News
- Life
Friendly fire blamed in some H1N1 deaths
A poorly targeted immune response to the 2009 pandemic flu virus caused young adults and the middle-aged to suffer more than usual.
- Physics
Light can generate lift
Researchers create a lightfoil that can push small objects perpendicularly.
- Earth
Icequake swarms portend some avalanches
By keeping an ear to the ice, scientists can predict impending glacial crack-ups two weeks in advance.
- Life
Just warm enough
Mammals may have evolved a characteristic body temperature to avoid fungal infections without burning too hot.
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- Space
Newfound planet stirs old debate
The discoverers of a fourth body orbiting a nearby star say its origins pose a challenge to existing theory, but some disagree.
- Physics
Nuclear split surprises
Physicists spot a new and unexpected type of lopsided fission in the element mercury.
- Chemistry
Bacterium grows with arsenic
A microbe appears to substitute a normally toxic element for a basic ingredient of life, raising intriguing questions about the limits of biochemistry.
- Humans
Food security wanes as world warms
Global warming may have begun outpacing the ability of farmers to adapt, new studies report.
- Space
It’s really full of stars
Astronomers find such an abundance of red dwarfs in eight nearby galaxies that they suggest the stellar population of the universe may be three times current estimates.
- Life
Dieting may plant seeds of weight regain
Cutting calories causes changes in the brains of mice that appear to encourage binge eating under stressful conditions years later.
- Chemistry
Snot has the power to alter scents
Enzymes in mice's nasal mucus can alter certain odors before the nose can detect them, a new study finds.
