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Animals

Saving salamanders from amphibian killer may take extreme measures

Experience from lethal Bd fungus outbreak is helping researchers defend North America’s salamander paradise from new Bsal threat.

Neuroscience

Early exposure to signing helps deaf kids on mental task

Deaf kids exposed to sign language from birth performed better on a task that required attention and impulse control.

Health & Medicine

Unknowns about Zika virus continue to frustrate

As worry about the Zika virus outbreak continues to ratchet up, scientists are scrambling to understand what threats the virus poses and how to stop it from spreading.

Environment

Vaping linked to host of new health risks

Animal studies and analyses of gene activity point to broad range of potential new health risks from vaping affecting everything from sperm to heart and immunity to mental health.

Microbes

Microbe mix varies by kind of home

Urban homes hold more human-associated bacteria compared with rural homes. Subdivided houses with lots of rooms and poor ventilation could be to blame.

Earth

New app puts an earthquake detector in your pocket

Smartphone app MyShake uses motion-sensing accelerometers to detect nearby quakes. The app could provide early warnings of incoming tremors, its creators say.

Genetics

Neandertal DNA may raise risk for some modern human diseases

Neandertal DNA may once have helped humans, but now may contribute to disease.

Physics

The long road to detecting gravity waves

Thanks to two colliding black holes, Einstein's historic prediction of gravitational waves disturbing the fabric of spacetime has finally been realized.

Physics

Gravitational waves explained

Colliding black holes send ripples through spacetime that can be detected here on Earth. What are these gravitational waves, and how did Advanced LIGO detect them?

Physics

Gravity waves from black holes verify Einstein’s prediction

Gravitational waves, tremors in the cosmic fabric of space and time predicted by Einstein a century ago, have finally been detected, opening a new avenue for exploring the universe.

Anthropology

Rise of human civilization tied to belief in punitive gods

Beliefs in all-knowing, punitive deities may have fueled the growth of human civilizations.

Astronomy

Readers tussle over top science stories of 2015

Readers tussle over the top spot in our top 25, questions about engineered vocal cords, and more in the February 20 Feedback.