TRICKY PARASITE Trichomonas vaginalis has a funny shape and some clever ways of infecting people.
David M. Phillips/Science Source
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Magazine
In the April 13 SN: The browning of the Arctic, RNAs steal the spotlight, sensing Earth's magnetic field, a spider speed record, Bennu spits dust, a ketamine drug for depression and more.
SUPERMASSIVE SOURCE The gases and stars in galaxy M87, shown in this composite image from the Chandra X-ray telescope and the Very Large Array, gave different numbers for the mass of the galaxy’s supermassive black hole.
N. Werner, E. Million et al/KIPAC/CXC/NASA, F. Owen/NSF/AUI/NRAO
YOUNG AND ANXIOUS Worries can sideline a child as early as preschool, so researchers are designing therapies that help young brains do a reality check when unwarranted fears arise.
Imgorthand/iStock/Getty Images Plus
MAGNETIC ANCESTOR Ancient massive carvings from Guatemala such as this round figure include magnetized areas possibly intended to show the continuing power of deceased ancestors.
R. Fu
Science News
News in Brief
NASA’s Mars InSight lander may have the first recording of a Marsquake
NASA’s InSight mission appears to have detected a Marsquake for the first time.
News
Medicaid expansion may help shrink health gaps between black and white babies
States that expanded Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act shrunk racial disparities between black and white infants, a new study shows.
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Reviews & Previews
‘An Elegant Defense’ explores the immune system’s softer side
The lives of four people helped or harmed by their body’s natural defenses illustrate why immunology has become one of the hottest fields in science.
Feature
How an obscure sexually transmitted parasite tangos with the immune system
Scientists are working out how Trichomonas vaginalis, one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections, causes problems in women and men.
News in Brief
Mercury has a massive solid inner core
The distribution of Mercury’s mass and small stutters in the planet’s spin suggest it has a giant solid inner core.
Feature
When anxiety happens as early as preschool, treatments can help
Researchers are seeking ways to break the link between preschool worries and adult anxiety.
News in Brief
Ancient sculptors made magnetic figures from rocks struck by lightning
Carved ‘potbelly’ stone sculptures suggest people in what’s now Guatemala knew about magnetism more than 2,000 years ago.
News
The M87 black hole image showed the best way to measure black hole masses
The first image of M87’s black hole suggests it is 6.5 billion times the mass of the sun — close to what was expected based on how stars move around it.
Reviews & Previews
‘Invisible Women’ spotlights a gaping and dangerous gender data gap
‘Invisible Women’ explains how neglecting to collect or use data on women harms their health and safety.
The Science Life
A scientist used chalk in a box to show that bats use sunsets to migrate
A new device for investigating bat migration suggests that the flying mammals orient themselves by the setting sun.
News
The herbal supplement kratom comes with risks
The supplement kratom can cause heart racing and agitation.
News
More than a million tiny earthquakes revealed in Southern California
By putting millions of tiny quakes on record, scientists hope to learn more about what triggers the big ones.
News
A genetic scorecard could predict your risk of being obese
A genetic score predicts who is at risk of severe obesity, but experts say lifestyle matters more than genes.
Science Visualized
Warm, dry winds may be straining Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf
Wind-induced melting that occurred during the Antarctic autumn may be accelerating the Larsen C ice shelf’s collapse, which could raise sea levels.
News
Immigrants pave the way for the gentrification of black neighborhoods
A study using U.S. census data shows primarily Asian and Hispanic immigrants may trigger gentrification in U.S. neighborhoods.
News
Dead pig brains bathed in artificial fluid showed signs of cellular life
Four hours after pigs died, the animals’ brain cell activity was restored by a sophisticated artificial system.
News
The first type of molecule to form in the universe has been seen in space
The chemistry of the universe began with helium hydride. Scientists have just seen it in outer space for the first time.
It's Alive
Parenting chores cut into how much these bird dads fool around
Frantic parenting demands after eggs hatch curtail male black coucals’ philandering excursions the most, a study finds.
News
Statisticians want to abandon science’s standard measure of ‘significance’
For years, scientists have declared P values of less than 0.05 to be “statistically significant.” Now statisticians are saying the cutoff needs to go.
News
A 2014 meteor may have come from another solar system
Scientists have identified a possible interstellar meteor, and think it could be one of millions that have visited Earth over the planet’s history.
News in Brief
‘Added sugar’ food labels may prevent heart disease and diabetes
Nutrition labeling changes that highlight sugar added to food or drink may have large benefits for public health, researchers say.
News in Brief
Newly translated Cherokee cave writings reveal sacred messages
Cherokee inscriptions highlight the tribe’s rituals nearly 200 years ago in what’s now a tourist cave in Alabama.
News
People with stress disorders like PTSD are at higher risk of heart disease
Those coping with psychological trauma have a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, a large-scale study that goes beyond men and veterans finds.
Reviews & Previews
‘Cities’ reveals common ground between ancient and modern urban life
In the book ‘Cities,’ archaeologist Monica Smith sees the positives in past and present metropolises.