News
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Another chromosome down, more to go
Scientists from six countries have completed the sequence of human chromosome 21.
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Health & MedicineSweet news about ginseng
When taken before or with meals, ginseng appears to help people with diabetes control the normal rise in blood sugar that accompanies eating.
By Janet Raloff -
Diabetes drug cures infertility and more
A common diabetes drug helps treat obesity and cure the infertility associated with polycystic ovary disease—even in people without diabetes.
By Janet Raloff -
Are some fats more filling?
Substituting monounsaturated fats for polyunsaturated ones in cooking may hold hunger at bay longer.
By Janet Raloff -
Soy, tea, and cancer benefits
Animal studies indicate that enriching diets with soy and tea fights cancer better than adding either alone.
By Janet Raloff -
Family success prompts tit divorces
For the first time, researchers have shown that bird pairs are more likely to divorce after raising young than after losing a nest of offspring.
By Susan Milius -
Buddy power warms tent caterpillars
Tent caterpillars get more heat and insulation than scientists had expected.
By Susan Milius -
Invaders can conquer Africanized bees
Bees that can take over even an Africanized-bee colony start by conning their nursemaids into giving them royal treatment.
By Susan Milius -
Health & MedicineBats may spread new Malaysian virus
A Nipah virus outbreak in Malaysia may have started when bats spread disease to pigs.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineA hint at a healthful effect of beer
Beer consumption seems to boost concentrations of vitamin B6 in blood and coincides with lower concentrations of homocysteine, a risk factor for heart disease.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineDrug Eases Bone Cancer Pain in Mice
Pain caused by bone cancer in mice can be alleviated somewhat by osteoprotegerin, a drug being tested for osteoporosis, suggesting a possible new treatment for people with this cancer.
By Nathan Seppa -
PhysicsIntergalactic magnetism runs deep and wide
Mounting evidence that magnetic fields of surprising strength permeate intergalactic space raises questions about how the fields form and what effects they have.
By Peter Weiss