New research confirms that alpha particles from decaying radon atoms can damage neighboring cells they don't directly hit and suggests a mechanism for this so-called bystander effect. (p. 356)

A newly discovered lizard small enough to curl up on a dime ties for the title of the smallest of its kind in the world. (p. 356)

A new analysis of fossil teeth indicates that the slower pace of dental development observed in people today dates back only about 100,000 years. (p. 357)

Astronomers have unveiled the first X-ray image of Venus. (p. 357)

Female goldeneye ducks can double their offspring by sneaking eggs into other females' nests before settling down to a nest of their own. (p. 358)

Researchers have created molecules that assemble into a microscopic structure that mimics bone. (p. 358)

Postponing surgery to repair a severed spinal cord in rats improves the likelihood that the operation will counteract the injury. (p. 358)

The share of consumed fat that travels into a person's bloodstream depends on whether the person tasted fat to begin with. (p. 359)

The unique way some flies localize sound has inspired engineers to design tiny directional microphones for hearing aids and surveillance devices. (p. 359)

Knot theorists are getting closer to their goal of developing practical procedures for distinguishing knotted curves from unknotted ones. (p. 360)

Two drugs, one for cancer and one for arthritis, may be effective treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. (p. 362)

Curcumin, a spice used in yellow curry, may thwart Alzheimer's disease. (p. 362)

A well-known antibiotic may slow the brain-cell death that causes Parkinson's disease. (p. 362)

A drug mimicking a natural substance in the brain may offer a new therapy for epilepsy. (p. 362)

Thinking about exercising a muscle can make it stronger. (p. 362)

Despite much fanfare about proposed computers based on weird features of quantum mechanics, a whole array of other quantum technologies—navigation devices, chip-making equipment, atomic clocks and more—may also outshine their conventional cousins and be easier to implement than full-blown quantum computers. (p. 364)

The dearth of neutrinos from a precision experiment casts some doubt on the prevailing model of particle physics and may indicate that a previously unrecognized extra force exists. (p. 367)

A novel type of single-molecule transistor built around a one-molecule-thick layer of organic molecules may eventually lead to faster, denser chips because the channel through which electrons flow is so short. (p. 367)

Africanized bees pollinate some of the big Brazilian forest trees now stranded in the middle of cleared land away from their native pollinators. (p. 367)

The class of compounds that give beer its bitterness does two more sober jobs in Hypericum flowers. (p. 367)