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50 years ago, satellites threatened astronomers’ view of the cosmos
As satellite launches ramp up and the spacecraft clog the skies, astronomers fear for their data.
Published: 2024-10-05 11:00:00
Readers discuss the psychedelic psilocybin, frogs and UFOs
In control A high dose of the psychedelic psilocybin temporarily dissolves brain networks, Laura Sanders reported in “Psilocybin erases brain ‘fingerprints’” (SN: 8/10/24, p. 12). In the study, a generic form of the stimulant Ritalin served as a control against psilocybin. Reader Jason Patrick asked why scientists chose that drug. It can be hard to […]
Published: 2024-10-05 11:00:00
Embracing the collective nature of science
Editor in chief Nancy Shute celebrates this year's SN10: Scientists to Watch and novel approaches to research.
Published: 2024-10-05 11:00:00
A transatlantic flight may turn Saharan dust into a key ocean nutrient
Over time, atmospheric chemical reactions can make iron in dust from the Sahara easier for organisms to take in, helping to create biodiversity hot spots.
Published: 2024-10-04 17:00:00
Some tadpoles don’t poop for weeks. That keeps their pools clean
Eiffinger’s tree frog babies store their solid waste in an intestinal pouch, releasing less ammonia into their watery cribs than other frog species.
Published: 2024-10-04 14:30:00
Barnard’s star has at least one planet orbiting it after all
After decades of searching, a telltale gravitational wobble points to an exoplanet orbiting the nearby red dwarf every 3.15 days.
Published: 2024-10-04 12:00:00
An mRNA vaccine protected mice against deadly intestinal C. difficile bacteria
An mRNA vaccine that targets several aspects of C. difficile’s ability to cause severe disease prevented major symptoms and death in mice.
Published: 2024-10-03 18:00:00
Brain-controlled bionic limbs are inching closer to reality
Bionics engineers typically view biology as something to be worked around. “Anatomics” engineers the body to be part of the system.
Published: 2024-10-03 13:00:00
Dolphins’ open-mouth behaviors during play are like smiles, a study claims
Experts urge caution in calling bottlenosed dolphins’ gesture a humanlike “smile,” but agree it seems to be important for how the animals communicate.
Published: 2024-10-02 15:00:00
A hurricane’s aftermath may spur up to 11,000 deaths
Hurricanes like Helene may indirectly cause deaths for years. Stress, pollution and a loss of infrastructure could all contribute to tropical cyclone fatalities.
Published: 2024-10-02 15:00:00
Thunderstorms churn up a ‘boiling pot’ of gamma rays
A thunderstorm seen in gamma-ray vision is a complex, frenetic lightshow when viewed from above the clouds.
Published: 2024-10-02 15:00:00
Scientists have traced all 54.5 million connections in a fruit fly’s brain
By tracing every single connection between nerve cells in a single fruit fly’s brain, scientists have created the “connectome,” a tool that could help reveal how brains work.
Published: 2024-10-02 15:00:00
Coyotes have the face muscles for that ‘sad-puppy’ look
The ability to make heart-melting stares may not be the fruit of dog domestication if their still-wild cousins have the power to do it too.
Published: 2024-10-01 23:01:00
Why Hurricane Helene was so devastating
The tempest caused record-breaking storm surge on the coast and widespread and deadly flooding and debris flows in the Appalachian Mountains.
Published: 2024-10-01 18:45:00
The fruit fly revolutionized biology. Now it’s boosting science in Africa
African researchers are using Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies to advance studies of genetics, biomedicine, developmental biology, toxicology and more.
Published: 2024-10-01 16:00:00
Bird nests made with a toxic fungus seem to fend off attacking ants
Two species of birds in Costa Rica build nests in trees defended by ants. Ants that encounter the horsehair fungus in the nests develop odd behaviors.
Published: 2024-10-01 13:00:00
Betelgeuse has a tiny companion star hidden in plain sight
Betelgeuse has a sequel — in the form of a companion star that's about the same mass as the sun, orbiting it about once every 2,100 days.
Published: 2024-09-30 15:00:00
Starlink satellites’ leaky radio waves obscure the cosmos
Starlink satellites unintentionally emit radio waves that appear more than 10 million times brighter than natural sources, as seen by ground-based radio telescopes.
Published: 2024-09-30 13:00:00
‘Night Magic’ invites you to celebrate the living wonders of the dark
In the book ‘Night Magic,’ Leigh Ann Henion writes of encounters with salamanders, bats, glowworms and other life-forms nurtured by darkness.
Published: 2024-09-27 17:30:00
How rapid intensification spawned two monster hurricanes in one week
New maps of wind impacts beyond Helene’s ‘cone of uncertainty’ track highlight how a hurricane’s power extends far inland.
Published: 2024-09-27 13:42:29