News
- Space
Crab Nebula activity keeps confounding
Unusually rapid fluctuations in the output of a supernova remnant send theorists scuttling for a reasonable explanation.
- Chemistry
Idling jets pollute more than thought
Oily droplets emitted by planes operating at low power can turn into potentially toxic airborne particles.
- Life
Animals quickly colonized freshwater
Fossilized worm burrows show that life had moved beyond the oceans by 530 million years ago.
- Health & Medicine
Unnoticed celiac disease worth treating
People who have an antibody reaction to gluten but no outward symptoms are better off if they avoid grains containing the protein, a study shows.
- Psychology
Autism rates head up
Disorders may affect more kids than previously thought, a study in South Korea suggests.
- Life
Fungus strikes but doesn’t kill European bats
Organism that is devastating North American populations might have coevolved with hosts overseas.
- Astronomy
Supermassive black hole rises and shines
Astronomers may have witnessed the activation of a dormant supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy.
- Psychology
Thinking better with depression
Study suggests people with the mood disorder have an advantage when making certain decisions.
- Chemistry
Spray of zinc marks fertilization
Embryonic development begins with an outpouring of the metal, illustrating chemistry's importance in orchestrating biological processes.
- Earth
Warming dents corn and wheat yields
Rising temperatures have decreased global grain production and may be partly responsible for food price increases.
- Life
Giant ants once roamed Wyoming
The first complete fossil found in North America suggests warm spells in the far north allowed big insects to spread.
- Space
Gravity Probe B finally pays off
A half century in the making, an orbiting experiment finally confirms Einstein's general relativity.
