All Stories
- Chemistry
Tarantula venom disrupts cells in unexpected way
The unusual way in which the chemical components of tarantula venom disrupt cells could inspire the design of new drug therapies.
- Archaeology
Seeds of agriculture move back in time
Excavations in Israel indicate that people began to eat large quantities of wild grass seeds and wild cereal grains by around 23,000 years ago, which pushes back by 10,000 years the estimated shift to a plant-rich diet.
By Bruce Bower - Astronomy
Two newly found space molecules
Researchers have detected two new organic chemicals in a large interstellar cloud.
- Math
Generous Players
Game theory is helping to explain how cooperation and other self-sacrificing behaviors fit into natural selection.
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The cover type “Farewell to Hubble?” makes me wonder why we haven’t seen the headline “Farewell to the Current NASA Administrator?” The only reason I have heard for the cancellation of the planned servicing mission is “it’s too dangerous.” Almost anything worth accomplishing has some degree of danger associated with it. The administrator is just […]
By Science News - Astronomy
End of the Line for Hubble?
With a space shuttle mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope now canceled, astronomers are pondering how to best use the flying observatory during its final years.
By Ron Cowen - Math
Waring Experiments
Expressing integers as the sums of squares or other powers has a long history.
- Humans
From the July 14, 1934, issue
Desert plants cope with permanent drought, study of twins gives clues to epilepsy, and airplanes collect weather information in flight.
By Science News - Animals
Sparrows Cheat on Sleep: Migratory birds are up at night but still stay sharp
During their fall migration season, white-crowned sparrows sleep only about a third as much as they do at other times of the year without becoming slow-witted.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Leukemia Fighter: Drug could combat resistant cases
A new drug for treating chronic myeloid leukemia that is resistant to the frontline drug imatinib shows promise in mouse tests.
By Nathan Seppa - Physics
Feel the Force: Magnetic probe finds lone electron
Scientists have observed a single electron's magnetism.
By Peter Weiss - Chemistry
Nitrogen Power: New crystal packs a lot of punch
At extremely high temperatures and pressures, nitrogen gas assumes a three-dimensional crystal structure called polymeric nitrogen, a long-sought energy-storage material.