All Stories
- Anthropology
Petite primate fossil could upend ideas about ape evolution
Ancient fossils suggest modern apes descended from a small, gibbonlike creature.
- Neuroscience
1960s dog brain transplant was not followed by human studies
A pioneering study to transplant a dog’s brain led to later work on a monkey, but ethical considerations and technical know-how have prevented further work.
- Animals
Wildfires are an unexpected threat to California condors
Lead poisoning remains a threat to California condors, but a new review finds that wildfires may also be a danger to the big birds.
- Science & Society
Unreliable science impairs its ability to serve society
Science’s reproducibility problem impairs the ability of basic research to inform the search for better medicinal drugs.
- Planetary Science
Oxygen leaking from comet surprises astronomers
The Rosetta spacecraft detected oxygen molecules coming out of comet 67P that might have been buried since the formation of the solar system.
- Life
How electric eels put more zip in their zap
With feisty prey, an electric eel curls its tail to intensify shocks and exhaust prey.
- Life
Rare reptile holds clue to penis evolution
Preserved Victorian specimens reveal budding embryonic penis that disappears before adulthood.
- Anthropology
Synchronized dancing boosts pain tolerance
Dancing in sync to high energy routines increase pain tolerance and helps people bond as a group, a study suggests.
- Earth
Parched parts of Earth expanding
More drylands, largely impacting developing nations, are forecasted for near future.
- Physics
Acoustic tractor beam reels in objects like the Death Star
A platform tiled with ultrasound-emitting speakers can get small objects to hover, spin, move around and get reeled in as if pulled by a tractor beam.
- Health & Medicine
Daily drug shown effective in preventing HIV infections
After a history of controversy, preexposure prophylaxis has been demonstrated to work for HIV prevention.
- Life
Cats versus viruses: Arms race goes back millennia
A special protein has been protecting cats from feline AIDS for at least 60,000 years, genetic analysis suggests.
