News
- Life
New ant species found
One weird ant suggests lost world of ancient ants living underground
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Late nights and disease
Getting too little sleep may lead to health problems. A new study shows that after only one night of sleep deprivation, women have higher levels of an inflammatory molecule linked to cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.
- Space
Snapshot of a planet beyond the solar system
After years of false alarms, astronomers may finally have recorded the first image of a planet orbiting a sunlike star beyond the solar system.
By Ron Cowen - Materials Science
A killer paint job
New findings suggest that nanotechnology paints for walls, ceilings and surfaces could one day be used to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals.
- Humans
Teen depression: No genes required
The family-shattering effects of a mother’s depression can prompt the same mood disorder in her children, independent of any genetic risk.
By Bruce Bower -
- Life
This bite won’t hurt a bit
A team dissects the physics of a mosquito bite, working to find a way to design gentler needles.
- Paleontology
Dino domination was in the cards, maybe
A new study finds that early dinosaurs coexisted with and were outnumbered by a competing species. Dinosaurs eventually reigned supreme anyway, but perhaps not because they were better.
- Space
Blast from the past poses puzzle
New observations suggest that the brilliant outburst of a hefty star that first wowed observers in the 1840s could be signs of a new, exotic type of stellar explosion.
By Ron Cowen - Space
Brightest gamma-ray burst
A bit of luck helps astronomers detect the most luminous object ever recorded from Earth.
By Ron Cowen - Health & Medicine
Good day care grime
A study of 952 children in Manchester, England, suggests that children going to day care starting at age 6 months could be less likely to develop asthma later.
- Life
Giant honeybees do the wave
Giant bees coordinate and make waves that would rival those in any football stadium. Predators of the bees don’t find it cheering.
By Susan Milius