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Oldest Hominin DNA Sequenced: Mitochondrial Genome of a 400,000-Year-Old Hominin from Spain Decoded
Using novel techniques to extract and study ancient DNA researchers have determined an almost complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a 400,000-year-old representative of the genus Homo ...full story -
Mysteries of Earth's Radiation Belts Uncovered by NASA Twin Spacecraft
Just over a year since launch, NASA's Van Allen Probes mission continues to unravel longstanding mysteries of Earth's high-energy radiation belts that encircle our planet and pose hazards ...full story -
How to Change Cell Types by Flipping a Single Switch
With few exceptions, cells don't change type once they have become specialized -- a heart cell, for example, won't suddenly become a brain cell. However, new findings have identified a ...full story -
'Spooky Action' Builds a Wormhole Between 'Entangled' Quantum Particles
New research indicates a phenomenon known as "quantum entanglement" might be intrinsically linked with wormholes, hypothetical features of space-time that could link one part of the ...full story -
Hubble Traces Subtle Signals of Water on Hazy Worlds
Using the powerful eye of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, scientists have found faint signatures of water in the atmospheres of five distant planets. The presence of atmospheric water was ...full story -
Alzheimer's Risk Gene May Begin to Affect Brains in Childhood, Research Shows
People who carry a high-risk gene for Alzheimer's disease show changes in their brains beginning in childhood, decades before the illness appears, new research ...full story -
Ocean Currents Shape Jupiter-Moon Europa's Icy Shell in Ways Critical for Potential Habitats
In a finding of relevance to the search for life in our solar system, researchers have shown the subsurface ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa may have deep currents and circulation patterns ...full story -
Unlikely Collaboration Leads to Discovery of 'Gender-Bending' Plant
Biologists have discovered and described a new species of wild eggplant, found in Australia's Lost City. The plant is curiously described as "gender bending," coming from the fact that the ...full story -
New Evidence Suggests Neanderthals Organized Their Living Spaces
Scientists have found that Neanderthals organized their living spaces in ways that would be familiar to modern humans, a discovery that once again shows similarities between these two close ...full story -
'Designer Sperm' Inserts Custom Genes Into Offspring
The "new genetics" promises to change faulty genes of future generations by introducing new, functioning genes using "designer sperm." Research shows that introducing genetic material via a ...full story
- Oldest Hominin DNA Sequenced: 400,000 Years Old
- Mysteries of Earth's Radiation Belts Uncovered
- Changing Cell Types by Flipping a Single Switch
- Wormhole Between Entangled Quantum Particles
- Subtle Signals of Water On Hazy Distant Worlds
- Alzheimer's Gene May Affect Brains in Childhood
- Europa's Icy Shell Right for Potential Habitats
- 'Gender-Bending' Wild Eggplant Discovered
- Neanderthals Organized Their Living Spaces
- 'Designer Sperm' To Insert Custom Genes
Sea-Level Rise to Drive Coastal Flooding, Regardless of Change in Cyclone Activity
Though recent studies focus on
climate change impacts on
intensity and frequency of
tropical cyclones, a new review
shows that sea level rise and
shoreline retreat are the two more
... > full story
- more on:
First Evidence of Primates Regularly Sleeping in Caves
Scientists have discovered that
some ring-tailed lemurs in
Madagascar regularly retire to
limestone chambers for their
nightly snoozes, the first
evidence of the consistent, daily
use of the same caves and crevices
for sleeping among the world's
... > full story
- more on:
While the Arctic Ocean Is Largely a Carbon Sink, Parts Are Also a Source of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
While the Arctic Ocean is largely
a carbon sink, researchers find
parts are also a source of
atmospheric carbon dioxide. The
Arctic Ocean as a whole seems to
be storing more carbon than in
... > full story
- more on:
First Global Snapshot of Key Coral Reef Fishes: Fishing Has Reduced Vital Seaweed Eaters by More Than 50 Percent
Biologists have reported on the
impact of fishing on a group of
fish known to protect the health
of coral reefs. The report offers
key data for setting management
and conservation targets to
... > full story
- more on:
Dads: How Important Are They? New Research Highlights Value of Fathers in Both Neurobiology and Behavior of Offspring
Even with today's technology, it
still takes both a male and a
female to make a baby. But is it
important for both parents to
raise that child? Many studies
have outlined the value of a
... > full story
- more on:
Explosive Growth of Young Star
A star is formed when a large
cloud of gas and dust condenses
