All Stories
- Animals
Elephant seals recognize rivals by the tempo of their calls
The distinct sputtering-lawnmower sound of a male elephant seal’s call has a tempo that broadcasts his identity to competitors.
- Planetary Science
New Horizons’ next target caught making a star blink
The team behind the spacecraft that visited Pluto has seen its next quarry blocking the light from a distant star.
- Tech
This robot grows like a plant
A new soft robot navigates its environment by growing in a manner inspired by plants.
- Genetics
These genes may be why dogs are so friendly
Dog domestication may be the result of just a few genetic changes, including ones that made canines more interested in interacting with people.
- Archaeology
Humans first settled in Australia as early as 65,000 years ago
Australia may have said “G’day” to humankind thousands of years earlier than previously believed.
- Tech
The incredible shrinking transistor just got smaller
Tiniest transistor, made with carbon nanotubes, suggests computers aren’t done shrinking down.
- Health & Medicine
Common drugs help reverse signs of fetal alcohol syndrome in rats
A thyroid hormone and a blood sugar drug affect levels of a hormone needed for brain development, study in rats shows.
- Genetics
Dog domestication happened just once, ancient DNA study suggests
DNA of ancient canines counters idea that dogs were domesticated twice, in Europe and Asia.
- Physics
Scientists peek inside the mind of Maxwell’s demon
Scientists probe information retained by Maxwell’s demon.
- Planetary Science
Giant mud balls roamed the early solar system
The first asteroids may have been great balls of mud, which would solve some puzzling features of meteorites.
- Agriculture
GM moth trial gets a green light from USDA
GM diamondback moths will take wing in a New York field trial.
- Animals
Water bears will survive the end of the world as we know it
Water bears have a till-death-do-us-part pact with the sun, study suggests.
