HOME STRETCH The Dawn spacecraft has arrived at Ceres, shown in an artist’s illustration, to begin a 14-month investigation of the dwarf planet.
JPL-Caltech/NASA
MOVING ON If traveling killer whales have a postmenopausal female in the lead, her long ecological experience may give them an edge in hunting salmon.
David Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research
EYES ON THE INVISIBLE PRIZE Designed to detect cosmic rays, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer cruises above Earth on the International Space Station.
NASA
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
Science News
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Remote star clusters discovered on edge of Milky Way
Two newly discovered star clusters are the first ever seen at the remote edges of the Milky Way.
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High-temperature superconductivity record awaits confirmation
A hydrogen-sulfur compound under pressure may transport electrical current with no resistance at a record high temperature.
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Light trick can retrieve missed messages
Even if photons pass you by, you can still snatch a signal from their electromagnetic wake, physicists propose.
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Hepatitis E vaccine shows strong coverage
A large trial in China indicates that a vaccine can provide 87 percent protection against the hepatitis E virus, which infects 20 million people a year.
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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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Volcanic lightning forges tiny glass balls from airborne ash
The lightning that crackles through volcanic plumes can melt ash into tiny glass beads.
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Hundreds of galaxies seen in a new 3-D view of the universe
A new instrument lets astronomers measure the distances to hundreds of galaxies at once, looking back across the age of the universe.
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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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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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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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Iron nanoparticles snatch uranium
With a dash of iron nanoparticles and a magnet, researchers can quickly harvest radioactive fuel.
News in Brief
Coastal Los Angeles losing fog to urban sprawl
Fog in parts of Southern California has become significantly less frequent due to urban warming.