News
- Chemistry
Onward, microbes
With a tweak to their genetic codes, bacteria have been coaxed to follow a chemical trail of a researcher's choosing.
- Health & Medicine
Nail-gun injuries shoot up
Nail-gun injuries among do-it-yourself carpenters have tripled since 1991.
By Nathan Seppa -
Unintended consequences of cancer therapies
Radiation and chemotherapy can destroy a tumor, but they may also indirectly promote metastasis, the spread of cancerous cells to other organs.
-
Synesthesia tied to brain connections
People who see specific colors when looking at particular letters possess an unusually large number of connections in brain areas that influence word and color perception.
By Bruce Bower - Earth
Southern seas slow their uptake of CO2
In recent decades, the rate at which oceans in the Southern Hemisphere soak up atmospheric carbon dioxide has slowed.
By Sid Perkins - Anthropology
When female chimps become baby killers
Although long thought to be rare, instances in which female chimps band together to kill other females' infants occur fairly regularly under certain circumstances.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
Migraines in men linked to heart attack risk
Men who experience migraine headaches are somewhat more likely to have heart attacks than are other men.
By Nathan Seppa - Chemistry
Cleaning Treasures: Safer solvents for restoring frescoes
Solvents in nanoscale droplets can be used to clean centuries-old frescoes, saving them from the unintended consequences of previous restorations.
-
Another Layer of Complexity: Short lengths of RNA could provide new form of genetic control
Researchers have discovered a new way that so-called junk DNA could help regulate gene activity.
-
Fly Moves: Insects buzz about in organized abandon
Fruit flies display a penchant for spontaneous behavior that represents an evolutionary building block of voluntary choice, also known as free will, a controversial study suggests.
By Bruce Bower - Planetary Science
Water World: Extrasolar planet is loaded with hot ice
Astronomers have found a Neptune-size planet outside the solar system that's composed mainly of water solidified under high pressure.
By Ron Cowen - Animals
Low Life: Cold, polar ocean looks surprisingly rich
The first survey of life in deep waters around Antarctica has turned up hundreds of new species and a lot more variety than explorers had expected.
By Susan Milius