Science Ticker
A roundup of research and breaking news
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Environment
Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused months-long ‘dirty blizzard’
Pollution from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill accumulated on the seafloor for months after the leak was patched.
- Climate
Climate probably stopped Mongols cold in Hungary
Mongol cavalry was no match for cold, wet climate in medieval Hungary, researchers think.
- Animals
Antibiotics in cattle leave their mark in dung
Treating cattle with antibiotics may have side effects for dung beetles, microbes and greenhouse gases.
- Animals
Snot could be crucial to dolphin echolocation
An acoustic model reveals that echolocation relies on mucus lined tissue lumps in the animal’s nasal passage.
- Archaeology
Evidence of 5,000-year-old beer recipe found in China
Ancient brewer’s toolkits put barley on tap in China as early as 3400 B.C.
- Health & Medicine
CDC tracking 279 U.S. pregnant women with possible Zika infections
The number of U.S. pregnant women with evidence of Zika infection has climbed to nearly 300, and includes both women with and without symptoms.
- Genetics
Some Stone Age humans returned to Africa
DNA from an ancient woman suggests some humans trekked back to Africa.
- Animals
Hornbills join toucans in the cool beak club
Like toucans, southern yellow-billed hornbills keep things chill with cool beaks.
- Agriculture
New analysis: Genetically engineered foods not a health risk
No real evidence for health or environmental dangers of GE crops.
- Health & Medicine
This week in Zika: First mouse study proof that Zika causes microcephaly
Three new studies in mice shore up the link between microcephaly and Zika virus infection.
- Neuroscience
Social area of the brain sets threat level of animals
How people perceive an animal’s danger level is encoded in a particular wrinkle of cortex, a brain scan study suggests.
- Particle Physics
Large Hadron Collider starts its 2016 physics run
Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider are taking data for the first time in 2016.
