News

  1. Life

    Orca moms baby their adult sons. That favoritism pays off — eventually

    By sharing fish with their adult sons, orca moms may skimp on nutrition, cutting their chances of more offspring but boosting the odds for grandwhales.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    How fingerprints form was a mystery — until now

    A theory proposed by British mathematician Alan Turing in the 1950s helps explain how fingerprint patterns such as arches and whorls arise.

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  3. Astronomy

    The Kuiper Belt’s dwarf planet Quaoar hosts an impossible ring

    Quaoar’s ring lies outside the Roche limit, an imaginary line beyond which rings aren’t thought to be stable.

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  4. Microbes

    Some ‘friendly’ bacteria backstab their algal pals. Now we know why

    The friendly relationship between Emiliana huxleyi and Roseobacter turns deadly when the bacteria get a whiff of the algae’s aging-related chemicals.

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  5. Physics

    Physicists stored data in quantum holograms made of twisted light

    Light that travels in corkscrew-like paths provides a way to make holograms that store large amounts of data in ultrasecure packages.

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  6. Life

    Mammals that live in groups may live longer, longevity research suggests

    An analysis of nearly 1,000 mammal species reveals that the evolution of mammals’ social lives and life spans could be linked.

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  7. Earth

    What to know about Turkey’s recent devastating earthquake

    Science News spoke with U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough about the fatal February 6 earthquake near the Turkey-Syria border

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  8. Animals

    Fish can recognize themselves in photos, further evidence they may be self-aware

    Cleaner fish recognize themselves in mirrors and photos, suggesting that far more animals may be self-aware than previously thought.

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  9. Science & Society

    We prioritize family over self, and that has real-world implications

    Two studies show how family bonds improve personal and mental health, suggesting policy makers should shift away from individualistic mindsets.

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  10. Animals

    Here are 3 people-animal collaborations besides dolphins and Brazilians

    Dolphins working with people to catch fish recently made a big splash. But humans and other animals have cooperated throughout history.

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  11. Life

    How plant ‘muscles’ fold up a mimosa leaf fast

    A mimosa plant revs up tiny clumps of specially shaped cells that collapse its leaflets, though why isn’t clear.

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  12. Animals

    A newfound ‘croakless’ frog may communicate via touch

    A newly discovered frog species in Tanzania joins a rare group of frogs that don’t croak or ribbit.

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