SN Online

LIFE
Schooling fish stay together by focusing on neighbors rather than the group. See “School rules.”

Spiders known for their web architecture can trace their lineage to one crafty ancestor that lived 200 million years ago. See “The origin of orbs.”

BODY & BRAIN
Scientists have pinpointed what makes hearing nails on a chalkboard so awful, and it’s not the high pitch. Read “The sound of screech.”

MATTER & ENERGY
A new laser analysis can identify gemstones mined from war-torn regions. See “Laser analysis betrays diamonds’ origins.”