and eventually becomes so dense
that it collapses into a ball of
gas, where the pressure heats the
matter, creating a glowing gas
ball -- a star is born. New
research shows that a young, newly
... > full story
- more on:
More Extreme Weather Events Likely: Climate Projections of Unparalleled Accuracy for the Whole of Europe
Scientists have analyzed climate
projections for the whole of
Europe at an unprecedented
resolution of 12 km, by
downscaling the global simulations
carried out for the 5th IPCC
... > full story
- more on:
Ocean Crust Could Store Many Centuries of Industrial Carbon Dioxide
Researchers have identified
regions beneath the oceans where
the igneous rocks of the upper
ocean crust could safely store
very large volumes of carbon
dioxide. The burning of fossil
fuels such as coal, oil, and
... > full story
- more on:
Depression in Pregnant Mothers May Alter the Pattern of Brain Development in Their Babies
Depression is a serious mental
illness that has many negative
consequences for sufferers. But
depression among pregnant women
may also have an impact on their
developing babies. Children of
... > full story
- more on:
International Drilling Mission to Lower Crust of Pacific Yields Unexpected Clues to Ocean Mysteries
Geoscientists have revealed new
discoveries about Earth's
development, following a major
international expedition that
recovered the first-ever drill
core from the lower crust of the
... > full story
- more on:
Domestication of Dogs May Have Elaborated on a Pre-Existing Capacity of Wolves to Learn from Humans
Wolves can learn from observing
humans and pack members where food
is hidden and recognize when
humans only pretend to hide food,
reports a new study. The findings
imply that when our ancestors
... > full story
- more on:
Tipping Points: Where May Abrupt Impacts from Climate Change Occur?
A new report extends the idea of
abrupt climate change, stating
that even steady, gradual change
in the physical climate system can
have abrupt impacts elsewhere --
in human infrastructure and
ecosystems for example -- if
... > full story
- more on:
- Sea Level Rise to Drive Coastal Flooding
- Cave-Primates: Lemurs Retire to Limestone Caves
- Arctic Ocean Both Carbon Sink and Source
- First Global Snapshot of Key Coral Reef Fishes
- Dads: How Important Are They to Offspring?
- Explosive Growth of Young Star
- More Extreme Weather Likely for Europe
- Ocean Crust Can Store Centuries of Carbon
- Depression in Pregnancy Alters Baby's Brain
- Expedition's Unexpected Clues to Ocean Mysteries
- Dog Domestication: Wolves Learned from Humans
- Climate Change: Where Abrupt Impacts May Occur
- more top science stories
Top Medical News
Important Discovery Related to Anxiety Disorders, Trauma
A team of researchers discovered that the protein PC7 plays a critical role in the brain by affecting certain types of cognitive performance such as anxiety, learning and emotional memory. Their results could have a significant impact on regulating ... > full story
Top Technology News
Can iPads Help Students Learn Science? Yes, Study Shows
A new study shows that students grasp the unimaginable emptiness of space more effectively when they use iPads to explore 3-D simulations of the universe, compared to traditional classroom ... > full story
Top Environment News
The First Decade: Team Reports on US Trials of Bioenergy Grasses
The first long-term US field trials of Miscanthus x giganteus, a towering perennial grass used in bioenergy production, reveal that its exceptional yields, though reduced somewhat after five years of growth, are still more than twice those of ... > full story
- Multiple Mates Worth the Risk for Female Prairie Dogs
- Scientists Unearth Secrets of Périgord Truffles, the Culinary 'Black Diamond'
- Silkworms Spin Colored Silks While on a 'Green' Dyed-Leaf Diet
- Fossils Clarify the Origins of Wasps and Their Kin: Alderfly Ancestors, Snakefly Cousins
- more top environment stories
More Science Headlines
Updated 60 minutes ago | Next update in 2 hours
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8 pm EST
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How Onions Recognize When to Bulb
December 3, 2013 — New research from New Zealand identifies the gene that controls onion bulb development will help to breed new varieties tailored to grow in specific ... > full story -
International Study Finds Heart Disease Similar in Men, Women
December 3, 2013 — An analysis of data from an international multicenter study of coronary computed tomography angiography reveals that men and women with mild coronary artery disease and similar cardiovascular risk profiles share similar ... > full story -
Breast Cancer Risk Related to Changes in Breast Density as Women Age
December 3, 2013 — Automated breast density measurement is predictive of breast cancer risk in younger women, and that risk may be related to the rate at which breast density changes in some women as they age, according to new ... > full story -
Have Researchers Found New Treatment for Sepsis?
