News

  1. Health & Medicine

    Defenses Down: Mutation boosts West Nile risk

    A genetic mutation has been identified that increases a person's susceptibility to West Nile virus.

    By Nathan Seppa
  2. Astronomy

    Images reveal possible origin of young stars

    Astronomers say they have solved the riddle of how young, massive stars can reside so close to the monster black hole at the Milky Way's center.

    By Ron Cowen
  3. Planetary Science

    One star better than two?

    Rather than disrupting the planet-forming process around another star, a nearby companion may sometimes enhance it, new computer simulations suggest.

    By Ron Cowen
  4. Astronomy

    Hubble spots North Star companion

    Astronomers have obtained an image of a close companion star to Polaris, the North Star.

    By Ron Cowen
  5. Astronomy

    Gravity at play

    Astronomers have found 19 cosmic mirages, distorted images created when the gravity of a massive galaxy bends and magnifies the light from a background object.

    By Ron Cowen
  6. Materials Science

    Making waves

    Scientists have created thin, wavy silicon ribbons that stretch along with their rubber backing.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  7. Tech

    Cranberry aid for assay

    Cranberry juice, often used to stave off urinary-tract infections caused by Escherichia coli, also keeps the bacterium from reducing a biosensor's specificity.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  8. Archaeology

    Getting a read on early Maya writing

    Excavators of a pyramid in northeastern Guatemala announced the discovery of the earliest known Maya writing.

    By Bruce Bower

  9. Robo Receptor: Researchers engineer a brain ion channel to take its cues from light

    Scientists have engineered an ion channel in nerve cells to open or close in response to light.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  10. Ecosystems

    Life Underfoot: Microbial biodiversity takes surprising twist

    When it comes to numbers of bacterial species, rainforest dirt is virtually a desert, but desert dirt bursts with biodiversity.

    By Christen Brownlee

  11. The Fat Track: Signals between cells keep creatures lean

    An ancient cellular pathway that determines cells' fates also inhibits fat formation in insects and mammals.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  12. Health & Medicine

    Put Down That Fork: Studies document hazards of obesity

    Being overweight or obese in middle age increases a person's risk of heart or kidney problems later in life.

    By Nathan Seppa