Science Ticker
A roundup of research and breaking news
- Animals
Most illegal ivory is less than three years old
Most of the ivory seized by law enforcement in the last decade doesn’t come from elephants poached many years ago.
- Health & Medicine
Antibody protects against Zika virus in tests in mice
A new treatment for Zika relies on human antibodies and can help protect pregnant mice from the virus’s damaging effects.
- Genetics
Protective genetic variant may offer a path to future autoimmune therapies
A natural tweak in the TYK2 protein strikes a balance between weak and overactive immune systems.
- Planetary Science
Mars lander debris spotted
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter imaged the impact site of the Schiaparelli Mars lander, missing in action since its October 19 descent.
- Planetary Science
Two unseen moons may circle Uranus
Two more moons might be lurking around Uranus, causing material in the planet’s rings to clump up, Voyager 2 data suggest.
- Health & Medicine
Nose cells fix knee cartilage in human trial
A small clinical trial suggests that using nose cells to patch knee cartilage could be a viable treatment for injuries.
- Planetary Science
Mars lander silent as mission scientists work out what went wrong
Schiaparelli lander is still silent on the surface of Mars while mission scientists try to understand what happened during the probe’s descent.
- Planetary Science
Juno spacecraft goes into ‘safe mode,’ continues to orbit Jupiter
The Juno spacecraft has gone into safe mode while in orbit around Jupiter. Mission scientists are also closely monitoring a fuel valve issue on the probe.
- Planetary Science
Mission scientists await signal from Mars lander
The ExoMars mission’s Schiaparelli lander went silent before its scheduled landing on the Red Planet.
- Planetary Science
ExoMars mission set to arrive at Red Planet on October 19
The European ExoMars mission is about to arrive at the Red Planet, dropping a lander on the surface and putting a spacecraft into orbit.
- Particle Physics
KATRIN experiment readies for quest to find neutrino’s mass
The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino experiment, or KATRIN, has begun taking test data in its effort to measure the mass of neutrinos.
- Animals
Berries may give yellow woodpeckers a red dye job
A diet of invasive honeysuckle berries may be behind stray red feathers in woodpeckers called yellow-shafted flickers.
