News
- Planetary Science
A discordant name for a dwarf planet
The largest known object at the fringes of the solar system, the icy body whose discovery heated up the debate about the nature of planethood, has an apt new name.
- Animals
Scent Stalking: Parasitic vine grows toward tomato odor
A wiry orange vine finds plants to raid for nutrients by growing toward their smell. With video.
- Health & Medicine
Mixed Bag: Islet-cell transplants offer good and bad news
Most people who've received transplanted islet cells for type 1 diabetes still need daily insulin shots, but the transplanted cells curb blood sugar crashes.
- Earth
Gassy Bugs: Microbes may produce propane under the sea
Microbes deep under the ocean's floor could be the source of some ethane and propane found in sediments.
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Montessori Learning Aid: Alternative school shows impact on poor children
An alternative teaching program known as the Montessori method gave an academic and social boost to Milwaukee youngsters that did not occur in their peers attending other schools.
- Earth
Mystery of the Missing Heat: Upper ocean has cooled slightly in recent years, despite warming climate
Between 2003 and 2005, the top layers of the world's oceans cooled slightly, but scientists aren't sure where the heat went.
- Health & Medicine
The Bad Fight: Immune systems harmed 1918 flu patients
The 1918 Spanish flu virus may have launched an intense immune attack that devastated patients' lungs.
- Physics
Hot Stuff: A usually ultracold, odd state forms when warm
An exotic quantum state that had previously appeared only under conditions of astonishing cold has made its room-temperature debut.
- Chemistry
Catalyst cleans up
A new chemical catalyst can remove the pollutant perchlorate from water.
- Chemistry
Altering ant uniforms
The chemical coat that an invasive ant species relies upon to recognize its kin may someday serve to turn family into foe.
- Materials Science
Rice-straw sweaters
Textile scientists have for the first time extracted from rice straw natural cellulose fibers that can be spun into yarn.
- Animals
Mother deer can’t ID their fawns by call
Fawns can distinguish their mom's voice from another deer's, but a mom can't pick out her fawn's call.
