News
- Ecosystems
When Worms Fly: Insect larvae can survive bird guts
Insects can travel as larval stowaways in the guts of migrating birds.
By Susan Milius -
Mirror Cells’ Fading Spark: Empathy-related neurons may turn off in autism
Brain cells implicated in the ability to imitate and empathize with others largely fail to function in children with autism, a new brain-imaging investigation suggests.
By Bruce Bower - Planetary Science
Red Planet Express: Mars spacecraft traces a watery tale
A Mars-orbiting spacecraft has provided new details about when and where liquid water existed on the planet.
By Ron Cowen - Physics
Instant Nano Blocks: One-step process makes trillions of DNA pyramids
Researchers have unveiled a three-dimensional building component that can be created from DNA in a simple procedure.
By Peter Weiss - Health & Medicine
Beyond Hearing: Cochlear implants work best when given early
Children born deaf who receive cochlear implants as toddlers show brain activity that's more normal than that of children getting the implants later in childhood.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
3-D Vision: New technique could improve breast cancer screening, diagnosis
An experimental alternative to standard mammography could, by the end of this decade, become an essential tool for spotting breast cancer.
By Ben Harder - Planetary Science
Martian dust storm
In late October, a day after Mars and Earth were at their closest approach until 2018, the Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of a large dust storm on the Red Planet.
By Ron Cowen - Health & Medicine
New malaria vaccine is off to promising start
An experimental malaria vaccine has been shown to induce a strong immune response in people.
By Nathan Seppa - Tech
Sweets spur biodiesel reaction
A Japanese research team has made an environmentally friendly biodiesel catalyst from charred sugars.
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Urban fish show perturbed spawning cycle
Sediment-dwelling fish off Seattle's waterfront exhibit spawning abnormalities that may compromise their ability to reproduce successfully.
By Janet Raloff - Earth
Is Teddy a pollution magnet?
Stuffed toys can accumulate high concentrations of potentially toxic air pollutants.
By Janet Raloff - Ecosystems
Feminized cod on the high seas
Male cod in the open ocean are producing an egg-yolk protein ordinarily made only by females, signaling their potential exposure to estrogen-mimicking pollutants.
By Janet Raloff