All Stories
- Life
Insulin-suppressing hormone discovered
A newly discovered hormone suppresses insulin production and secretion in fruit flies and maybe in humans.
- Neuroscience
Bipolar risk boosted by accumulation of rare versions of genes
A buildup of rare versions of genes that control nerve cell activity contributes to the genetic risk of bipolar disorder.
- Ecosystems
Fooled you! Whirling tails of luna moths deflect bat attacks
Luna moths can use their tails to reflect the echolocation pings of bats, tricking the predators into striking the tails instead of less expendable body parts.
By Susan Milius - Environment
A coast-to-coast picture of America’s cacophony of sounds
The National Park Service mapped noise across the United States.
By Susan Milius - Genetics
For penguins, it’s a matter of no taste
Penguins lack taste genes for bitter, sweet and umami.
- Tech
Facebook detects signs of postpartum depression
An analysis of Facebook activity can identify new moms with postpartum depression.
- Astronomy
Giant hydrogen cloud headed for Milky Way
A high-speed hydrogen cloud on a crash course with the Milky Way appears to be an exotic interloper, preliminary data suggest.
- Materials Science
Old chemistry gives jolt to modern batteries
Chemical reactions discovered in the 19th century improve the performance of futuristic batteries.
- Genetics
Ebola virus evolution tracked by genetic data
Analysis of Ebola genomes shows how the virus has evolved and some of the mutations that may thwart treatments.
- Life
To deal with sexual conflict, female bedbugs get flexible
Female bed bugs evolved an elastic underbelly to tolerate violent mating, a new study suggests.
- Neuroscience
Chronic pain treatments may get boost from high-tech imaging
Advanced imaging may reveal how well chronic pain treatments work.
- Health & Medicine
E-cigarettes may be gateway to addiction for teens
Teenagers are using e-cigarettes more than any other tobacco product and for many, it’s the first time they’ve tried a tobacco product at all.