Uncategorized
- Genetics
DNA: Our ancient ancestors had lots more
Ancestral humans and their extinct relatives had much more DNA than do people today, a new study finds. It mapped genetic differences over time among 125 different human groups.
- Earth
Can house dust make us fat?
Materials found in dust, including common fats, may trigger human fat cells to grow. This might promote weight gain, some scientists worry.
- Animals
Top rooster announces the dawn
Roosters know their places in the chicken world. Lower-ranking birds defer to the guy at the top of the pecking order. And they show it by holding their crows until after he greets the new day.
- Science & Society
Scientists Say: Social
Social is a single word used in many ways. But whether it’s social media or social order, social describes how we interact.
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Scientists Say: Your weekly word
This glossary provides definitions and audio clips to help you learn and pronounce even the toughest science terms.
- Agriculture
Organic food starts to prove its worth
Organic food often comes with a higher price. But research is showing that food grown this way can be better for the environment — and possibly for us.
- Humans
Jamestown: Unearthed graves tell tales of colony leaders
The newly uncovered 400-year-old remains of four leaders of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia reveal details of the notable’s lives — and deaths.
- Health & Medicine
Vaping can lead to teen smoking, new study finds
A study in L.A. high school students finds that those who vape are much more likely than those who don’t to eventually take up smoking cigarettes.
- Brain
Explainer: The nico-teen brain
Both e-cigarettes and tobacco products can release large amounts of nicotine during use. Nicotine is the chemical that makes tobacco addictive — and the teen brain is especially vulnerable to it.
- Physics
Fade to black? The universe is in decline
One of the largest sky surveys ever made has found that the universe is in decline. And after losing even more energy over the next 100 billion years, it will be dark, empty and boring.
- Agriculture
Carbon ‘sponge’ found beneath desert
Watering farmlands in arid parts of the world could have long-term climate benefits, a new study concludes.
- Genetics
Scientists Say: Loci
The DNA in our bodies contains thousands of genes, all with different functions. We use a special word for their location.
