News in Brief
- Life
MicroRNAs manage gut microbes
MicroRNAs mold gut microbes into healthier communities for the host.
- Oceans
Ocean heating doubles
Earth’s oceans now absorb twice as much heat as they did 18 years ago, with more than a third of that warmth going into the ocean depths.
- Genetics
Bubonic plague hung out in Europe
The plague bacterium Yersinia pestis may have lurked in a medieval European reservoir for at least 300 years, researchers from Germany suggest January 13 in PLOS ONE.
- Genetics
Drug candidate fails to improve symptoms of fragile X syndrome
A drug designed to treat fragile X syndrome has proven ineffective in clinical trials.
- Astronomy
Newfound gas cloud may be graveyard of first stars
A 12-billion-year-old gas cloud, rich in hydrogen and helium but nothing else, may house the remains of the universe’s first stars.
- Physics
More details on Stephen Hawking’s solution to black hole problem
Stephen Hawking and colleagues have finally provided more information about how black holes might preserve information.
- Animals
Small lizard packs powerful tongue
A tiny chameleon from South Africa sets an acceleration and power record for amniotes.
- Archaeology
Roman toilets didn’t flush parasites
Roman sanitation measures did little to dent parasite numbers, a study finds.
- Health & Medicine
New dietary guidelines emphasize big picture
Americans’ new guidelines for healthy eating focus on subtle shifts to dietary habits.
- Astronomy
This black hole is an extreme recycler
A cosmic pump powered by a supermassive black hole is recycling gas through a galaxy.
- Chemistry
Experiment offers glimpse at how to make hydrogen metallic
A new phase of hydrogen could represent the stepping stone for transforming element 1 into a metal.
- Chemistry
Four elements earn permanent seats on the periodic table
The four newest elements on the periodic table gain official recognition and will be getting new names soon.
