News
- Health & Medicine
Plants take bite out of deadly snake venoms
A Nigerian pharmacologist has found in local plants a potential antidote to some of the world's most deadly snake venoms.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Flame retardants spark new concern
Breakdown products in brominated flame retardants, traces of which circulate in the blood of most people, may perturb the normal production of reproductive hormones, a new test-tube study suggests.
By Janet Raloff - Earth
Paint additive hammers coral
A pesticidal additive in the paint applied to ship hulls may be contributing to the worldwide decline of corals.
By Janet Raloff - Animals
Ant larvae sway to say, ‘Feed me!’
The most detailed study yet of body language of ant larvae translates a swaying motion as begging for food and a chance at a better future.
By Susan Milius - Planetary Science
Jupiter as mirror for the sun’s X rays
X rays emanating from Jupiter's midriff actually originate on the sun, new observations show.
By David Shiga -
College may endow memory to old brains
College-educated older adults recruit new brain areas to counteract some of the memory loss that occurs with aging, a new brain-imaging study suggests.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
New protease inhibitor looks promising
An antiretroviral drug under development may work in patients for whom existing drugs fall short.
By Ben Harder - Physics
Light’s Hidden Holdup: Reflected laser beams loiter a little
Using an ultrashort pulse laser, physicists have measured a minuscule time delay that affects light reflecting off many surfaces.
By Peter Weiss - Health & Medicine
Vitamin E Loses Luster: Nutrient tests show disappointing results
In people who have a history of heart disease or diabetes, vitamin E supplements don't improve overall health and might even boost heart-failure risk.
By Nathan Seppa - Humans
Student Scientists to Watch: With diverse ideas, young talents win big in annual competition
With science projects by 40 of the nation's brightest high school students arrayed before them last week, judges had the task of weighing the merits of undertakings as diverse as the study of deep-sea volcanism and the development of a promising new antibiotic.
By Ben Harder -
Sugar Coated: Molecular dress-up may disguise gut bacteria
The mammalian immune system doesn't attack native gut bacteria as foreign invaders because the bacteria disguise themselves with sugar molecules.
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Schizophrenia Syncs Fast: Disconnected brain may lie at heart of disorder
A misalignment of electrical outbursts by large numbers of neurons may play a major role in schizophrenia.
By Bruce Bower