Editor's picks: How your dog reads emotions, quadruplet stars, beak shape genetics in Darwin's finches, helping adults with autism, and more

Science News Editor's Picks 02/15/15

Become a Subscribing Member »

FEATURE Adults with autism are left to navigate a jarring world BY SIRI CARPENTER Researchers are beginning to study ways to help adults with autism navigate independently, get jobs and find friendship.  Read More Read More»

NEWS When you’re happy and you show it, dogs know it BY SUSAN MILIUS A new test using pictures of halves of human faces challenges dogs’ abilities to read people’s emotions. Read More Read More»

NEWS The genetic evolution of Darwin’s finches BY TINA HESMAN SAEY A genetic analysis divides Darwin’s finches into more species and uncovers a gene involved in determining beak shape. Read More Read More»

NEWS IN BRIEF Stellar nursery gives birth to quadruplets BY CHRISTOPHER CROCKETT Four young stars, still in their cocoons, show that binary and other multiple star systems form together. Read More Read More»

NEWS IN BRIEF Ancient East Asians mixed and mingled multiple times with Neandertals BY TINA HESMAN SAEY East Asians’ ancestors interbred with Neandertals more than once, explaining why modern East Asians carry more Neandertal DNA than Europeans do, two studies suggest.  Read More Read More»

FEATURE Noise made by humans can be bad news for animals BY SUSAN MILIUS Animals live in a world of sounds. Clever experiments are finally teasing out how human-made noise can cause dangerous distractions.  Read More Read More»

Sponsor Message

More Headlines from Science News SCIENCE TICKER Wasps may turn ladybugs into zombies with viral weapons Parasitic wasps may use a neurological virus to make ladybugs their minions, a study posits. Read More BY HELEN THOMPSON NEWS U.S. measles tally for 2015 now at 121 cases The 2014-2015 measles outbreak in the United States has now reached people in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Read More BY NATHAN SEPPA NEWS Earliest tree-dweller, burrower join mammal tree of life Fossils show mammal ancestors did a lot more than cower in dinosaurs’ shadows. Read More BY SUSAN MILIUS CONTEXT Top 10 messages to send to E.T. Fears that sending signals to alien civilizations would provoke an invasion shouldn't prevent transmitting important messages. Read More BY TOM SIEGFRIED