Science Ticker
A roundup of research and breaking news
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Math
Sharks’ hunting paths may not be driven by math
Penguins, tuna, sharks and other marine hunters have been shown to use math to find food. But simulations suggest the behavior is a result of rough water, not complex calculation.
- Health & Medicine
Rounder waists show obesity continues to rise
The waistlines of U.S. adults continue to expand, running counter to a report that obesity, based on body mass index, did not increase substantially in the past decade.
- Paleontology
Fossil beetles show earliest signs of active parenting
Ancient beetles that thrived off of dead and decaying flesh may have been among the first creatures to actively care for their young.
- Planetary Science
Spot on comet chosen for Rosetta mission lander
Philae, the Rosetta mission lander, will attempt to land on a spot called site J on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
- Planetary Science
Moon’s farside hints at violent volcanic explosions
The spread of the element thorium in the moon's Compton-Belkovich region suggests that silica volcanoes there once had violent explosions.
- Quantum Physics
Artificial atom probes sound’s quantum side
Scientists have designed an artificial atom to emit sound that is divided into quantum particles.
- Life
Superslow sloths may have once evolved superfast
Sloths may evolved some of the fastest rates of body growth reported to date for mammals.
- Animals
Strong social bonds help lady baboons live longer
Wild, female baboons with stronger social connections with both female and male baboons live longer than females with weaker ties, a new study shows.
- Ecosystems
Artifacts, fossils tell story of changes to Egypt’s animals
Ancient Egyptian artifacts and fossils from the Nile Valley show a correlation between species extinctions and a growing human population in a drying climate.
- Climate
Greenhouse gases reached new records in 2013
Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose more last year than any other year since 1984, according to a September 9 report by the World Meteorological Organization.
- Materials Science
Buckyballs, diamonds inspire new synthetic molecule
Hitching a hollow ball of carbon to a diamond-shaped lattice yields a useful piece of electrical circuitry.
- Animals
Coral trout know when it’s time for team hunting
In certain situations, coral trout appear to be as good as chimpanzees at knowing when to collaborate, a new study suggests.
