Physicists used LIGO’s mirrors to approach a quantum limit
Quantum mechanics usually applies to very small objects: atoms, electrons and the like. But physicists have now brought the equivalent of a 10-kilogram object...
SCIENTIFIC NEWS
A new book uses stories from tsunami survivors to decode deadly waves
TsunamiJames Goff and Walter DudleyOxford Univ., $34.95 On March 27, 1964, Ted Pederson was helping load oil onto a tanker in Seward, Alaska, when...
Dust and a cold spell on Betelgeuse could explain why the giant star dimmed
Astronomers around the world were startled in late 2019 when Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the sky, grew dark for several months....
Moral judgments about an activity’s COVID-19 risk can lead people astray
What do you think was riskier during the pre-vaccine days of the pandemic: having your lonely parents over for dinner or going to a...
Many cosmetics contain hidden, potentially dangerous ‘forever chemicals’
A new chemical analysis has revealed an ugly truth about beauty products: Many may contain highly persistent, potentially harmful “forever chemicals” called PFAS. PFAS,...
A widely studied lab plant has revealed a previously unknown organ
A common lab plant that’s been poked and put under microscopes for decades may seem unlikely to keep secrets. But in widely studied Arabidopsis...
As ‘phantom rivers’ roar, birds and bats change their hunting habits
For two summers in a rugged corner of Idaho’s Pioneer Mountains, the roar of rushing whitewater filled the air. But where the loud sounds...
An ancient creature thought to be a teeny dinosaur turns out to be a lizard
A tiny creature caught in amber 99 million years ago isn’t the smallest dinosaur ever found. It is actually a lizard — albeit a...
Gravitational waves confirm a black hole law predicted by Stephen Hawking
Despite their mysterious nature, black holes are thought to follow certain simple rules. Now, one of the most famous black hole laws, predicted by...
Most planets on tilted orbits pass over the poles of their suns
Earth is on an orderly path around the sun, orbiting in nearly the same plane as our star’s equator. In 2008, however, astronomers began...
Newborn screening for cancer risk could save lives. Should it be done? 
World marks second warmest July on record 
Ebola deaths top 2,000 as scientists race to develop vaccine 
South Sudan: UN mission decries deadly attacks, works to calm tensions after ‘nothing but devastation’