Animals
New book tells strange tales of evolution
'The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar' features a cadre of critters that have evolved seemingly bizarre solutions to some of life’s biggest problems.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Tech
CT scans show first X-rayed mummy in new light
An ancient Egyptian child became the first mummy to be X-rayed in 1896. Today, CT scans reveal new insights into the child’s life — and death.
Notebook
Paleontology
Pterosaurs weren’t all super-sized in the Late Cretaceous
A 77-million-year-old flying reptile may be the smallest pterosaur of the Late Cretaceous.
Features
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Rock hounds are on the hunt for new carbon minerals
The race is on to find about 140 predicted carbon-based minerals in locations around the world. Map included.
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Animal hybrids may hold clues to Neandertal-human interbreeding
The physical effects of interbreeding among animals may offer clues to Neandertals’ genetic mark on humans.
More Stories from the October 15, 2016 issue
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PaleontologyPreteen tetrapods identified by bone scans
Roughly 360 million years ago, young tetrapods may have schooled together during prolonged years as juveniles in the water.
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LifeScientists watch as bacteria evolve antibiotic resistance
A giant petri dish exposes the evolutionary dynamics behind antibiotic resistance.
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ArchaeologyOldest indigo-dyed fabric found
South American society was first known to use complex dye process on fabrics.
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AstronomyGaia mission’s Milky Way map pinpoints locations of billion-plus stars
New map of the galaxy provides unprecedented positions of over 1 billion stars and promises of a detailed 3-D atlas to come.
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LifeColor vision strategy defies textbook picture
Cone cells in the retina see in black and white and color.
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LifeRattlesnakes have reduced their repertoire of venoms
The most recent common ancestor of today’s rattlesnakes had a huge set of toxin-producing genes. Modern rattlesnake species have independently ditched some of these genes.
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NeuroscienceBrain’s physical structure may help guide its wiring
The brain’s stiffness helps dictate how nerve cells grow, a study suggests.
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Quantum PhysicsTaming photons, electrons paves way for quantum internet
Scientists are gearing up to create supersecure global quantum networks.
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AstronomyVanished star may be first known failed supernova
A star that vanished in another galaxy might be the first confirmed case of a failed supernova — and the birth of a black hole.
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GeneticsSingle exodus from Africa gave rise to today’s non-Africans
Genetics and climate studies differ on when modern humans left Africa.
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Health & MedicineSugar industry sought to sugarcoat causes of heart disease
Sugar industry has long, sweet history of influencing science.
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EarthNuclear blasts, other human activity signal new epoch, group argues
A group of scientists will formally propose the human-defined Anthropocene as a new epoch in Earth’s geologic history within a few years, probably pegging the start date to nuclear tests.
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TechWi-Fi can help house distinguish between members
Using Wi-Fi, computers could one day identify individual family members in a smart home.
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OceansAtlantic monument is home to unique and varied creatures
A region of ocean off the coast of Cape Cod has become the first U.S. marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean.
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AnimalsExtreme bird nests bring comforts and catastrophe
Extreme bird nests of Southern Africa’s weaverbirds offer condo living in tough temperatures.
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TechXPRIZE launched new kind of space race, book recounts
'How to Make a Spaceship' chronicles the XPRIZE challenge that helped ignite the private space industry.
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Health & Medicine50 years ago, noise was a nuisance (it still is)
In 1966, scientists warned of the physical and psychological dangers of a louder world.
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Planetary ScienceSource of Charon’s red north pole is probably Pluto
The dark red pole on Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, is probably gas that escaped from Pluto and was then transformed by sunlight.