Science Ticker
A roundup of research and breaking news
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Planetary Science
Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon may not conceal an ocean after all
A lack of cracks on Mimas suggests that the icy moon of Saturn doesn’t conceal a subsurface ocean of liquid water.
- Planetary Science
Juno spacecraft won’t go into shorter orbit around Jupiter
Juno will remain in its 53-day orbit around Jupiter due to an issue with two helium check valves, NASA reports.
- Climate
Antarctic sea ice shrinks to record low
The Antarctic sea ice extent has reached a new low just two years after hitting a record high.
- Health & Medicine
See how long Zika lasts in semen and other bodily fluids
For most men infected with Zika, traces of the virus disappear from semen 81 days after symptoms begin. In other bodily fluids, Zika RNA is typically cleared even faster.
- Climate
Desert songbirds increasingly at risk of dehydration
With no efforts to curb climate warming, hot spots in the U.S. Southwest could turn uninhabitable for some songbirds.
- Earth
Dual magma plumes fueled volcanic eruptions during final days of dinosaurs
Two magma plumes fueled the Deccan volcanic eruptions around the time of the dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago.
- Animals
How hydras know where to regrow their heads
Regenerating pond animals called hydras inherit structural patterns from their original forms, researchers find.
- Genetics
CRISPR used in cows to help fight tuberculosis
Chinese researchers used a CRISPR/Cas 9 gene editor to make cows more resistant to tuberculosis.
- Oceans
Cone snails wander in circles, lose focus with boosted CO2
Deadly cone snails wander in circles and become less capable hunters when exposed to higher levels of carbon dioxide in seawater.
- Life
Why salmonella doesn’t want you to poop out
Salmonella bacteria fight infection-driven losses in appetite to keep hosts just healthy enough for transmission.
- Physics
Construction of tiny, fluid-filled devices inspired by Legos
Tiny devices shuttle fluid around using reconfigurable Lego-like bricks.
- Paleontology
Ancient otter of unusual size unearthed in China
Fossils unearthed in China reveal a newly discovered, now-extinct species of otter that lived some 6.2 million years ago.
