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Life

Having an extra chromosome has a surprising effect on cancer

Extra chromosome copies may protect against, not cause, cancer.

Ecosystems

Losing tropical forest might raise risks of human skin ulcers, deformed bones

Bacteria that cause Buruli ulcer in people flourish with tropical deforestation.

Neuroscience

Brain waves show promise against Alzheimer’s protein in mice

Flickers of light induce brain waves that wash amyloid-beta out of the brain, mouse study suggests.

Science & Society

Virtual reality raises real risk of motion sickness

New research confirms anecdotal reports that virtual reality headsets can cause motion sickness, and may affect women more than men.

Tech

Zippy new jumping bot catches air again and again

Leaping robot can bounce from floor to wall, parkour-style, and, like a bush baby, uses a “super-crouch” to get extra oomph out of jumps.

Life

Cell distress chemicals help embryos quickly heal

The chemicals trigger drawstring-like structures that help close wounds.

Life

Bird plus goggles equals new insight into flight physics

Slow-flying parrotlet produces vortices that explosively break up.

Animals

First spider superdads discovered

Male spiders first known to give up solitary life for offspring care, often as a single parent.

Quantum Physics

Cosmic test confirms quantum weirdness

Physicists used starlight to perform a cosmic Bell test.

Astronomy

Gaggle of stars get official names

The names of 227 stars have been formally recognized by the International Astronomical Union.

Astronomy

Stellar vomiting produces dark galaxies, simulations suggest

Dark galaxies might owe their existence to multiple rounds of prolific star birth and death that eject gas and stretch out their homes, new simulations suggest.

Neuroscience

Gut microbe mix may spark Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s disease symptoms might be driven by gut microbes