December 3, 2013 — Academics discover new receptor that may be instrumental in the body’s response to devastating disease of ... > full story -
Today's Healthcare; Wounds and Healing; Patient Education and Counseling; Diseases and Conditions; Multiple Sclerosis Research; Colon Cancer;
Diverticulosis Much Less Risky Than Previously Thought, Study Suggests
December 3, 2013 — People who have diverticulosis, or pouches in the lining of the colon, often worry that they will eventually develop a painful and sometimes serious condition called diverticulitis, as previous research has shown that one in four, or up to 25 ... > full story
5 pm EST
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Genetic Mutation May Be Vital in Lethal Prostate Cancer in Overweight Patients
December 2, 2013 — Obesity is associated with a worse prostate cancer prognosis among men whose tumors contain a specific genetic ... > full story -
Researchers Turn to Machines to Identify Breast Cancer Type
December 2, 2013 — A team of researchers have developed a new technique to determine if tumors are fed by ... > full story -
Specific Heart Contractions Could Predict Atrial Fibrillation
December 2, 2013 — A commonly used heart monitor may be a simple tool for predicting the risk of atrial fibrillation, the most frequently diagnosed type of irregular heart rhythm, according to ... > full story -
Medical Imaging; Medical Technology; Medical Devices; Ultrasound; Today's Healthcare; Children's Health;
Ultrasound as Good as CT Scans for Pediatric Appendicitis, Reduces Radiation Exposure
December 2, 2013 — Using ultrasound as the first diagnostic imaging technique to detect appendicitis in children produces comparable outcomes to using computed tomography (CT) scans and does not increase hospital length of ... > full story -
Biology; Evolutionary Biology; Insects (including Butterflies); Genetics; Nature; Biochemistry Research;
Fruit Pest Targeted by Genomic Research
December 4, 2013 — Genome sequencing of the spotted wing drosophila, a major fruit pest, is expected to accelerate basic and applied research, leading to better monitoring and control strategies for the ... > full story
2 pm EST
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Five Distinct Humpback Whale Populations Identified in North Pacific
December 4, 2013 — The first comprehensive genetic study of humpback whale populations in the North Pacific Ocean has identified five distinct populations -- at the same time a proposal to designate North Pacific humpbacks as a single "distinct population segment" is ... > full story -
New Method for Stabilizing Hemoglobin Could Lead to Stable Vaccines, Artificial Blood
December 4, 2013 — A research team has found a way to stabilize hemoglobin, the oxygen carrier protein in the blood, a discovery that could lead to the development of stable vaccines and affordable artificial blood ... > full story -
Harlequin Ladybugs Escape Enemies While Native Species Succumb
December 4, 2013 — The astonishing success of the alien invasive harlequin ladybird (ladybug) in Britain has given a team of scientists a unique opportunity to investigate a key ecological theory – the Enemy Release ... > full story -
Rapid Climate Changes at End of Last Glaciation, but With 120 Year Time Lag
December 4, 2013 — Regional climate changes can be very rapid. Geoscientists now report that such a rapid climate change occurred in different regions with a time difference of 120 years. Investigation in the west German Eifel region and in southern Norway ... > full story -
Amoeboid Swimming: Crawling in a Fluid
December 4, 2013 — Researchers have developed a particularly simple model that reproduces the swimming mechanism of amoebas. They show that, by changing shape, these single cell organisms propel themselves forward in a viscous fluid at the same speed as when they ... > full story
11 am EST
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Materials Science; Nanotechnology; Engineering and Construction; Engineering; Civil Engineering; Physics;
The Promise of Nanotechnology
December 4, 2013 — If the promise of nanotechnology is to be fulfilled, then research programs must leapfrog to new nanomanufacturing processes. That's the conclusion of a review of the current state of nanoscience and ... > full story -
Intense Two-Color Double X-Ray Laser Pulses: Powerful Tool to Study Ultrafast Processes
December 4, 2013 — Scientists have generated ultra-bright, two-color X-ray laser pulses for the first time in the hard X-ray region. These light pulses with different wavelengths, whose time separation can be adjusted with attosecond accuracy, are very powerful tools ... > full story -
Highly Insulating Windows Are Very Energy Efficient, Though Expensive
December 4, 2013 — Highly insulating triple-pane windows keep a house snug and cozy, but it takes two decades or more for the windows to pay off financially based on utility-bill ... > full story -
Optics; Quantum Computers; Computers and Internet; Quantum Computing; Physics; Spintronics Research;
Light Finds the Right Mix: Quickly Switching Orientation of a Laser Beam Enables Control Over Quantum Properties of Light
December 4, 2013 — Classical computers process data as a series of ones and zeros known as bits; in contrast, quantum computers encode information into the physical properties of an information unit known as a quantum bit, or qubit. Two or more qubits are then able to ... > full story -
Signalers Vs. Strong Silent Types: Sparrows Exude Personalities During Fights
December 3, 2013 — Some song sparrows are more effusive than others in defending territory. New findings show consistent individual differences not only for how aggressive individual song sparrows are but also for how much they use signals to communicate aggressive ... > full story
