New Adaptive Fabric Cools Down as You Heat Up
The dynamic textile becomes more breathable in hotter, sweatier conditions
Stories by Sophie Bushwick
What Makes Them Go Boom? Our Favorite Explainers on the Science of Fireworks
Staring up as cascades of colorful light bloom noisily from the dark sky—that's how many Americans will conclude their Independence Day. Behind the pretty image, however, fireworks rely on basic physical and chemical principles.
Rodents Repulsed by Reeking Male Researchers
The scent of human men stresses out mice and rats, which changes their pain responses and could affect experimental results. Sophie Bushwick reports
Why a Bio-Duck?
The source of the mysterious so-called "bio-duck" sounds in the Southern Ocean is finally revealed by researchers engaged in minke business. Sophie Bushwick reports
Dainty Diet Dictated Big-Feline Decline
Cougars survived the late Pleistocene extinction when other North American big cats became extinct, thanks to their more flexible feeding habits. Sophie Bushwick reports
Morning Light Exposure Tied to Lower Weight
Exposure to bright light in the morning appears linked to reduced appetite and lower body weight, regardless of sleep patterns. Sophie Bushwick reports
Absence (of Weight) Makes the Heart Grow Rounder
After prolonged periods in microgravity, astronauts' hearts became more spherical, according to scans done on the International Space Station. Sophie Bushwick reports
Paintings of Sunsets Shed Light on Past Air Quality
Master artists' sunset colors are good sources of information about amounts of particulates in the atmosphere when the image was painted. Sophie Bushwick reports
Frosty Moss Springs to Life after 1,500-Year Snooze
Long dormant moss has been extracted from the Antarctic permafrost, thawed out and revived. Sophie Bushwick reports
The Hangover: Part N+1
Developing a hangover doesn't prevent or even significantly delay the next drinking bout. Sophie Bushwick reports
Docs Should Wash Stethoscopes between Patients, Too
Tests for bacteria found that stethoscopes picked up more microbes from patients than did most parts of the doc's hands. Sophie Bushwick reports
Jazz Improvisers Appear to Use Language Brain Areas
Brain scans of musicians as they improvised in a musical dialogue with another player showed that the improvisers used regions involved in syntax during production of language. Sophie Bushwick reports
Lassie and Timmy Hear Vocals in Same Brain Area
Functional MRI brain scans show that man and man's best friend use analogous brain regions to process vocalizations of both their own and the other species. Sophie Bushwick reports
Dark Living Led to Mighty Mouse Hearing
Mice kept in total darkness for a week saw their hearing improve. Well, they heard their hearing improve. Sophie Bushwick reports
Risky Ripples Allow Eavesdropping On Frisky Frog
The song of the túngara frog creates ripples in the surrounding water, which attracts unwanted attention from predatory bats and rival males. Sophie Bushwick reports
Turkey Skin Inspires Chemical Sensor
When turkeys get riled up, their skin can change color because of alterations in the arrangement of connective tissue. Researchers created a chemical sensor made of viruses based on the same principle
Beachcombers Leave It Shell-Shocked
On at least one Catalonian beach, tourists remove so many shells as to endanger the beach ecosystem
Diet Soda Mixers Up Breathalyzer Readings
People who drank vodka with a diet mixer had breath alcohol levels 18 percent higher than when they drank alcohol with full-calorie soda. Sophie Bushwick reports
Stress Makes Gorilla Glass Stronger
Gorilla Glass's residual stress can be explained by observing how the motion of individual atoms affects the entire system of the material
