All Stories
- Animals
‘Animal Weapons’ examines evolution of natural armor
Biological arms races have led to the evolution of horns, tusks and other extreme armament in the natural world.
- Life
Ebola virus edits its own genetic material
Both the Ebola and Marburg viruses edit their genetic material when infecting cells. The viruses may make proteins currently unknown to scientists.
- Animals
Hermit thrushes, humans share some musical basics
The melodious birds share a humanlike bias for notes mathematically related by simple integers.
- Health & Medicine
Mushroom extract might eradicate HPV infection
In a small trial, a nutritional supplement derived from shiitake mushrooms wiped out dormant human papillomavirus infections.
- Health & Medicine
Dengue vaccine offers partial protection
Shots reduce severe cases of dengue among children in large study in Latin America.
- Health & Medicine
Increase in Denmark’s autism diagnoses caused by reporting changes
Changes in how autism is detected and recorded explain 60 percent of the recent increase in diagnoses, a Danish study finds.
- Cosmology
Gamma rays offer mixed messages on identity of dark matter
Conflicting results from Fermi telescope puzzle astronomers about dark matter’s true identity.
- Chemistry
Atom breaks limit of lost electrons
An iridium atom sets the record for highest oxidation state at +9.
- Life
Gut microbes less diverse in humans than in apes
An analysis of gut bacteria shows that humans have evolved to possess less diversity in microbe populations.
- Animals
Dog disease threatens Siberian tigers
Canine distemper virus poses a particular danger to small groups of the big cats.
- Life
Hummingbirds take stab at rivals with dagger-tipped bills
Sharp points on the bills of male long-billed hermit hummingbirds may have evolved as weaponry.
- Earth
More multi-tornado days in the forecast for U.S.
The number of days per year with tornadoes has gone down over the last few decades in the U.S., but the number of days that see 30 or more twisters is going up.
