Science & Society
‘The Glass Universe’ celebrates astronomy’s unsung heroines
In “The Glass Universe,” science writer Dava Sobel shines a light on the women at the Harvard Observatory who mapped the stars.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Animals
Plant-eating mammals sport bigger bellies than meat eaters
Mammalian plant eaters have bigger torsos than meat eaters, a new analysis confirms, but the same might not have held true for dinosaurs.
Notebook
Earth
Mount St. Helens is a cold-hearted volcano
Geophysics reveals that deep beneath Mount St. Helens, there’s no source of hot magma, just a wedge of cold serpentinite rock. Where is the missing heat?
Features
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Star-starved galaxies fill the cosmos
Astronomers are detecting hundreds of galaxies that are almost devoid of stars. There are at least four theories on how they got that way.
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Animals give clues to the origins of human number crunching
Guppies, dogs, chickens, crows, spiders — lots of animals have number sense without knowing numbers.
More Stories from the December 10, 2016 issue
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NeuroscienceEyes offer window into brain’s timekeepers
In new experiments of time perception, when pupils were large, monkeys underestimated a second.
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NeuroscienceShape-shifting molecule aids memory in fruit flies
A prionlike protein may store long-term memories in fruit flies, a new study suggests.
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ClimateHuman CO2 emissions put Arctic on track to be ice-free by 2050
Sea ice is shrinking by about three square meters for each metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted, new research suggests.
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PhysicsSupersolids produced in exotic state of quantum matter
Bose-Einstein condensates display properties of liquid and solid simultaneously.
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ClimateIf you thought 2015 was hot, just wait
The record-setting global temperatures seen in 2015 could be the “new normal” as soon as the 2020s.
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PaleontologyDragon dinosaur met a muddy end
‘Mud dragon’ fossil discovered in China suggests that dinosaurs’ last days were an active time of evolution.
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LifeProtein mobs kill cells that most need those proteins to survive
A protein engineered to aggregate gives clues about how clumpy proteins kill brain cells.
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Health & MedicinePoor diet in pregnancy, poor heart health for infants
Moms who eat too little during pregnancy could have babies with heart risks.
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LifeBritish red squirrels serve as leprosy reservoir
Red squirrels in the British Isles can harbor the bacteria that cause leprosy.
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Health & MedicinePopular painkiller doesn’t have more heart risks than others, study claims
A long anticipated trial of the drug Celebrex finds it poses no more risk to the heart than do similar painkillers, but critics cite flaws in the study.
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NeuroscienceInfant brains have powerful reactions to fear
Babies can recognize facial emotions, especially fear, as early as 5 months old.
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Health & MedicineRestless sleep associated with heart rhythm problems
Poor sleep, even without apnea, is tied to heart rhythm problems.
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NeuroscienceSounds and glowing screens impair mouse brains
Too much light and noise screws up developing mice’s brains.
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Health & MedicineDownside of yo-yo dieting is rise in heart disease risk
Yo-yo dieting hurts the heart, even if you’re not overweight.
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NeuroscienceProtein linked to Parkinson’s travels from gut to brain
Parkinson’s protein can travel from gut to brain, mouse study suggests.
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NeuroscienceDespite Alzheimer’s plaques, some seniors remain mentally sharp
Plaques and tangles riddle the brains of some very old and very healthy people.
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Health & MedicineHeartburn drugs may raise stroke risk
Drugs used by millions for heartburn linked to increased risk of stroke.
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AstronomyMysterious radio signals pack power and brilliance
The brightest fast radio burst has been detected, while another team reveals a previous burst might have carried gamma rays as well as radio waves across space.
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PhysicsWhirlpools might have stirred up baby universe’s soup
Vortices appear in the quark-gluon plasma produced in heavy-ion collisions.
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LifeBlue leaves help begonias harvest energy in low light
The iridescent color of some begonias comes from tiny structures that also help the plant convert dim light into energy.
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Earth50 years ago, nuclear blasting for gas boomed. Today it’s a bust.
50 years ago, scientists made plans to use nuclear explosions to extract natural gas from underground. In one such experiment, the gas was released but turned out to be radioactive.
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AnimalsNarwhals are really, really good at echolocation
Audio recordings from the Arctic suggest that narwhals take directional sonar to the extreme.
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EnvironmentOcean plastic emits chemical that may trick seabirds into eating trash
Some seabirds might be eating plastic because it emits a chemical that smells like food.
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AnimalsMost illegal ivory is less than three years old
Most of the ivory seized by law enforcement in the last decade doesn’t come from elephants poached many years ago.
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Health & MedicineAntibody protects against Zika virus in tests in mice
A new treatment for Zika relies on human antibodies and can help protect pregnant mice from the virus’s damaging effects.
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LifeTiny toxic proteins help gut bacteria defeat rivals
A strain of E. coli makes competition-killing tiny proteins and soothes inflamed intestines.