News
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Planetary ScienceWatery exoplanet’s skies suggest unexpected origin story
Compared with Neptune, HAT-P-26b’s atmosphere has few heavy elements, suggesting it formed differently than the ice giants in Earth’s solar system.
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PaleontologyAncient whale tells tale of when baleen whales had teeth
A 36 million-year-old whale fossil bridges the gap between ancient toothy predators and modern filter-feeding baleen whales.
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Health & Medicine‘Exercise pill’ turns couch potato mice into marathoners
An experimental "exercise in a pill" increases running endurance in mice before they step foot on a treadmill.
By Laura Beil -
Health & MedicineNew rules for cellular entry may aid antibiotic development
A new study lays out several rules to successfully enter gram-negative bacteria, which could lead to the development of sorely needed antibiotics.
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AnimalsSeabirds use preening to decide how to divvy up parenting duties
Seabirds in poor condition may communicate this information to their partner by delaying or withholding preening.
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AnthropologyHomo naledi may have lived at around same time as early humans
South African species Homo naledi is much younger than previously thought.
By Bruce Bower -
Planetary ScienceOxygen on comet 67P might not be ancient after all
Molecular oxygen detected around comet 67P may not be a relic of the solar system’s birth. Instead, it may be generated by interactions of water, the solar wind and the comet’s surface.
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ArchaeologyTwisted textile cords may contain clues to Inca messages
A writing system from the 1700s may illuminate even older knotty Inca messages.
By Bruce Bower -
AnimalsIn Florida, they’re fighting mosquitoes by meddling with their sex lives
As an alternative to genetically modified mosquitoes, Florida skeeter police are testing one of two strategies that use bacteria to meddle with insect sex lives.
By Susan Milius -
Planetary ScienceMars may not have been born alongside the other rocky planets
Mars formed farther away from the sun than its present-day orbit, not near the other terrestrial planets, new research suggests.
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NeuroscienceInternal compass guides fruit fly navigation
Experiments show how flies navigate — and why this might be important for humans.
By Laura Beil -
EnvironmentPeace and quiet is becoming more elusive in U.S. wild areas
Human noise stretches into the wilderness.