A fast radio burst’s rapid, steady beat offers a clue to its cosmic origin
An unusual blast of radio waves from deep space had a sense of rhythm. Over the few seconds in December 2019 when the burst...
SCIENTIFIC NEWS
Do gophers farm roots? It’s not as clear as viral articles claim
Pocket gophers certainly don’t qualify as card-carrying 4-H members, but the rodents might be farming roots in the open air of their moist, nutrient-rich...
In the battle of human vs. water, ‘Water Always Wins’
Water Always WinsErica Gies Univ. of Chicago, $26 Humans have long tried to wrangle water. We’ve straightened once-meandering rivers for shipping purposes. We’ve constructed...
This octopus-inspired glove helps humans grip slippery objects
A new high-tech glove totally sucks — and that’s a good thing. Each fingertip is outfitted with a sucker inspired by those on octopus...
The most distant rotating galaxy hails from 13.3 billion years ago
There is a galaxy spinning like a record in the early universe — far earlier than any others have been seen twirling around. ...
Tardigrades could teach us how to handle the rigors of space travel
No beast on Earth is tougher than the tiny tardigrade. It can survive being frozen at -272° Celsius, being exposed to the vacuum of...
Two pig hearts were successfully transplanted into brain-dead people
Pig hearts beat for three days inside the chests of two brain-dead patients who were kept alive using ventilators. The feat helps researchers prepare...
Flower shape and size impact bees’ chances of catching gut parasites
Bees that land on short, wide flowers can fly away with an upset stomach. Common eastern bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) are more likely to...
‘Virology’ ponders society’s relationship with viruses
VirologyJoseph OsmundsonW.W. Norton & Co., $16.95 As a journalist covering COVID-19, I’ve had a front-row seat to the pandemic. I’ve been overwhelmed with despair...
Here is the James Webb Space Telescope’s stunning first picture
We’ve now seen farther, deeper and more clearly into space than ever before. The first image from the James Webb Space Telescope, released in...
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