News
- Humans
In teeth, more cracks are better than one
Cracks in tooth enamel, called tufts, distribute force and shield a tooth from fracture, researchers report.
- Life
Early land arthropods sported shells
Ancient ocean-dwelling arthropods may have worn shells to enable their transition to land.
- Animals
Oh, he’s such a lab bird
Bold flycatchers may be more likely than shy birds to get trapped for lab studies.
- Materials Science
Double-laser approach makes one thin line
Erasing and stenciling could refine tiny printing for sculpting nano-sized devices.
- Anthropology
African pygmies may be older than thought
A new DNA analysis indicates that pygmy hunter-gatherers and farming groups in Africa diverged from a common ancestral population around 60,000 years ago.
- Health & Medicine
Touch and sight push each other around
When the fingers feel downward motion, the eyes see upward motion.
- Health & Medicine
The other, friendly fat
Brown fat is active in adult humans and could help keep people lean.
- Health & Medicine
Acid reflux link to asthma now in doubt
Heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors, commonly prescribed for asthma patients, don’t prevent breathing attacks.
- Earth
Nickel down, oxygen up
Researchers point to the early ocean's concentration of nickel as the possible start for events that allowed Earth's atmosphere to accumulate oxygen.
- Life
Male chimps exchange meat for sex
A long-term study of chimps living in western Africa indicates that males hunt down monkeys not only to eat their meat, but also to exchange the meat for sex with female chimps.
- Animals
Sonar causes rock-concert effect in dolphins
Test of recorded sonar causes temporary hearing impairment in dolphins.
- Life
Primate vision puts pieces together
Study suggests nerve cells in retinas create an intricate system of interlocking receptive fields.
