All Stories
- Health & Medicine
Understanding why hot peppers are slimming
Korean researchers describe pepper-triggered changes in genes that appear to underlie the fat-shunning changes of chilis — ones that point to how their fiery chemistry might be harnessed to fight obesity.
- Earth
Hazy antidote to a faint young sun
A new theory suggests atmospheric answer to the continuing paradox of why early Earth wasn’t icy.
- Humans
July: When not to go to the hospital
Being admitted to the hospital is never a picnic. But when possible, schedule any therapeutic procedure for some month other than July. At least if you’ll be treated at a teaching hospital. That’s the conclusion of a new analysis that uncovered a cyclical spike across the nation in serious medication errors.
- Animals
Diversified portfolio yields benefit for salmon stocks
Local diversity keeps sockeye from going bust every few years, a study finds.
- Life
Seaweed genome reveals tools for multicellular lifestyle
Genetic blueprints of a brown alga reveal adaptations to changing tides and may give clues for to evolution of more complex life.
- Planetary Science
Jupiter’s crash of ’09
The body that crashed into Jupiter last summer was likely an asteroid, and such impacts might occur as frequently as every 10 to 15 years, new studies suggest.
- Chemistry
Vodka’s bonds may influence taste
Differences in vodka brands reflect structural variations in cages of water molecules encasing ethanol, new research suggests.
- Space
Neutrino quick-change artist caught in the act
A transformation from one ‘flavor’ to another confirms the elusive elementary particles have mass and suggests a need for new physics.
- Archaeology
Jamestown settlers’ trash confirms hard times
Analyses of discarded oyster shells confirm a deep drought during the Virginia colony’s earliest years.
- Humans
Making scents of a partner’s feelings
Couples pick up on subtle differences in other half’s emotion-laden odors, new study suggests.
- Humans
Traumatic events trigger diverse responses
New study compares difficulties faced by survivors of life-threatening events.
- Psychology
Perfectionism works for some diabetics, but not for new moms
Demanding perfection of oneself boosts longevity for diabetic seniors, but it may prompt depression in new mothers.
