All Stories by Carolyn Wilke
- Planetary Science
JWST spotted a new speedy jet stream in Jupiter’s atmosphere
Seen in images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the high-altitude feature may help untangle the inner workings of the giant planet’s atmosphere.
- Materials Science
This fabric can hear your heartbeat
With special fibers that convert tiny vibrations to voltages, a new fabric senses sounds, letting it act as a microphone or a speaker.
- Chemistry
One forensic scientist is scraping bones for clues to time of death
The bones of more than 100 cadavers are shedding light on a more precise and reliable way to determine when someone died.
- Animals
A diamondlike structure gives some starfish skeletons their strength
Electron microscope images of knobby starfish’s calcite skeletons reveal an unexpected architecture that compensates for the mineral’s brittleness.
- Animals
A new device helps frogs regrow working legs after an amputation
A single treatment shortly after adult frogs lost part of their legs spurred regrowth of limbs useful for swimming, standing and kicking.
- Tech
Materials of the last century shaped modern life, but at a price
From our homes and cities to our electronics and clothing, the stuff of daily life is dramatically different from decades ago.
- Chemistry
A disinfectant made from sawdust mows down deadly microbes
Antimicrobial molecules found in wood waste could be used to make more sustainable, greener disinfectants.
- Microbes
Drug-resistant bacteria evolved on hedgehogs long before the use of antibiotics
A standoff between bacteria and antibiotic-producing fungi living on hedgehogs may have led to the rise of one type of MRSA some 200 years ago.
- Materials Science
Lithium-ion batteries made with recycled materials can outlast newer counterparts
Batteries with recycled cathodes outperformed batteries with new cathodes, lasting for thousands more charging cycles before their capacity waned.
- Life
Infants may laugh like some apes in their first months of life
Laughter seems to change over life’s early months, perhaps influenced by the unconscious feedback parents give when they play with their little ones.
- Animals
Female hummingbirds may sport flashy feathers to avoid being harassed
Some female white-necked jacobin hummingbirds boast bright blue plumage that’s similar to males. The colors may help females blend in to avoid attacks.
- Animals
Frog and toad pupils mainly come in seven different shapes
Analyzing over 3,200 species revealed that the colorful eyes of frogs and toads have pupils shaped as slits, diamonds, fans and more.
