Uncategorized
- Life
How to reset a cell
Scientists had reported they had figured out how to turn a specialized cell into any other type of cell the body may need. All it took was an acid bath. But now in July, big doubts have emerged about the quality of that work and whether the results will hold up.
- Brain
When Cupid’s arrow strikes
Scientists have begun dissecting what it means to be in love. They are finding that much of what we feel can be explained by the effects of a few key chemicals — and not just on our hearts and brains, but on our whole bodies.
- Physics
Building a mirror with light
Scientists proved that lasers can be used to harness materials into a reflective surface. Some scientists ask: Can a space mirror be far away?
- Health & Medicine
Many human ails are ‘scars’ of evolution
Humans suffer many physical problems that other primates don’t, from sprained ankles to hip fractures. Scientists now say you can blame these on evolution.
- Brain
The weight of thought
Thinking heavy thoughts? Scientists have just put people on a balance and shown that the brain briefly gains blood — becoming a bit heavier — while concentrating.
- Animals
Dissecting the dog paddle
Scientists occasionally describe the dog paddle as a “trot,” but that’s not right. When dogs swim, their complicated leg motions look more like a frantic run.
- Environment
Does lightning sculpt mountains?
A new study sparks debate about how much rubble on a mountainside has been blasted loose by powerful bolts from the sky.
- Brain
Memory lessons from a forgetful brain
Scientists have just begun probing the preserved tissue from “H.M.” Even five years after he died, this man’s brain continues to offer lessons on how people make — or fail to make — memories.
- Physics
The ultimate wordfind puzzle
The world’s oldest library has books with hidden texts. Researchers are now using a high-tech approach to reveal their long-masked words.
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- Space
Galaxies stash mass in clouds of gas
Astronomers may have finally figured out why predictions of the amount of matter in the universe don’t match observations. A huge amount may hide in the gas clouds that surround galaxies.
- Genetics
Blue eyes in the Stone Age
Genes from an ancient skeleton suggest that dark-skinned people may have been the first to evolve blue eyes.
