News

  1. Materials Science

    Nanotube implants could aid brain research

    Electrically conducting carbon nanotubes could be the ideal material for probing the brain and treating neural disorders.

    By Alexandra Goho
  2. Earth

    Warming climate may slam many species

    Expected increases in global temperature could eradicate from a sixth to a half of the plant and animal species across large areas of the globe, a new analysis suggests.

    By Sid Perkins
  3. Health & Medicine

    Arsenic helps tumors, blood vessels grow

    Rather than being a potential antitumor agent, arsenic may actually help a tumor's supporting network of blood vessels thrive.

    By Ben Harder
  4. Astronomy

    Stellar finding may outshine all others

    Astronomers have found what may be the heaviest, biggest, and brightest star ever observed.

    By Ron Cowen
  5. Earth

    Farmed salmon bring PCBs to the table

    High concentrations of chlorinated organic contaminants in farm-raised Atlantic salmon may warrant limiting consumption of the otherwise-healthful fish to no more than once per month.

    By Ben Harder
  6. Earth

    Air held oxygen early on

    Chemical analyses of South African sediments suggest that oxygen was present in small quantities about 2.32 billion years ago, which is at least 100 million years earlier than previously thought.

    By Sid Perkins
  7. Earth

    Scooting on a Wet Bottom: Some undersea landslides ride a nearly frictionless slick of water

    New computer simulations suggest that hydroplaning may be responsible for the unexpectedly large distances traversed by some undersea avalanches.

    By Sid Perkins
  8. Health & Medicine

    Conduit to the Brain: Particles enter the nervous system via the nose

    Tiny airborne particles can apparently infiltrate the brain by shimmying up the nerve that governs smell.

    By Ben Harder

  9. Sleeper Effects: Slumber may fortify memory, stir insight

    In two separate studies, researchers found that a specific sleep stage may amplify recent memories and that sleep can inspire problem-solving insights.

    By Bruce Bower

  10. Pushing Cancer over the Edge: Compounds trigger tumor-cell suicide

    Compounds that free cancer cells to commit suicide slow tumor growth.

    By John Travis
  11. Plants

    Dawn of the Y: Papaya—Glimpse of early sex chromosome

    Genetic mappers say that the papaya plant has a rudimentary Y chromosome, the youngest one in evolutionary terms yet found, offering a glimpse of the evolution of sex chromosomes.

    By Susan Milius
  12. Planetary Science

    Spirit Gets Its Wheels Dirty: Mars rover begins scientific work

    Spirit, the rover that landed on Mars on Jan. 3, last week began studying the rocks and soil at its landing site.

    By Ron Cowen