Biology
Speedy Fish's Swordlike Bill Serves as Multifunctional Killing Tool
High-speed video now reveals the bill as a specialized weapon that can exert great power or nudge prey gently
Stories by Nature magazine
Environment
CO2 Makes Growing Seasons Longer
Elevated greenhouse gas levels, not just rising temperatures, are extending annual plants' life cycles
Health
Bionic Ears Boosted by Gene Therapy and Regrown Nerves
The performance of cochlear implants has been improved with the use of gene therapy, suggesting a new avenue for developing better hearing aids
Environment
Chile's Recent Earthquake Defied Expectations
The smaller-than-expected tremor has scientists scrambling to redefine rules for areas of extreme seismic stress
Public Health
MRSA Spreads in Households
Drug-resistant bacteria have found refuge in residences in parts of New York City
Climate Change
Mega-Heatwaves Mechanism Pinpointed
Two recent record hot spells have been traced to a feedback loop between dry soils and trapped air
Environment
NSF Pulls Support for Quake Observatory
The troubled project sought to observe tremors from deep within the San Andreas fault
Space & Physics
White Dwarf Acts as Cosmic Magnifying Glass
A planet-hunting telescope has observed long-predicted gravitational lensing of a star in a binary system by its companion
Technology
X-Ray Method Could Improve Nuclear Screening
A rapid imaging technique adapted from medical applications shows promise in the detection of nuclear materials
Biology
Uniter of Sperm and Egg Is Found
A newly discovered protein is found to play a crucial role in conception
Biology
Female Insect Uses Spiky Penis to Take Charge
A cave insect's marathon sex sessions extract nourishment along with sperm from a reluctant male
The Sciences
Giant Gamma Ray Detector Searches for Two Home Sites
The Cherenkov Telescope Array will track high-energy photons to probe black holes, dark matter and relativity
Health
Hepatitis C Drugs Not Reaching the Poor
Treatment guidelines for the virus highlight the challenges of paying for expensive drugs in low-income countries
Biology
Sperm RNA Carries Marks of Trauma
Stress alters the expression of small RNAs in male mice and leads to depressive behaviors in later generations
Environment
The Race Is On to Protect Millions of People from Flooding
Salt-tolerant rice as well as flexible barriers to keep salty water away and later to allow sediment in could mitigate flooding, which is expected to climb globally
Pharmaceuticals
Flu Drug Stockpiling Reported to Be a Waste of Money
A medical panel now suggests that bulk purchasing of the influenza drug Tamiflu, on which the U.S. has spent $1.5B, was a waste of money
Fitness
E-Cigarettes's Effect on Cells Similar to That of Tobacco Smoke
Questions are raised over the health effects of the devices, but new work still does not show that e-cigs cause cancer
Biology
Up to One Third of Honeybee Colonies Dies per Year in Europe
Survey finds beehives died off at higher rates in northern Europe
Biology
Bacteria Turn Plants and Insects into Zombies
A parasitic phytoplasma deploys proteins to manipulate the plants it infects as well as the insects that spread the microbe
Environment
"Gaia Hypothesis" Originator James Lovelock Reflects on His Career
The scientist and futurist talks about self-regulating Gaia, climate change and peer review, as an exhibition featuring him opens April 9 in London
