GOSSAMER WINGS Thin veins form different patterns on each dragonfly’s wings. Scientists have explained mathematically how these sections may form.
John Tann
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Magazine
In the Sept. 29 SN: Tomorrow’s burger, inside three big physics experiments, enterovirus outbreak patterns, Jupiter’s wacky magnetism, crop pests like it warm, firefly flashing methods and more.
SWEET SHARE In a series of experiments, Hadza hunter-gatherers contributed honey-filled straws to a common pot based on shifting group norms, not personal preferences. Here, a Hadza woman has just finished eating honey from her straws.
Eduardo Azevedo
JEWEL BOX Shining ultraviolet light on this thin slice of a kidney stone reveals layers of crystal growth (green and light blue) interspersed with large gemlike structures (dark blue) that show where the stone has dissolved and regrown.
Mayandi Sivaguru and Jessica Saw/Bruce Fouke Lab/Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology/Univ. of Ill.
AT RISK African elephants, like those shown here in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, are at risk of extinction because of the ivory trade.
©Art Wolfe/Art Wolfe Inc.
Science News
News in Brief
The first rovers to explore an asteroid just sent photos home
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft has deployed a pair of rovers to the surface of asteroid Ryugu.
News
A paralyzed man makes great strides with spinal stimulation and rehab
Researchers find success at restoring movement to paralyzed legs, giving hope to people with paraplegia.
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News
In lab tests, this gene drive wiped out a population of mosquitoes
For the first time, a gene drive caused a population crash of mosquitoes in a small-scale test.
Feature
Three new physics experiments could revamp the standard model
New experiments that rely on very large machines have begun to probe the weak points of particle physics.
News in Brief
Japan has launched a miniature space elevator
The Japanese space agency just launched a prototype space elevator to the International Space Station to test motion along a taut cable in space.
Feature
Can science build a better burger?
Researchers hope to replace whole animal agriculture and feed the world with lab-made meats or plants.
Science Visualized
How math helps explain the delicate patterns of dragonfly wings
Scientists have found a mathematical explanation for the complex patterns on the wings of dragonflies and other insects.
Teaser
These new superthin antennas are made from metallic nanomaterials
Superthin antennas could bring household devices and wearable technology online.
News
The way hunter-gatherers share food shows how cooperation evolved
Camp customs override selfishness and generosity when foragers divvy up food, a study of East Africa’s Hazda hunter-gatherers shows.
50 Years Ago
50 years ago, a flu pandemic spurred vaccine research
A half-century after the Hong Kong flu pandemic, scientists are getting closer to a universal vaccine.
News in Brief
Kidney stones grow and dissolve much like geological crystals
Kidney stones are dynamic entities that grow and dissolve, a new study finds, which contradicts the prevailing medical assumption.
News
Drug overdose deaths in America are rising exponentially
Tracking rising numbers of deaths from a variety of drugs over the past 38 years shows that it isn’t just an opioid problem.
News
Cholesterol traces suggest these mysterious fossils were animals, not fungi
Traces of cholesterol still clinging to a group of enigmatic Ediacaran fossils suggests the weird critters were animals, not fungi or lichen.
News
Humans have skeletal stem cells that help bones and cartilage grow
Human skeletal stem cells have been found for the first time.
News
High-tech ‘skins’ turn everyday objects into robots
Robotic skins turn inanimate objects into multipurpose machines.
News
DNA from seized elephant ivory unmasks 3 big trafficking cartels in Africa
Scientists can sleuth out wildlife crime and aid law enforcement by tracing elephant DNA from ivory seizures back to the source.
News
Over-the-hill cells may cause trouble in the aging brain
Killing dormant cells in the brains of mice staved off memory trouble.
News
Daily low-dose aspirin is not a panacea for the elderly
Healthy elderly adults don’t benefit from a daily dose of aspirin, according to results from a large-scale clinical trial.
News in Brief
The TESS space telescope has spotted its first exoplanet
TESS’s first exoplanet is twice Earth’s size and may have lots of water.
For Daily Use
A sensor inspired by an African thumb piano could root out bogus medicines
An inexpensive, user-friendly device that’s based on an mbira could help identify counterfeit and contaminated medications.
Reviews & Previews
Smart plants can teach us a thing or two
‘The Revolutionary Genius of Plants’ challenges the brain-centered view of intelligence.
News in Brief
Here’s how clumps of honeybees may survive blowing in the wind
Honeybees clumped on trees may adjust their positions to keep the cluster together when it’s jostled by wind, a new study suggests.
Science Visualized
The ghosts of nearly two dozen icy volcanoes haunt dwarf planet Ceres
The slumped remains of 21 ice volcanoes suggest that the dwarf planet Ceres has been volcanically active for billions of years.
News in Brief
Here’s how many U.S. kids are vaping marijuana
A new study suggests that nearly 1 in 11 middle and high school students in the United States has vaped marijuana, raising concerns about addiction.