Science NewsAncient Scythians had cultural roots in SiberiaA possible sacrificial ritual from around 2,800 years ago suggests mounted herders from Siberia shaped a Eurasian culture thousands of kilometers away.Oct 08, 2024
Science NewsThe discovery of tools key to machine learning wins the 2024 physics NobelJohn Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton used tools from physics to develop data analysis methods that underlie machine learning.Oct 08, 2024
Science NewsSemaglutide saps mice’s motivation to runMice given semaglutide, the key ingredient in drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, lost weight, but they also voluntarily ran less on a wheel.Oct 07, 2024
Science NewsBlood pressure may read falsely high if the arm isn’t positioned properlyA clinical trial found blood pressure readings were higher with the arm on the lap or along the side, compared with supported at heart height.Oct 07, 2024
Science NewsThese sea creatures can fuse their bodiesA species of comb jelly can fuse its body with another jelly after injury. Some of the pair’s body functions then synchronize.Oct 07, 2024
Science NewsThe discovery of microRNA wins the 2024 physiology Nobel PrizeVictor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun found a new principle of gene regulation essential for all multicellular organisms.Oct 07, 2024
Science News50 years ago, satellites threatened astronomers’ view of the cosmosAs satellite launches ramp up and the spacecraft clog the skies, astronomers fear for their data.Oct 05, 2024
Science NewsEmbracing the collective nature of scienceEditor in chief Nancy Shute celebrates this year's SN10: Scientists to Watch and novel approaches to research.Oct 05, 2024
Science NewsReaders discuss the psychedelic psilocybin, frogs and UFOsIn control A high dose of the psychedelic psilocybin temporarily dissolves brain networks, Laura Sanders reported in “Psilocybin erases brain ‘fingerprints’” (SN: 8/10/24, p. 12). In the study, a generic form of the stimulant Ritalin...Oct 05, 2024
Science NewsA transatlantic flight may turn Saharan dust into a key ocean nutrientOver time, atmospheric chemical reactions can make iron in dust from the Sahara easier for organisms to take in, helping to create biodiversity hot spots.Oct 04, 2024
Science NewsSome tadpoles don’t poop for weeks. That keeps their pools cleanEiffinger’s tree frog babies store their solid waste in an intestinal pouch, releasing less ammonia into their watery cribs than other frog species.Oct 04, 2024
Science NewsBarnard’s star has at least one planet orbiting it after allAfter decades of searching, a telltale gravitational wobble points to an exoplanet orbiting the nearby red dwarf every 3.15 days.Oct 04, 2024
Science NewsAn mRNA vaccine protected mice against deadly intestinal C. difficile bacteriaAn mRNA vaccine that targets several aspects of C. difficile’s ability to cause severe disease prevented major symptoms and death in mice.Oct 03, 2024
Science NewsBrain-controlled bionic limbs are inching closer to realityBionics engineers typically view biology as something to be worked around. “Anatomics” engineers the body to be part of the system.Oct 03, 2024
Science NewsScientists have traced all 54.5 million connections in a fruit fly’s brainBy tracing every single connection between nerve cells in a single fruit fly’s brain, scientists have created the “connectome,” a tool that could help reveal how brains work.Oct 02, 2024
Science NewsThunderstorms churn up a ‘boiling pot’ of gamma rays A thunderstorm seen in gamma-ray vision is a complex, frenetic lightshow when viewed from above the clouds.Oct 02, 2024
Science NewsA hurricane’s aftermath may spur up to 11,000 deathsHurricanes like Helene may indirectly cause deaths for years. Stress, pollution and a loss of infrastructure could all contribute to tropical cyclone fatalities.Oct 02, 2024
Science NewsDolphins’ open-mouth behaviors during play are like smiles, a study claimsExperts urge caution in calling bottlenosed dolphins’ gesture a humanlike “smile,” but agree it seems to be important for how the animals communicate.Oct 02, 2024
Science NewsCoyotes have the face muscles for that ‘sad-puppy’ lookThe ability to make heart-melting stares may not be the fruit of dog domestication if their still-wild cousins have the power to do it too.Oct 01, 2024
Science NewsWhy Hurricane Helene was so devastatingThe tempest caused record-breaking storm surge on the coast and widespread and deadly flooding and debris flows in the Appalachian Mountains.Oct 01, 2024
Science NewsThe fruit fly revolutionized biology. Now it’s boosting science in AfricaAfrican researchers are using Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies to advance studies of genetics, biomedicine, developmental biology, toxicology and more.Oct 01, 2024
Science NewsBird nests made with a toxic fungus seem to fend off attacking antsTwo species of birds in Costa Rica build nests in trees defended by ants. Ants that encounter the horsehair fungus in the nests develop odd behaviors.Oct 01, 2024
Science NewsBetelgeuse has a tiny companion star hidden in plain sightBetelgeuse has a sequel — in the form of a companion star that's about the same mass as the sun, orbiting it about once every 2,100 days.Sep 30, 2024
Science NewsStarlink satellites’ leaky radio waves obscure the cosmosStarlink satellites unintentionally emit radio waves that appear more than 10 million times brighter than natural sources, as seen by ground-based radio telescopes.Sep 30, 2024
Science News‘Night Magic’ invites you to celebrate the living wonders of the darkIn the book ‘Night Magic,’ Leigh Ann Henion writes of encounters with salamanders, bats, glowworms and other life-forms nurtured by darkness.Sep 27, 2024
