What science tells us about reducing coronavirus spread from wind instruments
The last time I played clarinet with my band was on March 10, 2020. It was a typical Tuesday evening rehearsal: About 10 musicians...
SCIENTIFIC NEWS
Squirrels use parkour tricks when leaping from branch to branch
Parkour enthusiasts need look no further than up in the trees for inspiration. Squirrels’ aerial acrobatics make the rodents masters of the form, a...
How particle detectors capture matter’s hidden, beautiful reality
At every moment, subatomic particles stream in unfathomable numbers through your body. Each second, about 100 billion neutrinos from the sun pass through your...
A lunar magnetic field may have lasted for only a short time
A lunar magnetic field may not have just been short-lived; it may have persisted for only a blip in geologic time, a new study...
A bounty of potential gravitational wave events hints at exciting possibilities
A new crew of potential ripples in spacetime has just debuted — emphasis on the word “potential.” By loosening the criteria for what qualifies...
Snake-eating spiders are surprisingly common
A spider’s typical dinner menu might include insects, worms or even small lizards and frogs (SN: 2/3/21). But some arachnids have more adventurous tastes...
A new book reveals stories of ancient life written in North America’s rocks
How the Mountains GrewJohn DvorakPegasus Books, $29.95 Imagine a world where pigeon-sized dragonflies soar above spiders with half-meter-long legs, where 2-meter-long millipedes slither and...
Black holes born with magnetic fields quickly shed them
Like a shaggy dog in springtime, some black holes have to shed. New computer simulations reveal how black holes might discard their magnetic fields....
Greece’s Santorini volcano erupts more often when sea level drops
When sea level drops far below the present-day level, the island volcano Santorini in Greece gets ready to rumble. A comparison of the activity...
A hammerhead shark baby boom near Florida hints at a historic nursery
It seems like an unlikely place for a nursery of endangered hammerhead sharks, but a recreational hot spot just off the coast of Miami...
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