Uncategorized
- Astronomy
Some gas clouds refuse to collapse
A study of dust gives astronomers a sharper picture of cold gas.
- Cosmology
Slow, cold start to universe suggested
By allowing particle masses to change, a new theory suggests how the universe could have arisen without a Big Bang.
- Animals
Disco clams put on a streak show
Scuba divers call Ctenoides ales the disco or electric clam because the restless, curling lips of its mantle flash bright streaks.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Smoking equality
A study of tobacco smoking patterns reports that more men than women smoke in every country except Sweden.
- Animals
Synchronous birth
For young banded mongoose moms, there’s only one choice for when to give birth — the same day as older, dominant mothers. In communities of these cat-sized animals, all females give birth together, no matter when they became pregnant.
- Animals
When snakes fly
A gliding snake gets some lift by spreading its ribs, but much about its flight remains a mystery.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Immunotherapy attacks aberrant cervical growth
The treatment might stop cancers before they arise.
By Nathan Seppa - Humans
Neandertal hot spots highlighted in modern humans’ DNA
Mating with evolutionary cousins produced genetic trade-offs for Stone Age people.
By Bruce Bower - Astronomy
Clouds on nearby brown dwarf mapped
A study of clouds on a nearby brown dwarf reveals partial cloud cover.
- Plants
Sexually deceived flies not hopelessly dumb
Pollinators tricked into mating with a plant become harder to fool a second time.
By Susan Milius - Life
A little acid or a tight squeeze can turn a cell stemlike
Stresses send mouse cells into primordial state capable of making any tissue.
- Neuroscience
Famous brain surgery patient H.M. retained a chunk of hippocampus
The patient's amnesia was probably due to the loss of other regions and neural connections.