News
- Earth
Early last month, the iceberg cracked
A huge crack across the floating portion of an Antarctic glacier has cleaved the ice shelf and spawned a new iceberg much more quickly than scientists had expected.
- Earth
Charcoal warms the whole world
The techniques used in developing nations to transform wood into charcoal are net emitters of greenhouse gases, even though the wood used to produce the fuel removed globe-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it was growing.
- Chemistry
Compounds cool without minty taste
Scientists have created a compound that delivers a more potent version of the cooling sensation of menthol, without the minty taste or smell.
- Chemistry
Everything Midas touched turned to rot
Researchers have found the nutrient sources for fungi that caused the decay of much of King Midas' tomb and its contents.
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Native signers may get right-brain aid
Controversial brain-imaging data suggest that the right side of the brain contributes to the grammatical skills of people who grow up using sign language.
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Neural peek at anxious, depressed kids
A brain structure called the amygdala may play an influential role in severe cases of childhood anxiety and depression.
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Foster infants retain security option
As late as age 18 months, foster infants quickly develop a secure relationship with a nurturing foster mother.
- Math
Searchers capture a champion megaprime
A participant in the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search set the record for the largest known prime number, which runs to 4,053,946 decimal digits.
- Tech
Fly lends an ear to microphone design
The unique way some flies localize sound has inspired engineers to design tiny directional microphones for hearing aids and surveillance devices.
- Health & Medicine
Surprise! Fat proves a taste sensation
The share of consumed fat that travels into a person's bloodstream depends on whether the person tasted fat to begin with.
- Health & Medicine
Delayed surgery aids spinal cord repair
Postponing surgery to repair a severed spinal cord in rats improves the likelihood that the operation will counteract the injury.
- Materials Science
Synthetic molecules mimic bone growth
Researchers have created molecules that assemble into a microscopic structure that mimics bone.
