News in Brief

  1. Life

    To get a deeper tan, don’t sunbathe every day

    Skin cells make protective melanin on a 48-hour cycle.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  2. Tech

    A new palm-sized drone is mini, but mighty

    Unlike other small drones, this flying robot can tote objects up to 40 times its own weight.

    By Maria Temming
  3. Life

    Why some people may be more susceptible to deadly C. difficile infections

    Proline, a type of amino acid, increases when gut microbe mixes are disturbed, giving this pathogen a ready food source.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  4. Neuroscience

    Messing with fruit flies’ gut bacteria turns them into speed walkers

    Without the right gut microbes, fruit flies walk faster and take shorter rests, results that highlight a new connection between the gut and brain.