News
- Life
A gene therapy shot might keep cats from getting pregnant without being spayed
Even after mating with fertile males, females given the cat contraceptive, which targets an ovulation-preventing hormone, did not get pregnant.
- Anthropology
Homo naledi may have dug cave graves and carved marks into cave walls
Proposed discoveries of humanlike activities by these ancient, small-brained hominids have elicited skepticism from some researchers.
- Life
Air pollution monitoring may accidentally help scientists track biodiversity
Filters in air monitoring facilities inadvertently capture environmental DNA, which could give scientists a new tool to track local plants and animals.
- Math
A ‘vampire einstein’ tile outdoes mathematicians’ latest feat
A newfound shape covers an infinite plane with a pattern that doesn’t repeat and without mirror images of the shape.
- Life
Coral reefs host millions of bacteria, revealing Earth’s hidden biodiversity
A new estimate of microbial life living in Pacific reefs is similar to global counts, suggesting many more microbes call Earth home than thought.
- Physics
Measurements of a key radioactive decay nudge a nuclear clock closer to reality
In a step toward building a nuclear clock, scientists measured light emitted when a special type of thorium nucleus decayed.
- Animals
These ants build tall nest hills to help show the way home
Desert ants living in the harsh, flat salt pans of Tunisia create towering anthills to aid with navigating the near-featureless terrain.
- Animals
How a new Lyme vaccine for mice may protect people
A vaccine, distributed as pellets, can neutralize Lyme-causing bacteria in wildlife. Scientists hope it will reduce Lyme exposure for people and pets.
- Quantum Physics
Quantum computers braided ‘anyons,’ long-sought quasiparticles with memory
Particle-like quantum states called non-abelian anyons remember being swapped and could be useful for protecting information in quantum computers.
- Climate
Why the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is especially hard to predict
It’s hard to know how busy this year’s Atlantic hurricane season will be, thanks to a rarely observed combination of ocean and climate conditions.
- Planetary Science
A quake on Mars showed its crust is thicker than Earth’s
Seismic data from NASA’s Insight lander reveal the crust is roughly 50 kilometers thick, with the northern crust being thinner than the south’s.
- Environment
This house was built partly from recycled diapers
Disposable diapers can replace nearly a third of the materials used in load-bearing structures, offering a potential path to more affordable housing.
