Earth has a tiny tagalong, and no, it’s not a moon
QuasisatelliteKWAH-zee-SAT-ah-lite n.A body that orbits the sun and appears to orbit Earth. Asteroid 2016 HO3 appears to orbit Earth, but that’s just an illusion. As the space rock loops around…
Nuclear bomb debris can reveal blast size, even decades later
A new type of fallout forensics can reconstruct nuclear blasts decades after detonation. By measuring the relative abundance of various elements in debris left over from nuclear explosions, researchers say…
Black hole born without stellar parent, evidence suggests
A remote galaxy might harbor a type of black hole that arises directly from a massive cloud of gas rather than forming after the death of a star. This rare…
Website tests predictive powers of the hive mind
As the saying goes, “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” The website Metaculus.com aims to make this challenging task easier by harnessing collective wisdom. Metaculus solicits answers…
Smart mice have better odds of survival
Pinky and The Brain‘s smarts might not be so far-fetched. Some mice are quicker on the uptake than others. While it might not lead to world domination, wits have their…
Mix of brain training, physical therapy can help paralyzed patients
Training the brain could give paraplegics more control over their bodies. After a year working with devices that link machine to brain, people paralyzed by spinal cord injuries were able…
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…