Uncategorized

  1. Computing

    New computer algorithm plays poker almost perfectly

    An algorithm optimized to play heads-up limit Texas Hold’em poker will never lose in the long run against any opponent.

    By Andrew Grant
  2. Health & Medicine

    New antibiotic candidate shows promise

    Tests in lab dishes and mice suggest an experimental compound called teixobactin can kill staph, TB microbes and other bacteria.

    By Nathan Seppa
  3. Health & Medicine

    Weight-loss surgery linked to better survival

    Obese middle-aged and older people fare better if they have had bariatric surgery, a long-term study of veterans finds.

    By Nathan Seppa
  4. Astronomy

    Kepler telescope discovers another 554 possible planets

    Extra year of Kepler telescope data adds 554 possible planets and eight confirmed ones that might be able to host life.

    By Christopher Crockett
  5. Climate

    Stalled global warming linked to North American drought

    Strong Pacific Ocean winds blamed for the global warming hiatus also boosted the odds of severe drought in the southwestern United States.

    By Thomas Sumner
  6. Animals

    Bowhead whales may unlock the secrets to a long, healthy life

    Analyzing the genome of the bowhead whale may help scientists understand how the animals live for more than 200 years.

    By Kate Baggaley
  7. Archaeology

    Stones challenge dating of Easter Island collapse

    Despite losing ground in some areas, Polynesian farmers outlasted European contact.

    By Bruce Bower
  8. Life

    Cold coddles colds

    Antiviral responses aren’t as effective against common cold viruses in cooler temperatures.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  9. Health & Medicine

    ‘AIDS’ gives inside view of science, politics of epidemic

    In ‘AIDS Between Science and Politics,’ pioneering HIV expert Peter Piot discusses the factors and events that shaped the epidemic.

    By Beth Mole
  10. Animals

    Why ground squirrels go ninja over nothing

    Ground squirrels twist and dodge fast enough to have a decent chance of escaping rattlesnake attacks.

    By Susan Milius
  11. Climate

    ‘Storm Surge’ revisits Sandy, looks to future hurricanes

    Superstorm Sandy deluged New York City and could be a harbinger of future coastal flooding.

    By Sid Perkins
  12. Psychology

    ‘Survival of the Nicest’ demonstrates altruism all around

    Selfishness is not the rule in human society, new book argues.

    By Nathan Seppa