Notebook
- Plants
How a tomato plant foils a dreaded vampire vine
Tomatoes can foil a dodder plant attack by getting scared and scabbing over.
- Physics
Flaming fuel on water creates ‘blue whirl’ that burns clean
Scientists found a way to burn fuel on water that leaves little soot behind.
- Science & Society
Cancer drug came from traditional Chinese medicine
Researchers looked to traditional Chinese medicine for cancer treatment clues 50 years ago. Today, synthetic versions treat a variety of cancers.
- Paleontology
T. rex look-alike unearthed in Patagonia
A new dinosaur species discovered in Patagonia has the runty forearms of a Tyrannosaurus rex, but is not closely related to the gigantic predator.
- Astronomy
Magnetic fields in sun rise at 500 kilometers per hour
Magnetic fields within the sun rise up no faster than about 500 kilometers per hour, suggesting that the movement of gas is responsible for bringing these fields to the sun’s surface.
- Animals
These lizards bleed green
Blood and bones turn naturally green in island lizards. Their evolutionary history still needs explaining.
- Oceans
50 years ago, humans could pick the oceans clean
Scientists have long recognized that we might overfish the oceans. Despite quotas, some species are paying the price of human appetite.
- Animals
Newly discovered big-headed ants use spines for support
Two newly discovered ant species provide new insights into spiny evolution.
- Animals
To prevent cannibalism, bring chocolate
If a date goes bad for a nursery web spider, a romantic gift can serve as a shield.
- Health & Medicine
U.S. lags in road safety
The U.S. tops the list of 19 high-income countries for deaths from motor vehicle crashes.
- Oceans
Underwater city was built by microbes, not people
Submerged stoneworklike formations near the Greek island of Zakynthos were built by methane-munching microbes, not ancient Greeks.
- Life
Artificial hearing has come a long way since 1960s
Scientists envisioned artificial hearing 50 years ago. Today, they are working to make it superhuman.