Science NewsHow rapid intensification spawned two monster hurricanes in one weekNew maps of wind impacts beyond Helene’s ‘cone of uncertainty’ track highlight how a hurricane’s power extends far inland.Sep 27, 2024
Science NewsScientists may have an explanation for why some batteries don’t lastA long-standing idea of why lithium ion batteries die focuses on lithium movement into the cathode. Instead, hydrogen may be to blame.Sep 27, 2024
Science NewsA thousands-year-old log demonstrates how burying wood can fight climate changeBurying wood can store carbon for thousands of years, according to an analysis of an ancient log unearthed in Canada.Sep 26, 2024
Science NewsThe world’s oldest cheese is now revealing some of its secretsA DNA analysis of the kefir cheese, first found about 20 years ago on 3,600-year-old mummies in China, confirms its age and pinpoints its origins.Sep 26, 2024
Science NewsThis fish has legs — and it uses them for more than just walkingSome sea robins have taste buds on their six crablike legs that help the fish ferret out prey buried in sand as they walk.Sep 26, 2024
Science NewsReactive dust from Great Salt Lake may have health consequencesWhen inhaled, metals left by the shrinking lake could cause inflammation. Experts say more studies are needed to understand the impact.Sep 26, 2024
Science NewsSome of Earth’s extinct giants may have been smaller than thoughtEvolving techniques and data indicate some ancient giants like Dunkleosteus and Megalodon may have been smaller than initial estimates suggested.Sep 25, 2024
Science NewsA study in mice hints at a new way to treat spinal cord injuriesThe finding suggests that a drug to ease swelling can speed recovery and stop cell death.Sep 25, 2024
Science NewsSemaglutide may reduce opioid overdoses, a new study suggests A study of people with type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder suggests that the key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy shows promise against addiction.Sep 25, 2024
Science NewsA brain network linked to attention is larger in people with depressionBrain scans revealed that teenagers with larger attention-driving networks were more likely to develop depression.Sep 25, 2024
Science NewsThis amoeba eats prey like owls doMeet the ‘owl slime’ amoeba, which drains its prey and spits out the shell.Sep 24, 2024
Science NewsA vital ocean current is stable, for nowThe Florida Current, a major contributor to a system of ocean currents that regulate Earth’s climate, has not weakened as much as previously reported.Sep 24, 2024
Science NewsPhysicists just discovered the rarest particle decay everThe “golden channel” decay of subatomic particles called kaons could break or confirm the standard model of particle physics.Sep 24, 2024
Science News‘Smart lighting’ might make vertical farming more affordableA new computer program adjusts grow lights to cut down on electric bills without sacrificing photosynthesis.Sep 24, 2024
Science NewsX-rays from nuclear blasts could defend Earth from asteroidsThe X-ray pulses could deflect asteroids up to 4 kilometers wide, a new study suggests.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsBy studying the eyes, a researcher explores how the brain sorts informationFreek van Ede seeks to understand how the brain selects information to plan for the future. He’s finding clues in the tiny movements people make with their eyes.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsWhy this physicist is bringing thermodynamics to the quantum ageLike a steampunk fantasy-world, which pairs high-tech with an old-timey setting, Nicole Yunger Halpern melds old and new science.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsHow did dark matter shape the universe? This physicist has ideasTheoretical physicist Tracy Slatyer proposes new scenarios for dark matter and helped discover the Fermi bubbles.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsA materials scientist seeks to extract lithium from untapped sourcesLithium is an essential ingredient for batteries in electric vehicles but getting enough will become a problem.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsA cell biologist is investigating the balance of brain flexibility, stabilityAndrea Gomez, a Berkeley molecular and cell biologist, applies her wide-ranging curiosity to brains’ mysteries ranging from synapses to psychedelics.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsThis engineer’s light-based computers take inspiration from the brainPhysicist and engineer Bhavin Shastri is working to create the first photonic computer modeled after the human brain.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsA biogeochemist is tracking the movements of toxic mercury pollutionExposing the hidden movements of mercury through the environment can help reduce human exposure.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsThis researcher studies how misinformation seeps into science and politicsThe world is awash in information. Communications researcher Yotam Ophir digs into news articles and survey results to show how beliefs form and spread.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsThis biophysicist’s work could one day let doctors control immune cellsThe Stanford biophysicist thinks that understanding the mechanics of cell movement could allow scientists to manipulate immune cells.Sep 23, 2024
Science NewsHIV and illicit drugs are a bad mix. This scientist found an unexpected reason whyThe neuroscientist considers themself an outsider, which allows them to embrace people who have been marginalized, including people who have HIV.Sep 23, 2024