News
- Physics
Possible sign of dark matter shows up again
Excess of X-rays could indicate decaying sterile neutrinos.
- Astronomy
Conditions right for stars, planets near Milky Way’s supermassive black hole
Four clouds of gas near the galactic center have roughly the right mass to be young stars, possibly with planets.
- Health & Medicine
Rogue antibody linked to severe second dengue infections
Alternate antibody may indicate whether someone is susceptible to severe dengue disease.
- Oceans
Climate change may boost toxic mercury levels in sea life
Increased runoff to the ocean due to climate change could raise neurotoxic mercury in coastal sea life by disrupting the base of the food web.
- Anthropology
Snooze patterns vary across cultures, opening eyes to evolution of sleep
Sleep plays out differently across cultures, but a consistent cycle of z’s and activity appears crucial.
By Bruce Bower - Plants
Big genetics study blazes path for bringing back tomato flavor
Combining taste tests with genetics suggests what makes heirloom varieties tastier than mass-market tomatoes.
By Susan Milius - Physics
New claim staked for metallic hydrogen
Scientists report transforming hydrogen into a metal at high pressure, but some experts dispute the claim.
- Life
Mouse cells grown in rats cure diabetes in mice
Mixing cells of two species produces pig and cattle embryos with some human cells.
- Physics
Chemists strike gold, solve mystery about precious metal’s properties
A longstanding puzzle about gold’s properties has been solved with more complex theoretical calculations.
- Life
What a mosquito’s immune system can tell us about fighting malaria
Immune system messengers carried in microscopic sacs help mosquitoes fend off malaria, new research suggests.
- Ecosystems
In debate over origin of fairy circles, both sides might be right
Odd bare spots called fairy circles in African grasslands might be caused by both termites and plants.
By Susan Milius - Science & Society
Cancer studies get mixed grades on redo tests
Replications of cancer studies fail to reproduce some results.