All Stories
- Earth
‘Waterworld’ Earth preceded late rise of continents, scientist proposes
Cooling mantle temperatures may have lifted Earth’s continents above sea level, helping spur the Cambrian explosion.
- Earth
Data show no sign of methane boost from thawing permafrost
Rapid Arctic warming has increased emissions of carbon dioxide, but not methane, from northern Alaska tundra.
- Neuroscience
Pregnancy linked to long-term changes in mom’s brain
Pregnancy can sculpt a mother’s brain in a way that may help her tune in to her baby.
- Physics
Antimatter hydrogen passes symmetry test
Antihydrogen atoms behave similarly to normal hydrogen atoms.
- Anthropology
Monkeys have vocal tools, but not brains, to talk like humans
Macaques have vocal tracts, but not brains, built for talking much as people do, scientists say.
- Science & Society
Science News’ favorite books of 2016
Science News writers and editors compiled a list of the books they were most excited about this year.
- Tech
Cells snack on nanowires
Human cells eat silicon nanowires in a process called phagocytosis. Nanowire-infused cells could be a step towards biological electronic devices.
- Anthropology
New footprint finds suggest range of body sizes for Lucy’s species
Tracks discovered in Tanzania appear to have belonged to the tallest known Australopithecus afarensis individual, but stature estimates can be tricky.
- Animals
Chimps look at behinds the way we look at faces
Humans demonstrate something called the inversion effect when gazing at faces. Chimpanzees do this too — when looking at other chimps’ butts.
- Genetics
50 years ago, alcohol use was linked to several gene variants
50 years later, scientists are still searching for genes that influence drinking.
- Earth
Megadiamonds point to metal in mantle
Imperfections in supersized diamonds hint at metallic iron and nickel in Earth’s mantle.
- Planetary Science
Dawn spacecraft maps water beneath the surface of Ceres
Water ice sits just beneath the surface and within some permanently shadowed craters of the dwarf planet Ceres.
