▪We got the beat: Babies preferred listening to musical rhythms to which they were bounced or rocked, suggesting that the experience of physical movement helps develop the perception of musical beats.
Science, June 3
▪The detection of stars extending from the Andromeda galaxy's main disk indicates that the galaxy is 220,000 light-years across, three times bigger than previously thought. The Milky Way spans about 100,000 light-years.
Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, May 30
▪A mosquito carrying West Nile virus could infect other mosquitos feeding next to it via the insect's saliva. The finding may explain the virus's rapid spread, which may occur among dead-end hosts.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA online, June 10
▪Beating binge drinking? A small study has found that ingesting kudzu extract cut subsequent alcohol consumption by almost half, perhaps because the herb sensitized the body's response to alcohol.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, May
