other drugs into local waterways.
- Health & Medicine
Nerve Link: Alzheimer’s suspect shows up in glaucoma
Amyloid-beta, the protein fragment implicated in Alzheimer's disease, may also play a role in glaucoma.
By Nathan Seppa