All Stories

  1. Environment

    Engineered plants demolish toxic waste

    With help from bacteria, plants could one day clean up polluted sites.

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  2. Humans

    Anglo-Saxons left language, but maybe not genes to modern Britons

    Modern Britons may be more closely related to Britain’s indigenous people than they are to the Anglo-Saxons, a new genetic analysis finds.

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  3. Physics

    Laser tractor beam tugs on beads

    A new experiment is the first to construct a tractor beam that can pull objects over long distances with light.

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  4. Genetics

    Camels’ number of humps may affect their fat storage

    The number of humps camels and alpacas have may play a role in how well they store and break down fat.

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  5. Genetics

    Gene variant helps dog evade muscular dystrophy

    A dog that has a mutation causing muscular dystrophy has another genetic variant that appears to counteract the disease.

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  6. Science & Society

    Two books explore winding path from basic science to useful invention

    ‘How We Got to Now’ and ‘Science Unshackled’ explain how basic scientific research can transform society in unexpected ways.

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  7. Planetary Science

    Comet Siding Spring makes close pass by Mars

    Mars appears to have survived its close encounter with comet Siding Spring mostly unscathed.

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  8. Physics

    Perfect fluid of electrons may flow inside superconductor

    Understanding superconductors’ viscosity could help inspire scientists to find ways to improve the electric power grid.

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  9. Animals

    Camouflaged fish found hiding in plain sight

    Rockpool gobies change color depending on their background.

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  10. Psychology

    Majority doesn’t always rule in teen booze use

    Having one abstainer as a friend cuts teens’ odds of getting drunk and binge drinking, a study finds.

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  11. Physics

    Complete double rainbow encircles Australian town

    A photographer in a helicopter captured a double circular rainbow while flying around a storm near Perth, Australia.

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  12. Cosmology

    ‘The Theory of Everything’ reveals Stephen Hawking’s personal side

    A new film explores love and science in the life of physicist Stephen Hawking.

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