News
- Chemistry
Feline stimulant fends off mosquitoes
Preliminary results suggest that catnip may be more effective at repelling mosquitoes than the widely used chemical DEET.
- Astronomy
Galaxy’s Black Hole: X Rays Mark Spot
An X-ray outburst from the center of our galaxy is providing compelling new evidence that a monster black hole lurks at the Milky Way's core.
- Earth
Aircraft spies on health of coral reefs
Marine ecologists report the development of a new remote-sensing system that can assess the health of coral reefs from planes.
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A tip of the tongue to the brain
Researchers have identified several brain areas that together underlie the experience of feeling certain that a piece of forgotten information is nonetheless on the tip of one's tongue.
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Audiovisual aids may lessen dyslexia
A short training course in matching sound sequences with visual patterns shows promise as a way to boost reading skills in children with dyslexia.
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Seabird makes citrusy bug repellant
Auklet feathers carry a cocktail of citrus-smelling chemicals, including compounds that squashbugs secrete to repel predators.
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Geneticists define new elephant species
A new study of the genetics of African elephants shows that forest dwellers differ so much from those roaming the savannas that the two may be separate species.
- Health & Medicine
Milk seems to guard against breast cancer
Norwegian scientists have linked high milk consumption to low incidence of breast cancer.
- Tech
Quantum bell rings to electron beat
A new nanoscale transistor that parcels out electrons with metronome-like regularity has the potential to lead to designs for electronic noses and tiny devices inside of cell phones.
- Tech
Crystal listens for telltale sounds of virus
Scientists have built a device that can hear the movement of viral particles in fluids.
- Health & Medicine
Hindering glutamate slows rat brain cancer
Compounds that inhibit the amino acid glutamate impede a form of brain cancer called glioma in rats.
- Animals
It’s a snake! No, a fish. An octopus?
An as-yet-unnamed species of octopus seems to be protecting itself by impersonating venomous animals from sea snakes to flatfish.
