Uncategorized

  1. Health & Medicine

    Same mutations can show up in tumors, healthy tissues

    Analyzing samples of healthy and tumor tissues could pinpoint which mutations are driving cancer and help develop better-targeted treatments.

    By Nathan Seppa
  2. Life

    Researchers pull fingers to solve why knuckles crack

    Knuckle cracking is the sound of a bubble forming in a joint, MRI images reveal.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  3. Health & Medicine

    Why cancer patients waste away

    A tumor-produced protein that interferes with insulin causes wasting in fruit flies with cancer.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  4. Astronomy

    Galactic split provides clue to dark matter mystery

    An oddly divided galaxy may provide the first evidence that dark matter particles interact through a force other than gravity.

    By Andrew Grant
  5. Animals

    Shimmer and shine may help prey sabotage predators’ aim

    Iridescent prey was more difficult to strike in a video game for birds.

    By Susan Milius
  6. Neuroscience

    Nicotine exposure escalates rats’ desire for alcohol

    Rats drink more alcohol after they’ve been hooked on nicotine.

    By Laura Sanders
  7. Plants

    From lemons to kumquats, roots of citrus variety dug up

    Citrus fruits’ lineage is traced through chloroplast DNA, revealing both maternal and paternal heritage.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  8. Astronomy

    Map pinpoints location of invisible dark matter

    Dark matter can’t be seen, but a new map shows where it’s hiding. The map confirms that the mysterious matter is concentrated in regions that contain a lot of ordinary matter in the form of galaxy clusters.

    By Andrew Grant
  9. Health & Medicine

    Genes may influence placebo effect

    Certain gene variants may predispose people to experience the placebo effect, which may have implications for clinical trials and personalized medicine.

    By Ashley Yeager
  10. Planetary Science

    Comet 67P shows no sign of magnetism

    Philae found no evidence of a magnetic field on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, but did send back some clues about its rough landing.

    By Christopher Crockett
  11. Astronomy

    Afterglow alerts astronomers to gamma-ray burst

    Astronomers have spotted the remnant glow from a gamma-ray burst without first observing its beam of high-energy gamma rays.

    By Andrew Grant
  12. Neuroscience

    Marijuana component fights epilepsy

    A buzz-free extract of marijuana could help epilepsy patients whose seizures resist other treatments.

    By Nathan Seppa