8 am EST
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Study on Pediatric Brain Stem Tumors
December 3, 2013 — A new study has found, for the first time, two distinct subtypes in pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine ... > full story -
Antarctic Fjords Are Climate-Sensitive Hotspots of Diversity in a Rapidly Warming Region
December 3, 2013 — In the first significant study of seafloor communities in the glacier-dominated fjords along the west Antarctic Peninsula, scientists expected to find an impoverished seafloor highly disturbed by glacial sedimentation, similar to what has been ... > full story -
Development Near Oregon, Washington Public Forests
December 3, 2013 — Private development along the edges of most public forests in Oregon and Washington more than doubled since the 1970s, a new study has ... > full story -
Video Games; Educational Technology; Consumer Electronics; Hacking; Encryption; Computers and Internet;
Screeners Miss the Really Rare Stuff: Commonly Found Objects May Be Crowding out Identification of the Unusual Items
December 3, 2013 — A smartphone app that turns gamers into airport baggage screeners is showing that finding weapons and other illegal items isn't all that easy, even when you're looking for ... > full story -
Alzheimer's; Alzheimer's Research; Dementia; Healthy Aging; Disorders and Syndromes; Huntington's Disease;
Gene Therapy Bolsters Enzyme Activity to Combat Alzheimer's Disease in Mice
December 3, 2013 — Scientists have identified an enzyme that can halt or possibly even reverse the build-up of toxic protein fragments known as plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s ... > full story
5 am EST
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Gender Difference; Perception; Language Acquisition; Tinnitus; Hearing Impairment; Social Psychology;
Sounding Tall: Listeners Can Distinguish the Voices of Tall Versus Short People
December 3, 2013 — Our voice can reveal a lot about us: our age, our gender, and now – it seems – our height as well. A new study found that listeners can accurately determine the relative heights of speakers just by listening to them talk. The key clue ... > full story -
Today's Healthcare; Patient Education and Counseling; Hypertension; Mental Health; Wounds and Healing; Pharmacology;
Many Patients Have Trouble Identifying Their Medications
December 3, 2013 — People who identified their medication by shape, size or color instead of name had poorer adherence and an increased risk of hospitalization, finds a recent ... > full story -
Silent Stalkers of Dark Ocean Waters: Killer Whales Hunt Marine Mammals at Night in Near Total Darkness
December 3, 2013 — The mating roar of a male harbor seal is supposed to attract a partner, not a predator. Unfortunately for the seals, scientists have found evidence that marine-mammal-eating killer whales eavesdrop on their prey. Previous research had shown ... > full story -
Manufacturing New Gut to Treat GI Diseases
December 3, 2013 — Researchers grow extensive numbers of intestinal stem cells, then coax them to develop into different types of mature intestinal ... > full story -
Culling Vampire Bats to Stem Rabies in Latin America Can Backfire
December 2, 2013 — Culling vampire bat colonies to stem the transmission of rabies in Latin America does little to slow the spread of the virus and could even have the reverse ... > full story
2 am EST
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Arctic Study Shows Key Marine Food Web Species at Risk from Increasing Carbon Dioxide
December 2, 2013 — A research expedition to the Arctic, as part of the Catlin Arctic Survey, has revealed that tiny crustaceans, known as copepods, that live just beneath the ocean surface are likely to battle for survival if ocean acidity continues to rise. The study ... > full story -
Researchers Revise Darwin's Thinking on Invasive Species
December 2, 2013 — Rebutting Charles Darwin, researchers say the relatedness of native and introduced species is not as important as the details of how they go about doing their business. The model they've developed in analyzing Darwin's "naturalization conundrum" ... > full story -
Biological Interactions Make Some Malaria Parasites Specific to Host Species
December 2, 2013 — Researchers have discovered why the parasite that causes the deadliest form of malaria only infects ... > full story -
Bacteria; Extreme Survival; Microbiology; Biotechnology and Bioengineering; Microbes and More; Biology;
How Bacteria Respond So Quickly to External Changes
December 2, 2013 — Understanding how bacteria adapt so quickly to changes in their external environment with continued high growth rates is one of the major research challenges in molecular microbiology. This is important not least for our understanding of resistance ... > full story -
Don't Ignore Hip Pain: Impingement a Growing Problem Among Young, Active
December 2, 2013 — Hip pain is no longer reserved for older adults. More and more young, active people are developing this problem, which often requires surgery to ... > full story
11 pm EST
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Cell Biology; Molecular Biology; Biology; Genetics; Biotechnology; Biotechnology and Bioengineering;
Scientists Discover New Survival Mechanism for Stressed Mitochondria
December 2, 2013 — Scientists have discovered a natural mechanism that cells use to protect mitochondria, the tiny but essential “power plants” that provide chemical energy for cells throughout the ... > full story -
Do Sports Concussions Really Cause Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy?
