PAIN, NO GAIN Pain made female mice less interested in sex but had no such effect on males, a new study finds.
Rgbspace/istockphoto
BATTLING BACK Antibiotics such as penicillin attack a bacterium’s cell wall, bursting it (left, shown next to an intact Staphylococcus aureus cell in false color). Some studies suggest that antibiotics also trigger other kinds of damage that could be harnessed in the battle against antibiotic resistance.
CNRI/Science Source
MAGNIFYING STAR A white dwarf, the core of a dead star, contorts the light of the sunlike star it orbits, as seen in an artist’s illustration. The white dwarf’s gravity amplifies the light from its companion each time the white dwarf passes between the other star and Earth.
JPL-Caltech/NASA
DEFINING A KINGDOM In the peculiar, shape-shifting world of fungi (Erysiphe guttata shown), a rebellion has broken out against the traditional way of naming species.
L. R. AND C. TULASNE/SELECTA FUNGORUM CARPOLOGIA 1861
RING REMNANTS The mighty ridge adorning Saturn’s moon Iapetus has steep slopes, which researchers suggest is a sign that debris falling from space stacked up and formed mountains on the moon’s surface.
JPL, Space Science Institute, NASA
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Blender whips up graphene
Easy recipe makes large quantities of graphene using kitchen blender.
Science News Blogs
News in Brief
Cloning produces stem cells from adult skin
Human embryonic stem cells made using adult cells could enable medical advances such as replacement organs.
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Laser kicks molecules into fastest ever spin
The powerful kick of a laser has spun molecules faster than they’ve ever been spun before: 10 trillion rotations per second, or 600 trillion RPM.
Feature
The name of the fungus
A rebellion has broken out against the traditional way of naming species in the peculiar, shape-shifting world of fungi.
News
Poor slumber is bad for young flies' brains
A child's sleep deprivation could alter brain development and adult behavior, a study of fruit flies suggests.
Feature
Unsolved drugs
Long thought to launch precision attacks against bacteria, antibiotics may also cause lethal collateral damage, according to a controversial theory. Exploring how these compounds kill may reveal new ways to fight antibiotic resistance.
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Most extreme female penis is found on cave lice
Female penis, male vagina have been discovered in tiny Brazilian insects.
Science Visualized
Distant swirling galaxy dwarfed by violent star killer
In a mosaic of images from a telescope in Chile, dark dust lanes and twisting tails betray a history of galactic collisions.
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Gene activity sets humans apart from extinct hominids
Differences in gene activity caused by DNA methylation distinguish modern people from Neandertals and Denisovans.
Science Stats
What's behind rising autism rates
Better diagnosis may be driving a recent spike in autism.
News
Earth-sized planet found in star’s habitable zone
Astronomers have found a potentially habitable Earth-sized planet around a cool red star.
Reviews & Previews
War's ecological effects laid bare in 'A Window on Eternity'
In "A Window on Eternity," entomologist E.O. Wilson chronicles both the shifting ecology of Gorongosa National Park after the war and how researchers are trying to repair the damage.
News in Brief
Scent of a fruit fly larva comes from its gut microbes
Microbes in the guts of fly larvae produce smells that attract fruit flies.
Reviews & Previews
'You Are Here' maps course for directionally challenged
A Boston Globe technology reporter chronicles the evolution of navigational and mapmaking tools in "You Are Here."
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