Science Ticker
A roundup of research and breaking news
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Neuroscience
Soft brain implant helps paralyzed rats walk again
Scientists have made a soft, flexible electrical implant that mimics the elasticity of the brain and spine's protective tissue.
- Neuroscience
PET scans hint at brain’s reorganization after injury
Imaging monkeys’ brains after strokelike injury is giving scientists clues to how neurons reorganize themselves so the animals can move again.
- Health & Medicine
HPV vaccination not linked to multiple sclerosis
Getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus, or HPV, is not associated with developing multiple sclerosis or similar diseases, a new study shows.
- Astronomy
Hubble telescope snaps new images of iconic stellar nursery
Hubble's new view of the Pillars of Creation, a star-forming region in the Milky Way, hints at how the nebula has changed over the last 20 years.
- Animals
White-nose syndrome messes with bats’ metabolisms
Bats with the deadly white-nose syndrome use twice as much fat for energy as their healthy companions in winter months.
- Humans
Precursors of human sperm and eggs made from stem cells
Reprogrammed adult human cells can produce germ cells, precursors of sperm and eggs.
- Neuroscience
Smartphone users’ thumbs are reshaping their brains
Smartphones are forcing us to use our thumbs in new ways and reshaping the way our brains respond to touch.
- Health & Medicine
Some heart patients do better when the doctor’s away
When cardiologists are away at national conferences, patients with acute heart conditions are more likely to survive, a study shows.
- Astronomy
Hubble telescope spots our galaxy’s newest neighbor
The Milky Way galaxy has a new neighbor, Hubble images show.
- Planetary Science
Grazing crater rim may have saved comet lander
Bumping off the rim of a crater probably saved the robotic comet Philae from a cold, dark death, a new analysis of images suggests.
- Environment
Air pollution linked to autism
Air pollution may double a pregnant woman's risk of having a child with autism, a new study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Eating only low glycemic index foods may not help the heart
Eating healthy carbs with high glycemic index scores is not bad for your heart, a new study suggests.
