News in Brief

  1. Neuroscience

    Tiny bare-bones brains made in lab dishes

    A reliable way to make standard-issue minibrains could help scientists study the human brain.

    By Laura Sanders
  2. Astronomy

    Planets may emerge from stellar duo gathering icy dust

    Gas freezing onto dust grains around a binary star could be setting up a site where comets or even planets might someday form.

    By Christopher Crockett
  3. Microbes

    Microbe mix varies by kind of home

    Urban homes hold more human-associated bacteria compared with rural homes. Subdivided houses with lots of rooms and poor ventilation could be to blame.

    By Meghan Rosen
  4. Earth

    New app puts an earthquake detector in your pocket

    Smartphone app MyShake uses motion-sensing accelerometers to detect nearby quakes.