News
-
Health & MedicineCocoa compound increases brain blood flow
Cocoa that retains compounds usually removed to soften the product's flavor can significantly improve blood flow to the brain.
-
EarthSubglacial lakes may influence ice flow
The flow of water into and out of massive, ice-covered lakes in Antarctica may influence the speed at which the overlying glaciers move toward the sea.
By Sid Perkins -
Health & MedicineA cornea that’s got some nerve
Researchers have developed a technique to grow corneal tissue that includes nerve cells, an advance that may enable them to test consumer products in lab dishes rather than live animals.
By Sid Perkins -
Health & MedicineFungus produces cancer drug
Several varieties of fungi that attack hazelnuts produce high quantities of the popular cancer drug paclitaxel.
-
PhysicsBreaking a molecule’s mirror image
The theory of entanglement explains a newly observed behavior in a symmetrical hydrogen molecule: When the molecule fractures, the directions in which its constituent particles move are not always random.
By Ben Harder -
Health & MedicineHow antipsychotic drugs can cause weight gain
A study of mice has identified a biological mechanism by which medications called atypical antipsychotics cause people to gain weight.
By Ben Harder -
AnthropologyNew age for ancient Americans
New radiocarbon dates indicate that the Clovis people, long considered the first well-documented settlers of the New World, inhabited North America considerably later and for a much shorter time than previously thought.
By Bruce Bower -
ChemistryLighting up for uranium
A portable sensor could make it possible to rapidly detect environmental uranium contamination.
-
EcosystemsWarming Sign? Larger dead zones form off Oregon coast
Unprecedented recent changes in the yearly pattern of ocean currents off North America's West Coast have wreaked havoc on aquatic ecosystems there, another possible symptom of Earth's warming climate.
By Sid Perkins -
Decoding Autism: Study finds DNA clues to developmental disorders
New results direct the search for autism-influencing genes to a previously overlooked DNA segment and highlight the role of a crucial chemical-messenger system in creating brains susceptible to autism.
By Bruce Bower -
AnimalsBird Plans: Jays show foresight in breakfast menus
The strongest evidence yet that animals plan ahead may come from western scrub jays preparing for their morning meals.
By Susan Milius -
Health & MedicineVirus Stopper: Herpes drug dampens HIV infection
An antiviral drug commonly taken for genital herpes seems to suppress HIV in people harboring both pathogens.
By Nathan Seppa