Uncategorized
- Animals
Flea treatment shows downside of social life
The flealike parasites that build up in a shared burrow take an unexpectedly large toll on the ground squirrel's reproductive success.
By Susan Milius -
Is a Galápagos finch caught in a split?
An inland population of one of the famed Galápagos finches may become a new textbook example of the way in which two species emerge from one while still living together.
By Susan Milius - Animals
How do female lemurs get so tough?
Female ring-tailed lemurs may get masculinized by well-timed little rises of prenatal hormones.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Female moths join pheromone choruses
Female rattlebox moths can detect each other's male-luring pheromones and tend to gather in what may be a scent version of male frogs' chorusing around the pond.
By Susan Milius -
Drug could be depression buster
Preliminary evidence indicates that a single dose of a drug called ketamine rapidly quells symptoms of major depression for up to 1 week in patients who don't benefit from standard antidepressant medications.
By Bruce Bower -
Sperm in frozen animals still viable years later
Sperm stored inside frozen organs or whole animals can produce healthy offspring years later.
- Astronomy
Spiral galaxy in the young universe
Astronomers have identified a galaxy that had already begun to resemble the modern Milky Way when the universe was only 3 billion years old, one-fifth of its current age.
By Ron Cowen - Anthropology
Chimps spread out their tools
Chimpanzees use stones to crack nuts in an African region far from where that behavior was thought to be relegated.
By Bruce Bower - Anthropology
Mental Leap
As scientists discover traits shared by human and ape ancestors millions of years ago, they try to fill in the gaps of human evolution.
By Eric Jaffe - Chemistry
Target Practice
As they study the biochemical processes that make Mycobacterium tuberculosis tick, researchers are finding new targets to exploit to combat the microbe.
- Humans
Letters from the September 2, 2006, issue of Science News
B line “A Vexing Enigma: New insights confront chronic fatigue syndrome” (SN: 7/1/06, p. 10) implies that there’s not an available cure for chronic fatigue syndrome. I was amazed to find no mention of vitamin B12. I can attest to the remarkable effect. Earl L. PyeOak Hills, Calif. Limited evidence suggests that vitamin B12 absorption […]
By Science News - Math
Making Sense of the Web’s Structure
Pioneering studies of social networks and the Web's structure lead to a prestigious prize.