Vol. 195 No. 2

Reviews & Previews

Science Visualized

Notebook

Features

More Stories from the February 2, 2019 issue

  1. honeybees on a honeycomb
    Animals

    Rebel honeybee workers lay eggs when their queen is away

    A honeybee queen’s absence in the colony triggers some workers to turn queen-like and lay eggs, sometimes in other colonies.

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  2. ultrasonic speaker
    Physics

    These sound waves can levitate and move particles in new ways

    A new machine that levitates objects using sound waves can manipulate several particles at once.

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  3. cells dividing
    Life

    Mice lack stem cells in the heart needed for self-repair

    Adult mice hearts have no stem cells, a study finds. The same may be true for people, and that’s not welcome news for those who’ve had a heart attack.

    By
  4. a photo of a flightless midge
    Animals

    Invasive asexual midges may upset Antarctica’s delicate moss banks

    Fast-multiplying insects with earthworm powers have invaded Antarctica, and scientists are worried about how their waste could affect the continent.

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  5. optogenetic bladder implant
    Health & Medicine

    A new implant uses light to control overactive bladders

    Experiments in rats show that a new soft device could help alleviate frequent, sudden urges to urinate.

    By
  6. 2014 MU69
    Planetary Science

    New Horizons shows Ultima Thule looks like a snowman, or maybe BB-8

    Ultima Thule’s snowmanlike shape shows the New Horizons target was probably two space rocks that got stuck together.

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  7. Lassa virus
    Health & Medicine

    DNA tests of Lassa virus mid-outbreak helped Nigeria target its response

    New technology for analyzing genetic data quickly in the field guided how Nigeria dealt with an outbreak of Lassa fever in 2018.

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  8. zirconium
    Physics

    A weird type of zirconium soaks up neutrons like a sponge

    Zirconium-88 captures neutrons with extreme efficiency, and scientists don’t yet know why.

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  9. Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito
    Animals

    A protein in mosquito eggshells could be the insects’ Achilles’ heel

    A newly discovered protein found exclusively in mosquitoes may one day help control their numbers.

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  10. hand holding poop sample cup
    Health & Medicine

    Studies can be in vitro, in vivo and now ‘in fimo’ — in poop

    Scientists have coined a new term — “in fimo” — to describe studies focused on feces.

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  11. TESS telescope
    Astronomy

    Less than a year after launch, TESS is already finding bizarre worlds

    The TESS exoplanet hunter has spotted eight confirmed worlds in its first four months, and several of them are really weird.

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  12. jaw of medieval woman
    Anthropology

    Paint specks in tooth tartar illuminate a medieval woman’s artistry

    Tooth tartar unveils an expert female manuscript painter buried at a German monastery.

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  13. Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment
    Cosmology

    A second repeating fast radio burst has been tracked to a distant galaxy

    Astronomers have spotted a second repeating fast radio burst, and it looks a lot like the first.

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  14. a photo of a woman hunched over in pain
    Health & Medicine

    This protein may help explain why some women with endometriosis are infertile

    Infertile women with endometriosis have a reduced amount of a protein found to be important for establishing pregnancy in mice, a study finds.

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  15. nerve cells
    Neuroscience

    Nerve cells from people with autism grow unusually big and fast

    In some forms of autism, nerve cells develop faster than normal, possibly setting the stage for the disorder, a study finds.

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  16. blob of worms
    Animals

    How worm blobs behave like a liquid and a solid

    Blobs of worms flow like a fluid, plop like a solid and fascinate scientists.

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  17. Australia Telescope Compact Array
    Cosmology

    A cosmic flare called the ‘Cow’ may reveal a new way that stars die

    A burst of light from far away may have been an odd type of exploding star or a white dwarf being eaten by a black hole.

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  18. working out
    Health & Medicine

    ‘Good to Go’ tackles the real science of sports recovery

    In ‘Good to Go,’ science writer Christie Aschwanden puts science — and herself — to the test for the sake of sports recovery.

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