A deadly fungus behind hospital outbreaks was found in nature for the first time
A deadly fungus that seemed to spring up out of nowhere in hospitals has been found in nature for the first time. Researchers isolated...
SCIENTIFIC NEWS
An ancient hippo-sized reptile may have been surprisingly agile
Some 260 million years ago, before the rise of dinosaurs, bone-crushing anteosaurs reigned as land’s largest predators. A new analysis of an anteosaur skull...
Bee larvae drum with their butts, which may confuse predatory wasps
A light crackling sound floats above a field in northern Switzerland in late summer. Its source is invisible, tucked inside a dead, dried plant...
The latest Ebola outbreak may have started with someone infected years ago
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Guinea was most likely sparked by someone infected during the outbreak seven years ago, a new study shows. Viruses...
How perceptions of diversity vary by race and political views
In the wake of the past year’s Black Lives Matter protests, achieving “diversity” across domains has become a pressing societal concern. But “diversity” means...
Cone snail venom may trick mate-seeking worms into becoming meals
Normally, it takes the ghostly light of the full moon to coax certain worms from hiding on the seafloor to mate. Out in the...
Some COVID-19 survivors face another foe: PTSD
The sickest of COVID-19 patients struggle to breathe. Facing a disease new to science, they’re isolated from their loved ones and treated by doctors...
A tour of ‘Four Lost Cities’ reveals modern ties to ancient people
Four Lost CitiesAnnalee NewitzW.W. Norton & Co., $26.95 It’s a familiar trope in movies and books: A bright-eyed protagonist moves to the big city...
The COVID-19 pandemic is now a year old. What have scientists learned?
One year ago, the World Health Organization declared that the novel coronavirus outbreak was a pandemic (SN: 3/11/20). Little did we know the uncertainty,...
Archaea microbes fold, twist and contort their DNA in extreme ways
Single-celled archaea microbes pack their DNA into flexible coils that expand and stretch much like a Slinky does. This kind of molecular gymnastics had...
A new treatment could restore some mobility in people paralyzed by strokes 
What has Perseverance found in two years on Mars? 
This robot automatically tucks its limbs to squeeze through spaces 
Greta Thunberg’s new book urges the world to take climate action now