News
- Animals
Jellyfish snot can sting swimmers who never touch the animal
Researchers have found mobile cellular blobs coated with stinging cells in mucus from a jellyfish that sits upside-down on the seafloor.
- Humans
Some West Africans may have genes from an ancient ‘ghost’ hominid
A humanlike population undiscovered in fossils may have passed helpful DNA on to human ancestors in West Africa starting as early as 124,000 years ago.
- Oceans
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill spread much farther than once thought
Computer simulations reveal the full extent of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Quantum Physics
Scientists entangled quantum memories linked over long distances
The entanglement of quantum ‘hard drives’ is a crucial step toward creating a quantum internet.
- Life
Bats’ immune defenses may be why their viruses can be so deadly to people
A new study of cells in lab dishes hints at why viruses found in bats tend to be so dangerous when they jump to other animals.
- Physics
How to make the best fried rice, according to physics
Researchers show exactly how rocking and sliding a wok can launch fried rice into the air, letting it cook at a high temperature without burning.
- Life
Wolves regurgitate blueberries for their pups to eat
The behavior, documented for the first time, suggests that fruit may be more important to wolves than previously thought.
- Space
An ancient galaxy grew massive — then oddly stopped making stars
After ferociously producing stars for a few hundred million years, this galaxy in the early universe gave up, and astronomers aren’t sure why.
- Ecosystems
Will Australia’s forests bounce back after devastating fires?
Intense bushfires that have blazed down Australia’s eastern coast could have long-lasting effects on the continent’s unique plants and animals.
- Oceans
Noise pollution from ships may scare Arctic cod from feeding grounds
Melting Arctic sea ice is opening up northern waters to increased shipping, and the vessel noise is taking a toll on Arctic cod.
- Archaeology
Food residues offer a taste of pottery’s diverse origins in East Asia
Clay pots emerged in different places and for different reasons, starting at least 16,000 years ago, a study suggests.
- Space
ESA’s Solar Orbiter will be the first spacecraft to study the sun’s polar zones
ESA's Solar Orbiter is now on its way to the sun, beginning a nearly two-year journey.
