News
- Environment
Replacement for toxic chemical in plastics, receipts may be just as toxic
Mounting evidence suggests that BPS, a common chemical in plastics, may cause the same health effects as BPA.
By Beth Mole - Earth
Tethys Ocean implicated in Pangaea breakup
The shrinking of the Tethys Ocean may have broken up the Pangaea supercontinent.
- Physics
High-temperature superconductivity record awaits confirmation
A hydrogen-sulfur compound under pressure may transport electrical current with no resistance at a record high temperature.
By Andrew Grant - Planetary Science
Dawn spacecraft arrives at dwarf planet Ceres
The Dawn spacecraft arrives at Ceres to begin a 14-month investigation of the dwarf planet.
- Quantum Physics
Light trick can retrieve missed messages
Even if photons pass you by, you can still snatch a signal from their electromagnetic wake, physicists propose.
By Andrew Grant - Astronomy
Supernova hurls star out of the galaxy
The fastest-moving star to leave the Milky Way might have been launched by a nearby exploding star.
- Animals
Killer whales follow postmenopausal leaders
Taking the lead on salmon hunts may be postmenopausal killer whales’ way of sharing their ecological knowledge.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Hepatitis E vaccine shows strong coverage
A large trial in China indicates that a vaccine can provide 87 percent protection against the hepatitis E virus, which infects 20 million people a year.
By Nathan Seppa - Humans
Ancient jaw may hold clues to origins of human genus
A 2.8-million-year-old fossil from Ethiopia raises questions about the origins and evolution of the human genus, Homo.
By Bruce Bower - Neuroscience
Brain cells predict opponent’s move in game-playing monkeys
Newly discovered brain cells help monkeys predict whether a companion will cooperate.
- Plants
Tropical plant knows whose bill is in its flowers
A rainforest plant avoids inbreeding by accepting pollen only from hummingbird species that must travel to reach it.
- Quantum Physics
Trying to get the down-low on gravity
A twist on a classic quantum mechanics experiment could lead to the discovery of elusive gravitons.
By Andrew Grant