Physicists have found new signs that fiery particle collisions within a giant accelerator 2 years ago created a state of matter identical to what might have been the stuff of the newborn universe. (p. 387)

Astronomers have found a rapidly spinning, squashed star that is more than 1.5 times as wide as it is tall. (p. 387)

Scientists who glued aluminum foil and plastic balls to live rattlesnakes say that snakes use their heat-sensing organs for more than hunting prey. (p. 388)

An electron microscope has captured images of tiny lithium ions for the first time. (p. 388)

Inhabitants of New Guinea began to cultivate bananas in large quantities nearly 7,000 years ago, an agricultural practice that spread to Southeast Asia and throughout the Pacific region. (p. 389)

A drug normally prescribed to hold blood sugar in check provides an unexpected benefit to heart patients. (p. 389)

Exposure to a synthetic estrogen called ethynylestradiol, which is commonly found in birth control pills and enters the waterways through sewage effluent, reduces male trout’s fertility by half. (p. 390)

When nutrients are low, some members of a bacterial species will cannibalize other members. (p. 390)

With the aim of releasing people with celiac disease from a strict, lifelong diet that lacks the wheat protein gluten, researchers are working to identify molecular targets that could block the disease’s hallmark, the degeneration of the lining of the small intestine. (p. 392)

The Milky Way's core is loaded with seemingly young stars, which have no business being there. (p. 394)

A huge gas cloud once considered a remnant from when the Milky Way or nearby galaxies formed is, in fact, a satellite of our galaxy. (p. 397)

A new synthetic material is so strong and tough that it might one day be used to construct artificial bones or even auto parts. (p. 397)

In one of the first tests of paternal behavior in plants, snow buttercups that were allowed to follow their natural tendency to track sun movement made more-viable pollen than did tethered blooms. (p. 397)

The brain shows particular sensitivity to facial expressions that convey vague threats. (p. 397)

Profiles of genetic variations in cancer patients could help oncologists predict the outcome of chemotherapy. (p. 398)

Pediatric cancer treatment with chest radiation or anthracyclines can cause a heightened risk of heart disease at an earlier age than previously believed. (p. 398)

The first clinical test of a cancer vaccine that targets a protein called carcinoembryonic antigen shows promise. (p. 398)

Magnetic resonance imaging detects breast cancer better than does mammography and might be preferable for certain women at high risk. (p. 398)