News
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New player in cancer risk
RNA snippets of a newly discovered type could be involved in the mechanisms of cancer.
- Animals
Clownfish noisemaker is new to science
Clownfish make "pop-pop-pop" noises at each other by clacking their teeth together in a novel way.
By Susan Milius - Materials Science
Heal thyself—again and again
A new self-healing material can repeatedly repair damage at the same spot.
By Sarah Webb - Earth
Tree rings tell tale of megadroughts
Tree rings in ancient timber show that the Colorado Plateau experienced a 60-year drought in the 12th century.
By Sid Perkins - Animals
Moths mimic ‘Don’t eat me’ sounds
Moths that make clicking noises at predatory bats are mimicking a defensive signal made by other moths that click and also taste bad.
By Susan Milius - Archaeology
Ancient beads found in northern Africa
Perforated shells found in a Moroccan cave indicate that northern Africans made symbolic body ornaments 82,000 years ago, long before Europeans did.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
Diabetes drug might hike heart risk
People who take rosiglitazone, a popular diabetes drug marketed as Avandia, may face an increased risk of heart attack.
By Nathan Seppa -
Borderline Aid: Psychotherapy soothes personality ailment
Three forms of psychotherapy each provide substantial relief from symptoms of borderline personality disorder.
By Bruce Bower - Planetary Science
Shifting Ocean: Tipsy Mars may explain undulating shoreline
Evidence that Mars once had a vast ocean gains support from a proposal that the planet was tipped halfway over on its side several billion years ago.
By Ron Cowen - Health & Medicine
Vaccine Harvest: Cholera fighter could be easy to swallow
An edible vaccine, made by genetically engineering rice, safeguards mice against the toxin produced by cholera bacteria.
By Nathan Seppa - Tech
Improbability Drive: Focus on rare actions speeds chemical simulations
A new algorithm speeds simulations of chemical reactions by focusing on rare but crucial molecular motions.
- Plants
Easy There, Bro: A plant can spot and favor close kin
A little beach plant can recognize its siblings as long as their roots grow in nearby soil.
By Susan Milius