December 2, 2013 — It’s been widely reported that football and other contact sports increase the risk of a debilitating neurological condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). But a new study finds little evidence to support such a ... > full story -
Computer Science; Disability; Distributed Computing; Computers and Internet; Allergy; Artificial Intelligence;
Tongue-Drive Wheelchair Works Better Than Sip-and-Puff System
December 3, 2013 — After a diving accident left Jason DiSanto paralyzed from the neck down in 2009, he had to learn how to navigate life from a powered wheelchair, which he controls with a sip-and-puff system. Users sip or puff air into a straw mounted on their ... > full story -
Biology Professor Finds 'Goldilocks' Effect in Snail Populations
December 3, 2013 — A researcher has discovered that a "Goldilocks" effect applies to the reproductive output of a tiny New Zealand snail -- considered a troublesome species in many countries -- that may one day help environmentalists control their ... > full story -
1950s Pandemic Influenza Virus Remains a Health Threat, Particularly to Those Under 50
December 3, 2013 — Scientists have evidence that descendants of the H2N2 avian influenza A virus that killed millions worldwide in the 1950s still pose a threat to human health, particularly to those under ... > full story
Health & Biomedical Sciences
Health & Medicine
Review Examines Gender Differences in COPD Patients
A new study review examines the gender differences in the prevalence, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and how this information may ultimately be used to identify areas for future ... > full story
- Animal Studies Show Progress in Vaccine Against Human Leishmaniasis
- New Technique Identifies Pathogens in Patient Samples Faster, in Great Detail
- Tighter Transfusion Strategy Recommended to Treat Anemia in Heart Disease Patients
- Short-Term Energy Deficits Increase Factors Related to Muscle Degradation
- more stories
Mind & Brain
Age-Related Cognitive Decline Linked to Energy Available to Synapses in Prefrontal Cortex
Researchers show that synaptic health in the brain is closely linked to cognitive decline. Further, they discover that estrogen restores synaptic health and also improves working ... > full story
- New Compound for Slowing Aging Process Can Lead to Treatments for Brain Diseases
- Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol Disrupts Brain Circuitry: No Safe Level of Drinking During Pregnancy, Neuroscientist Says
- Talk Therapy May Reverse Biological Changes in PTSD Patients
- Goals Affect Feelings of Pride, Shame After Success, Failure
- more stories
Living Well
Data on People's Self-Reported 'Experienced' Well-Being Could Help Inform Policies
Gathering survey data on "experienced" well-being – the self-reported levels of contentment, joy, stress, frustration, and other feelings people experience throughout the day and while engaged in various activities -- would be valuable to ... > full story
Biological & Earth Sciences
Plants & Animals
New Insight Into Physiology of Salmon's Intestines
A PhD research project has provided essential knowledge about the mechanisms leading to feed-induced enteritis in salmon and also insight into the salmon's intestinal immune defense system. This research provides a good foundation for developing new ... > full story
Earth & Climate
Aquifers Suffocate When River Beds Silt Up
In the course of the last few decades, the oxygen concentration levels in aquifers in the Swiss Plateau have dropped irregularly. Results of the National Research Programme "Sustainable Water Management” (NRP 61) suggest that the irregular ... > full story
Fossils & Ruins
Functional Importance of Dinosaur Beaks Illuminated
Why beaks evolved in some theropod dinosaurs and what their function might have been is the subject of new research by an international team of ... > full story
Physical & Applied Sciences
Space & Time
NASA Investigating the Life of Comet ISON
After several days of continued observations, scientists continue to work to determine and to understand the fate of Comet ISON: There's no doubt that the comet shrank in size considerably as it rounded the sun and there's no doubt that something ... > full story
Matter & Energy
Quieting Rail Transit
When attached to the wheels or the tracks of rail transit systems, vibration absorbers may reduce the noise from trains, bringing more peace and quiet to passengers and those who work or live near the tracks. In tests of two major metropolitan ... > full story
Computers & Math
Diagnostic Imaging: New Chip Provides Better All-Round Performance
A new microelectromechanical system provides the 360-degree view that is critical in diagnostic ... > full story
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