In How Far the Light Reaches, Sabrina Imbler shows us that the ocean, in all its mystery and dazzling glory, is queer — that is, the life that takes shape there challenges how we landlubbers perceive ways of being. This collection of essays tells the stories of 10 sea creatures,Continue Reading
Low humidity and temperatures may make infections more likely When bitter winds blew and temperatures dropped, my grandmother would urge me to come inside. “You’ll catch your death of cold out there,” she’d say. Sure, freezing to death is possible in frigid temperatures. But doctors and other health experts haveContinue Reading
The first full moon of the new year will be a ‘micromoon,’ with the moon at its farthest point from Earth. Look up on Jan. 6 for a view of the first full moon of 2023: The Wolf ‘micromoon.’ January’s full moon will be slightly smaller than average because theContinue Reading
A metallic alloy of chromium, cobalt, and nickel is over 100 times tougher than graphene and gets even more resistant to damage at extremely low temperatures. Researchers have proven that a metallic alloy of chromium, cobalt and nickel is officially the toughest material on Earth — more than 100 timesContinue Reading
After many delays, the observatory finally got to work this year This year marked the end of a decades-long wait for astronomers. The James Webb Space Telescope is finally in action. The telescope, which launched in December 2021, released its first science data in July (SN: 8/13/22, p. 30) andContinue Reading
Polymyxins turn cell membranes into brittle, breakable crystals To kill drug-resistant bacteria, “last-resort” antibiotics borrow a tactic from Medusa’s playbook: petrification. New high-resolution microscope images show that a class of antibiotics called polymyxins crystallize the cell membranes of bacteria. The honeycomb-shaped crystals that form turn the microbes’ usually supple skinsContinue Reading
Upticks in radiocarbon in ancient tree rings do not align with the solar cycle A cryptic chemical signature of unknown origins, hidden for centuries inside the trunks of Earth’s trees, just became even more mysterious. In the last decade, scientists have discovered traces on Earth of six intense bursts ofContinue Reading
Matter’s dominance over antimatter may revolve around lightweight subatomic particles The answer to one of the greatest mysteries of the universe may come down to one of the smallest, and spookiest, particles. Matter is common in the cosmos. Everything around us — from planets to stars to puppies — isContinue Reading
Pahrump poolfish react oddly to danger, a new study finds Getting out into society after a long isolation gets awkward. Ask the Pahrump poolfish, loners in a desert for some 10,000 years. This hold-in-your-hand-size fish (Empetrichthys latos) has a chubby, torpedo shape and a mouth that looks as if it’sContinue Reading
A population of stars at the galactic center is the oldest known in the galaxy, a study finds The Milky Way left its “poor old heart” in and around the constellation Sagittarius, astronomers report. New data from the Gaia spacecraft reveal the full extent of what seems to be theContinue Reading