Latest from Science News For Students

02/14/2015

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BODY & HEALTH, FOOD & NUTRITION

Skip the soft drinks, period

By Esther Landhuis, Feb 13, 2015 12:00 pm

Beyond the quest for trim waistlines and cavity-free teeth, girls have another reason to shun sodas and other sweetened drinks. These beverages may help launch the body’s menstrual cycles at an earlier age. Read More

YOUNG SCIENTISTS, BODY & HEALTH

Teens exhibit a zeal to heal

By Sid Perkins, Feb 13, 2015 07:00 am

Broadcom MASTERS is the premier middle school science and engineering competition. Several 2014 finalists showed a flair for biomedicine. These young researchers tackled everything from diagnosing cancer early to alerting drowsy drivers before they fall asleep at the wheel. Read More

LIGHT & RADIATION, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING

'Smart’ windows could save energy

By Sid Perkins, Feb 12, 2015 07:00 am

Tiny chemical droplets in a liquid sandwiched between panes of glass turn cloudy when they warm up. This will block some sunlight and potentially save on air conditioning bills. Read More

BRAIN & BEHAVIOR

Scans show aging brains can leak

By Stephen Ornes, Feb 11, 2015 12:00 pm

The blood-brain barrier gets leakier with age. That breakdown could contribute to memory problems. Read More

DINOSAURS & FOSSILS

Snakes may have slithered amongst Jurassic dinos

By Stephen Ornes, Feb 11, 2015 08:00 am

Newly analyzed fossils suggest snakes lived at the same time as the golden age of dinosaurs. These early snakes appear to have had flexible skulls and likely also had four small limbs. Read More

LIGHT & RADIATION, SPACE

Dust erases evidence of primoridal gravity waves

By Andrew Grant, Feb 10, 2015 07:00 am

In March 2014, scientists claimed to have found the first echoes of the Big Bang — ripples in the very fabric of space. A new analysis shows the experts were mistaken. Dust appears to explain the confusion. Read More

SPACE

Picture This: Smiley face in space!

By Janet Raloff, Feb 09, 2015 03:53 pm

Ancients used to ‘see’ the outline of animals and other well-known things as constellations in the night sky. Now astronomers have done much the same thing. But they’ve spotted a more distant — if totally modern — shape: a smiley face! Read More

BODY & HEALTH

Screen time can mess with the body’s ‘clock’

By Andrew Bridges, Feb 09, 2015 07:00 am

Reading on an iPad in the evening can make it harder to fall asleep — and harder to wake up the next morning, a new study finds. The light from its screen tinkers with the body’s clock. And that could risk harming your health. Read More

ENVIRONMENT & POLLUTION, ANIMALS

Orangutans take the low road

By Ilima Loomis, Feb 08, 2015 07:00 am

Cameras spotted orangutans walking down logging roads to get around. That may be a good sign that they can adapt to changes in their woodsy environment. Read More