All Stories
- Planetary Science
It’s a new planet! It’s an unknown star! It’s — oops!
A couple of unexpected wandering points of light in the sky could be new planets or even a dim star orbiting the sun, but researchers have plenty of reasons to be skeptical.
- Quantum Physics
Google’s quantum computer speeds up, but practical use is unclear
Google’s D-Wave quantum computer is getting faster, but it’s still unclear whether it will ever outperform regular computers at completing useful tasks.
- Life
Microbes show up on schedule after death
Microbes in the soil beneath dead bodies offer forensic clues for time and place of death.
- Earth
Gooey rock in mantle thickens 1,000 kilometers down
Gravitational tugs provide an unprecedented peek into the structure of Earth’s mantle and reveal a sudden increase in viscosity roughly 1,000 kilometers below ground.
- Chemistry
Elusive chemical reaction transition state captured
A new method provides a detailed look at the elusive transition state.
- Neuroscience
Brain shapes come from mom and dad
By linking genes to brain shapes, scientists have a new way to study how the brain works.
- Archaeology
6,000-year-old skeletons in French pit came from victims of violence
Human bones in a French pit recall lethal conflicts and limb lopping 6,000 years ago.
- Animals
Some warblers make their long winter migration even longer
Blackpoll warblers in western North America head east to fatten up before their transoceanic migration.
- Animals
Playful pups conceived via in vitro fertilization for the first time
Scientists have solved the mystery of how to perform in vitro fertilization in dogs, which could help rid canines of heritable diseases.
- Planetary Science
Salty source of Ceres’ mysterious bright spots found
Bright spots on Ceres contain salts from a possible subsurface layer of ice while ammonia-rich minerals hint at building blocks incorporated from the far outer solar system.
- Genetics
Liberia’s Ebola outbreak largely traced to one source
Ebola’s spread and evolution in Liberia echoes patterns seen in Sierra Leone.
- Health & Medicine
Iron helps growing bodies, but could too much do harm?
Iron fortification has been a public health victory in the fight against childhood anemia. But too much iron may be a cause for concern, scientists propose.
