All Stories
- Animals
Finally, evidence that a starfish’s eyes let it see
The sea star’s vision isn’t great, but it’s good enough to help the animal find its way home.
- Genetics
Elephant shark genome small and slow to evolve
The animals have the smallest genome of non-bony fishes and the slowest-evolving genes among vertebrates, a study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Pacemaker treats sleep apnea
Experimental device works for many patients who can’t use breathing machines.
- Animals
Dog-paddle science debunks notion of underwater trot
From Newfoundlands to Yorkshire terriers, canines swim with similar, distinctive gait.
- Astronomy
Earth-mass planet resembles a mini-Neptune
KOI-314c, an exoplanet 200 light-years away, is about 60 percent larger than Earth but made mostly of gas.
- Psychology
Migraines respond to great expectations
Patients get more pain relief from drug and placebo labeled as headache busters than from those labeled as dummy pills.
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Extinct ocean reptiles now appear in color
Fossilized turtle, mosasaur and ichthyosaur tissue holds skin pigments that give scientists clues about what the animals looked like and how the coloration may have helped in colder climates.
- Chemistry
Battery blueprint promises green energy storage
A device that relies on organic molecules could cheaply bank power from renewable sources.
- Astronomy
Supernova is a dust factory
Grains of matter spewed by stellar explosion offer clues to early star formation.
- Health & Medicine
Babies tune in to happy sounds
High pitched, cutesy voices prove irresistible to infants.
- Microbes
Me and my microbiome
Tina Hesman Saey tries out new services offering clients a peek at their own bacteria.
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Social networks stay small despite social networking
When adding new friends to social circles, people unconsciously bump others out, keeping social circles small and finite.
