Vol. 205 No. 1
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More Stories from the January 13, 2024 issue

  1. Neuroscience

    Electrical brain implants may help patients with severe brain injuries

    After deep brain stimulation, five patients with severe brain injuries improved their scores on a test of cognitive function.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    When it comes to physical activity, every bit counts

    Biking to the store. Raking leaves. Playing with your kids. Scientists are getting a clearer picture of all the activities that offer health benefits.

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  3. Animals

    These nesting penguins nod off over 10,000 times a day, for seconds at a time

    Micronaps net chinstrap penguins over 11 hours of sleep a day, offering some rest while staying vigilant against predators and competitors.

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  4. Animals

    Fish beware: Bottlenosed dolphins may be able to pick up your heartbeat

    Fish, sharks and platypuses are adept at sensing electrical signals living things give off. Bottlenosed dolphins make that list too, studies suggests.

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  5. Planetary Science

    Giant polygon rock patterns may be buried deep below Mars’ surface

    A Chinese rover used radar to reveal long-buried terrain that might hint that Mars’ equator was once much colder and wetter.

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  6. Astronomy

    How tiny red stars can test ideas about the origin of life

    A survey of ultracool dwarf stars finds they don’t emit enough UV light to kick-start life, but they could reveal other ways for life to get going.

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  7. Anthropology

    Spanish horses joined Indigenous South Americans’ societies long before Europeans came to stay

    By the early 1600s, hunter-gatherers at the continent’s southern tip adopted horses left behind by colonial newcomers, new finds suggest.

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  8. Paleontology

    The real culprit in a 19th century dinosaur whodunit is finally revealed

    Contrary to the stories handed down among paleontologists, creationism wasn’t to blame for the destruction of Central Park’s dinosaurs.

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  9. Archaeology

    A mysterious ancient grave with a sword and mirror belonged to a woman

    The items hint that she fought in or helped plan raids and defensive actions in what’s now southwestern England about 2,000 years ago, scientists speculate.

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  10. Animals

    These bats are the only mammals known to mate more like birds

    Male serotine bats have penises too large for penetration. To mate, the animals rub their genitals against each other, somewhat like birds’ cloacal kiss.

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  11. Astronomy

    A rare, extremely energetic cosmic ray has mysterious origins

    In 1991, physicists spotted a cosmic ray with so much energy it warranted an ‘OMG.’ Now that energetic particle has a new companion.

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  12. Physics

    50 years ago, timekeepers deployed the newly invented leap second

    After more than 50 years, metrologists will stop using the leap second to align the time kept by atomic clocks with the rate of Earth’s spin.

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