Ways to beat heat have hidden costs for birds
WASHINGTON — In the short-term, ways to beat the heat are cool. But for desert birds, even simple panting or flying into the shade have some sneaky long-term costs. When…
Bacteria-sized molecules created in lab
Scientists have created giant molecules — the size of bacteria — that may be useful in future quantum computers. The molecules of unusual size are formed from pairs of Rydberg…
Fossils hint at India’s crucial role in primate evolution
Remarkably preserved bones of rat-sized creatures excavated in an Indian coal mine may come from close relatives of the first primatelike animals, researchers say. A set of 25 arm, leg,…
How one scientist’s gut microbes changed over a year
Where you live and what you eat can rapidly affect the types of friendly bacteria inhabiting your body. To see how the microbes that inhabit the mouth and intestines change…
Sugar industry sought to sugarcoat causes of heart disease
Using records unearthed from library storage vaults, researchers recently revealed that the sugar industry paid nutrition experts from Harvard University to downplay studies linking sugar and heart disease. Although the…
CT scans show first X-rayed mummy in new light
X-rays were the iPhone 7 of the 1890s. Months after X-rays were discovered in late 1895, German physicist Walter Koenig put the latest in tech gadgetry to the test by…
Reef rehab could help threatened corals make a comeback
Coral reefs are bustling cities beneath tropical, sunlit waves. Thousands of colorful creatures click, dash and dart, as loud and fast-paced as citizens of any metropolis. Built up in tissue-thin…
There’s a new way to stop an earthquake: put a volcano in its path
Editor’s note: Science has retracted the study described in this article. The May 3, 2019, issue of the journal notes that a panel of outside experts convened by Kyoto University…
Eyes offer window into brain’s timekeepers
The eyes may reveal whether the brain’s internal stopwatch runs fast or slow. Pupil size predicted whether a monkey would over- or underestimate a second, scientists report in the Nov.…
Young planets carve rings and spirals in the gas around their suns
Growing planets carve rings and spiral arms out of the gas and dust surrounding their young stars, researchers report in three papers to be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. And…