News
- Animals
Jackpot of fossilized pterosaur eggs unearthed in China
A treasure trove of pterosaur eggs and embryos gives tantalizing clues to the winged reptile’s early development.
- Anthropology
Strong-armed women helped power Europe’s ancient farming revolution
Intensive manual labor gave ancient farm women arms that female rowers today would envy.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
Testosterone may be one reason why men don’t get asthma as much as women
Adult women have higher rates of asthma than men, and testosterone’s effect on the immune system may partly explain that difference.
- Animals
Most blue whales are ‘righties,’ except for this one move
Though many blue whales tend to be “right-handed” when hunting for krill, one specific barrel roll move requires a lefty twist.
- Oceans
In the deep ocean, these bacteria play a key role in trapping carbon
Mysterious nitrite-oxidizing bacteria capture more carbon than previously thought and may be the primary engine at the base of the deep ocean’s food web.
- Animals
Rough lessons can lessen the pull of human scent on a mosquito
A form of aversion therapy for mosquitoes shows they can connect human scent to a bad experience.
By Susan Milius - Quantum Physics
‘Arrow of time’ reversed in quantum experiment
In quantum systems, heat can flow “backward,” from cold to hot.
- Animals
Seeds coated in a common pesticide might affect birds’ migration
Eating small amounts of a neonicotinoid pesticide can disorient white-crowned sparrows.
- Plants
The dietary habits of the emerald ash borer beetle are complicated
Tests answer some questions about the emerald ash borer’s hidden taste for olive and fringe trees.
By Susan Milius - Materials Science
This material does weird things under pressure
A new metamaterial has a seemingly impossible property: It swells when squeezed.
- Archaeology
Skeletons could provide clues to who wrote or protected the Dead Sea Scrolls
Skeletons suggest a group of celibate men inhabited Dead Sea Scrolls site.
By Bruce Bower - Genetics
Current CRISPR gene drives are too strong for outdoor use, studies warn
Self-limiting genetic tools already in development may be able to get around concerns surrounding the use of gene drives.
By Susan Milius