Uncategorized
- Environment
PCB levels still high in Europe’s killer whales, smaller dolphins
PCBs banned for decades still show up at extremely high concentrations in Europe’s killer whales and other dolphins.
By Susan Milius - Science & Society
Insights into sexes’ differing responses to stress
Chronic stress takes its toll on everyone. One of our reporters follows a line of research suggesting that stress hits women harder (or at least differently) than men.
By Eva Emerson - Astronomy
Readers ponder mysterious origins of oxygen on comets and Earth
Readers pondered the origins of oxygen within a comet and during Earth's history.
- Life
Signs of food allergies may be present at birth
Overactive immune cells may prime babies for food allergies.
- Genetics
Drug candidate fails to improve symptoms of fragile X syndrome
A drug designed to treat fragile X syndrome has proven ineffective in clinical trials.
- Archaeology
Ancient stone tools raise tantalizing questions over who colonized Sulawesi
Hominids reached an island not far from hobbits’ home by around 200,000 years ago.
By Bruce Bower - Anthropology
Iceman has the world’s oldest tattoos
A more than 5,000-year-old European mummy gets his tattoos confirmed as world’s oldest.
By Bruce Bower - Animals
Capturing the wonders of hummingbird flight
Recent computer simulations reveal how hummingbirds manipulate the air around them to aid in flight.
By Andrew Grant - Animals
Ants don’t make decisions on the move
Worker ants stand still while processing environmental cues and planning their next moves, a new study suggests.
- Astronomy
Clues left at a galactic hit-and-run
Scientists may have discovered a dwarf galaxy that triggered a “galaxy quake” when it buzzed by the Milky Way a few hundred million years ago.
By Andrew Grant - Astronomy
Red giants map how the Milky Way grew
A new catalog of the ages of our galaxy’s stars confirms that the Milky Way grew from the inside out.
By Andrew Grant - Health & Medicine
Mom’s weight during pregnancy shapes baby’s health
Obesity at conception or during pregnancy is a big problem that's getting bigger: New evidence says a child's mental health could be at stake.
By Laura Beil