News
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Itsy bitsy genome
Researchers have sequenced the smallest genome yet discovered, a string of DNA belonging to a species of bacterium that lives inside sap-eating insects' guts.
- Astronomy
Feeling the heat of an extrasolar planet
Astronomers have measured the temperature variation between the lit and unlit sides of a planet outside the solar system.
- Health & Medicine
Prep Work: Bird-flu vaccine might work better with primer
Giving people a vaccine against an existing form of avian influenza might help them respond better when given a shot for a future strain of the virus during a pandemic.
- Astronomy
Assault on Andromeda: Nearby galaxy had recent collision
New findings suggest that a small galaxy recently plunged into Andromeda, opening a new window on collisions that are rare today but were common in the early universe.
- Physics
Vanishing Actor: Physicists unveil first invisibility cloak
The first functional invisibility cloak, which operates at microwave frequencies, has emerged from the laboratory.
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Quirky Cardiology: Crocs’ hearts may aid their digestion
The crocodile's ability to direct oxygen-depleted blood to its stomach may be instrumental in digesting large, bony meals.
- Chemistry
Back on the Table? Element 118 is served up again
A team of nuclear chemists from the United States and Russia have announced the brief reappearance of element 118.
- Planetary Science
A sunrise view of Mars
The first high-resolution images sent by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter support the notion that water once flowed across much of the Red Planet.
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Horns vs. Sperm: Male beetles on tight equipment budget
A group of dung beetle species that sprout elaborate horns often face trade-offs between horn and testes sizes.
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Autism’s DNA Trail: Gene variant tied to developmental disorder
A study of more than 700 families with children diagnosed with autism has identified a gene variant, already known to affect brain formation, that boosts a person's chances of developing this severe disorder.
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Air’s oxygen content constrains insect growth
The size to which insects grow is limited by their need to route oxygen to tissues in their legs.
- Earth
Waters near croplands impair frogs’ immunity
Pesticide-containing waters leave frogs more susceptible to fungal infections than pristine environments do.
