Fire Cooked Up Early Human Culture
An anthropologist studying current hunter–gatherers finds that nighttime around the fire is when conversation turns from business to bonding. Cynthia Graber reports
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Stories by Cynthia Graber
I Got Rhythm, I Got Reading
Kids who could keep a beat had superior skills related to reading and language than did those whose rhythm strayed. Cynthia Graber reports
Bio-Spleen Sucks Pathogens and Toxins from Blood
The new device rids the blood of bacteria, fungi, viruses and toxins using nanoscale-size magnetic beads. Cynthia Graber reports
Sack Sulfates to Preserve Sewers
Sulfates used in water treatment become sulfuric acid in our sewers, eating away at the concrete infrastructure. Cynthia Graber reports.
System Converts Solar Efficiently to Steam
A graphite disk resting on carbon foam collects sunlight to heat water directly to steam with 85 percent efficiency. Cynthia Graber reports
Environment Has Beef with Beef
Raising beef uses 28 times more land, 11 times more water and six times more fertilizer than the average expenditures for other livestock. Cynthia Graber reports
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Roach Reactions to Venom Point to Targeted Pesticides
Small changes in the protein sequence of sodium channels of American compared with German cockroaches leave the latter susceptible to a venom that has little effect on the former. Cynthia Graber reports
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Give Us This Day the Bread Wheat Genome
A preliminary map of the bread wheat genome includes the locations of more than 75,000 genes. Cynthia Graber reports
Supercooled Organs Could Stretch Time to Transplant
Liver transplant time from human donor to patient is limited to 12 hours, but rats that got livers specially stored for three days were going strong three months later. Cynthia Graber reports
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Space-Based Data Collection Better Predicts Floods
Satellite data can help geologists predict major floods up to 11 months in advance in areas where snow melt or groundwater is a significant contributor. Cynthia Graber reports
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Neandertal Diners Had Side of Veggies
By analyzing what came out of Neandertals, researchers have verified that at least some of them mixed vegetation into their meaty diet. Cynthia Graber reports
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London Fish Chip Away at Historical Unknowns
Isotope composition within fish tails found in London archaeological digs shows that the city began importing cod from northern Scandinavia some 800 years ago. Cynthia Graber reports
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European Invasion Changed Peru's Coastline
Sections of Peru's coastline were stabilized by the activities of indigenous people, the demise of whom following the Spanish invasion led to an alteration of the geography. Cynthia Graber reports
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Healthy Lung Microbes Keep Mice Breathing Easy
Like humans, mice start life with sterile lungs that soon get colonized by microbes, which appear to protect the lung tissue from an asthmalike reaction in the presence of dust mites. Cynthia Graber reports
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Lasers ID Insects by Wing Beats
Using laser sensing of insect wing beats, plus location and time of day, researchers report 99 percent accuracy identifying individuals in a group of six insect species. A future surveillance system would be of interest to farmers and insect-borne disease monitors...
Thieving Bird Apes Its Victims
The fork-tailed drongo can mimic the alarm calls of dozens of other species of animals, including nonbirds, to drive them off and steal their food. Cynthia Graber reports
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Bumper Corn Looks Dicey in Drought
Corn plants bred to be planted very close together thrive in good weather but appear to be particularly vulnerable to the droughts predicted in the coming decades. Cynthia Graber reports
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Snot Clouds Achieve Unexpected Buoyancy
Sneeze and cough particles form a cloud whose turbulence pulls in surrounding air, which allows the goop to maintain buoyancy and move farther than expected. Cynthia Graber reports
Robotic Clam Mimics Razor Clam's Smooth Digs
A razor clam's subtle movements reduce drag and let it move quickly through wet sand. A robotic version could be used in a variety of undersea tasks. Cynthia Graber reports
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Human Nose Tallies More Than a Trillion Scents
Based on humans' ability to discriminate between various close odors, researchers calculate that the average person can distinguish at least a trillion smells. Cynthia Graber reports
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