Readers discuss the psychedelic psilocybin, frogs and UFOs
A high dose of the psychedelic psilocybin temporarily dissolves brain networks, Laura Sanders reported in “Psilocybin erases brain ‘fingerprints’” (SN:
50 years ago, satellites threatened astronomers’ view of the cosmos
As satellite launches ramp up and the spacecraft clog the skies, astronomers fear for their data.
A transatlantic flight may turn Saharan dust into a key ocean nutrient
Over time, atmospheric chemical reactions can make iron in dust from the Sahara easier for organisms to take in, helping to create biodiversity hot spots.
Some tadpoles don’t poop for weeks. That keeps their pools clean
Eiffinger’s tree frog babies store their solid waste in an intestinal pouch, releasing less ammonia into their watery cribs than other frog species.
Barnard’s star has at least one planet orbiting it after all
After decades of searching, a telltale gravitational wobble points to an exoplanet orbiting the nearby red dwarf every 3.15 days.
More than 100 types of bacteria found living in microwave ovens
More than 30 microwave ovens were sampled in a range of different settings. The microbes in them included ones that can cause food poisoning in people.
An mRNA vaccine protected mice against deadly intestinal
An mRNA vaccine that targets several aspects of C. difficile’s ability to cause severe disease prevented major symptoms and death in mice.
Brain-controlled bionic limbs are inching closer to reality
Bionics engineers typically view biology as something to be worked around. “Anatomics” engineers the body to be part of the system.
Explainer: How cells use chemistry to make the electricity of life
Charged particles, or ions, constantly move in and out of cells. These migrations produce tiny electric currents, which power your brain, heart and more.
Explainer: Anatomy of a heartbeat
Here’s how the heart pumps blood to each and every cell of the body. It beats roughly 60 times every minute, starting before we’re born.
Zap, zap, zap! Our bodies are electric
Electricity powers key functions in the brain, heart and bone. Scientists are working to understand those currents to improve our health and moods.
A hurricane’s aftermath may spur up to 11,000 deaths
Hurricanes like Helene may indirectly cause deaths for years. Stress, pollution and a loss of infrastructure could all contribute to tropical cyclone fatalities.
Dolphins’ open-mouth behaviors during play are like smiles, a study claims
Experts urge caution in calling bottlenosed dolphins’ gesture a humanlike “smile,” but agree it seems to be important for how the animals communicate.
Scientists have traced all 54.5 million connections in a fruit fly’s brain
By tracing every single connection between nerve cells in a single fruit fly’s brain, scientists have created the “connectome,” a tool that could help reveal how brains work.
Thunderstorms churn up a ‘boiling pot’ of gamma rays
A thunderstorm seen in gamma-ray vision is a complex, frenetic lightshow when viewed from above the clouds.
Weirdly, mayo can help study conditions ripe for nuclear fusion
Yes, mayo. The texture of the sandwich spread is perfect for mimicking what a fusion fuel capsule goes through when blasted with lasers.
Coyotes have the face muscles for that ‘sad-puppy’ look
The ability to make heart-melting stares may not be the fruit of dog domestication if their still-wild cousins have the power to do it too.
Why Hurricane Helene was so devastating
The tempest caused record-breaking storm surge on the coast and widespread and deadly flooding and debris flows in the Appalachian Mountains.
The fruit fly revolutionized biology. Now it’s boosting science in Africa
African researchers are using Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies to advance studies of genetics, biomedicine, developmental biology, toxicology and more.
Bird nests made with a toxic fungus seem to fend off attacking ants
Two species of birds in Costa Rica build nests in trees defended by ants. Ants that encounter the horsehair fungus in the nests develop odd behaviors.
A springtail’s spring-loaded backflip is fast — really fast
Globular springtails can seem to vanish as they spin backwards at rates of up to 368 rotations per second! So don’t blink.
Starlink satellites’ leaky radio waves obscure the cosmos
Starlink satellites unintentionally emit radio waves that appear more than 10 million times brighter than natural sources, as seen by ground-based radio telescopes.