News
- Animals
Vampires Run: Bats on treadmills show high-speed gait
The first test of vampire bats on a treadmill shows that they've evolved their own style of running.
By Susan Milius - Earth
Nano Hazards: Exposure to minute particles harms lungs, circulatory system
Inhaling microscopic nanospheres and nanotubes, as might occur during their manufacture or commercial use, could trigger damage well beyond the lungs.
By Janet Raloff - Planetary Science
Saturn says ‘cheese’
Astronomers have assembled the largest and most-detailed global portrait of the ringed planet ever made.
By Ron Cowen - Chemistry
Parrot plumage has exclusive pigmentation
The spectacular colors of parrot feathers owe their vibrancy to a set of pigments found nowhere else in nature.
- Materials Science
Nanostructures mimic Inuit stone sculptures
Chemists have created nanoscale versions Inuit rock sculptures, an advance that could facilitate the development of next-generation sensors and electronic devices.
- Health & Medicine
Hepatitis B link to cancer is clarified
A kind of hepatitis B called genotype C is more likely to lead to liver cancer than are other genotypes of the hepatitis virus.
By Nathan Seppa - Tech
Silicon chips land a lasting laser
The first microchip-size silicon lasers promise to boost the maximum speeds of ordinary computers and electronic gadgets.
By Peter Weiss - Tech
Remembering, on the cheap
A new type of cheap plastic memory bit that stays set even when electrical power is off could facilitate the spread of flexible, radio-equipped tags as price tags, identity labels, and surveillance sensors.
By Peter Weiss - Health & Medicine
Tungsten-alloy shrapnel might cause cancer
Wounds caused by shrapnel comprising tungsten alloyed with nickel and cobalt cause cancer in rats, raising questions about the wisdom of using tungsten in munitions.
By Nathan Seppa - Animals
Picky-eater termites choose good vibes
Good vibrations may have a lot to do with which pieces of wood a termite attacks.
By Susan Milius - Math
New largest prime discovered
Computers have discovered a new largest prime number with a whopping 7,816,230 digits.
- Astronomy
Puzzling radio blasts
Astronomers are stumped by powerful radio waves emanating from the center of our galaxy.
By Ron Cowen