Vol. 191 No. 9
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More Stories from the May 13, 2017 issue

  1. Archaeology

    Stone Age hunter-gatherers tackled their cavities with a sharp tool and tar

    Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers scraped and coated away tooth decay.

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  2. Animals

    New worm-snail is a super slimer

    New worm-snail species shoots snot to snag a snack.

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  3. Planetary Science

    Jupiter’s Great Red Spot has company. Meet the Great Cold Spot

    A previously unidentified dark mark on Jupiter has been dubbed the “Great Cold Spot” because of its temperature and resemblance to the planet’s Great Red Spot.

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  4. Genetics

    Gene knockouts in people provide drug safety, effectiveness clues

    People naturally lacking certain genes give clues about drug safety and efficacy, a study in Pakistanis shows.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Rules restricting artificial trans fats are good for heart health

    Taking artificial trans fats off the menu reduces hospitalizations for heart attack and stroke.

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  6. Chemistry

    New tech harvests drinking water from (relatively) dry air using only sunlight

    A prototype device harvests moisture from dry air and separates it into drinkable water using only sunlight.

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  7. Particle Physics

    New particle probably can’t explain nuclear reactor neutrino mystery

    An antineutrino anomaly seems due to problems with scientists’ predictions, not sterile neutrinos.

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  8. Archaeology

    Shock-absorbing spear points kept early North Americans on the hunt

    Ancient Americans invented a way to make spear points last on an unfamiliar continent.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Autism, ADHD risk not linked to prenatal exposure to antidepressants

    Taking antidepressants during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, two new large studies suggest.

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  10. Neuroscience

    Brain gains seen in elderly mice injected with human umbilical cord plasma

    Plasma from human umbilical cord blood refreshes aspects of learning and memory in mice.

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  11. Climate

    Plot twist in methane mystery blames chemistry, not emissions, for recent rise

    The recent rise in atmospheric methane concentrations may have been caused by changes in atmospheric chemistry, not increased emissions from human activities, two new studies suggest.

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  12. Particle Physics

    Collider data hint at unexpected new subatomic particles

    A set of particle decay measurements could be evidence for new physics.

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  13. Planetary Science

    Here’s how an asteroid impact would kill you

    Most deaths caused by an asteroid impact would result from shock waves and winds generated from the blast, rather than effects such as earthquakes and tsunamis, new simulations show.

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  14. Astronomy

    Read up on solar eclipses before this year’s big event

    Three new books chronicle the science, history and cultural significance of total solar eclipses.

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  15. Astronomy

    Asteroid in Jupiter’s orbit goes its own way

    Asteroid shares Jupiter’s orbit around the sun but travels in the opposite direction as the planet.

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  16. Ecosystems

    Volcanic eruptions nearly snuffed out Gentoo penguin colony

    Penguin poop dumps data on how a Gentoo colony responded to ancient volcanic eruptions.

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  17. Planetary Science

    Nitrogen fizz fuels ‘magic island’ on Titan, simulation suggests

    Nitrogen bubbles may be the source of the “magic island” on Saturn’s moon Titan.

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  18. Health & Medicine

    Frog slime protein fights off the flu

    Urumin, a protein found in Indian frog mucus secretions, has a knack for taking down H1 flu viruses, a new study finds.

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  19. Oceans

    The Arctic is a final garbage dump for ocean plastic

    Ocean currents dump plastic garbage from the North Atlantic into previously pristine Arctic waters, new research shows.

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  20. Animals

    50 years ago, U.S. fell short on mosquito eradication

    Researchers boldly predicted mosquitoes’ demise 50 years ago. They never came close.

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