EVOLUTION’S BITE A researcher holds a 2.8-million-year-old partial jaw near where it was found in Ethiopia. The fossil’s discoverers say it represents the earliest known member of the human genus, Homo.
Kaye Reed
FIRE BOLT Lightning that crackles through volcanic ash plumes, such as during this 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland, can kiln microscopic glass orbs, new research finds.
© WENN Ltd/Alamy
SQUASH THE SLOSH Just a few layers of surface bubbles can save a beverage from splashing all over the kitchen counter.
Vinicius Revecchi/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
FAR, FAR AWAY With the help of a new instrument, researchers measured distances to 181 galaxies, seen in this Hubble Space Telescope image, including a few that Hubble missed (highlighted).
R. Bacon/MUSE/ESO
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Dose of extra oxygen revs up cancer-fighting immune cells
Extra oxygen helps immune cells shrink tumors in cancer-ridden mice.
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Tropical plant knows whose bill is in its flowers
A rainforest plant avoids inbreeding by accepting pollen only from hummingbird species that must travel to reach it.
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Secondhand smoke exposure in womb linked to eczema in childhood
Secondhand smoke exposure in the womb may heighten risk of eczema and other dermatitis in children, a study finds.
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For athletes, antioxidant pills may not help performance
Supplements of vitamins C, E and other antioxidants may blunt the positive effects of exercise training.
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Trying to get the down-low on gravity
A twist on a classic quantum mechanics experiment could lead to the discovery of elusive gravitons.
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Brain cells predict opponent’s move in game-playing monkeys
Newly discovered brain cells help monkeys predict whether a companion will cooperate.
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Chronic stress can wreak havoc on the body
Scientists are shedding light on all the ways that chronic stress can boost inflammation and lead to serious health problems.
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Planet collisions may have rearranged crowded solar systems
Solar systems discovered by Kepler with just one or two worlds may be remnants of planet families that were once far more crowded.
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Six ways to beat chronic stress
Counseling, mindfulness training and purposeful social contact may counteract the effects of chronic stress.
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Iron nanoparticles snatch uranium
With a dash of iron nanoparticles and a magnet, researchers can quickly harvest radioactive fuel.
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Coastal Los Angeles losing fog to urban sprawl
Fog in parts of Southern California has become significantly less frequent due to urban warming.
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Sexual conflict in mosquitoes may have worsened spread of malaria
Sexual conflict in Anopheles mosquitoes may have intensified their power to fuel human malaria.
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Beetle RNA makes crops a noxious meal
When beetles munch plants bearing their RNA, genes the bugs need to survive are turned off.
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Genetic tweaks built humans’ bigger brains
Genetic tweaks may make human brains big.