News in Brief
- Animals
Embryos in eggs move to get comfy
Even before hatching, Chinese alligators, snapping turtles and some relatives can shift toward favorable temperatures.
- Neuroscience
Prosthetic provides sense of touch to man who lost hand
A new prosthetic hand restores a sense of touch by stimulating nerves in the arm.
- Paleontology
Rivers of rock and gas froze ancient animals in time
Ancient Chinese fossil beds were preserved by high-speed rivers of volcanic rock and gas.
- Genetics
Bacteria can be genetically tricked into self-destructing
Manipulating microbes’ defenses could lead to targeted antibiotics.
- Materials Science
Bone inspires strong, lightweight material
Tiny synthetic structures modeled after bone are as sturdy as metal.
- Astronomy
Some gas clouds refuse to collapse
A study of dust gives astronomers a sharper picture of cold gas.
- Astronomy
Clouds on nearby brown dwarf mapped
A study of clouds on a nearby brown dwarf reveals partial cloud cover.
- Plants
Sexually deceived flies not hopelessly dumb
Pollinators tricked into mating with a plant become harder to fool a second time.
- Materials Science
Etched glass stops cracks in their tracks
Adding wavy lines to glass reduces the material’s notorious brittleness.
- Genetics
Stone Age Spaniard had blue eyes, dark skin
Genetics of 7,000-year-old skeleton suggests blond hair, pale skin came later.
- Materials Science
Nanotube whiskers could aid robot-human interaction
Tiny hairlike sensors made from nanomaterials are more sensitive than existing devices to detect tiny pressures.
- Humans
Small fetal size early on might carry risks later
A smaller size in first trimester of pregnancy has been linked to heart-health warning signs in childhood.
