Latest from Science News: A 3.8 million-year-old skull reveals the face of Lucy’s possible ancestors

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8/29/19 A 3.8 million-year-old skull reveals the face of Lucy’s possible ancestors A fossilized hominid skull found in an Ethiopian desert illuminates the earliest-known Australopithecus species. Read More A chip made with carbon nanotubes, not silicon, marks a computing milestone Silicon’s reign in cutting-edge electronics may soon over. The carbon nanotube could be its successor. Read More Textile archaeologists use ancient tools to weave a tapestry of the past Using tools leftover from ancient spindles and looms, textile archaeologists are starting to understand the fabrics of the past. Read More A historic opioid trial highlights what we know about the deadly drugs An Oklahoma judge finds that Johnson & Johnson must pay $572 million to the state for the company’s role in the epidemic. Read More 5 of Jupiter’s newly discovered moons received names in a public contest Astronomers first announced the discovery of the worlds in July 2018, and have now named them for goddesses and spirits of Greek and Roman mythology. Read More Fecal transplants might help make koalas less picky eaters Poop-transplant pills changed the microbial makeup of koalas’ guts. That could allow the animals to adapt when a favorite type of eucalyptus runs low. Read More Plant-based fire retardants may offer a less toxic way to tame flames Flame retardants created from plant materials could be less harmful to the environment than traditional flame-smothering chemicals.   Read More Honeybee brain upgrades may help the insects find food Changes in honeybee neurons may help the insects decode their fellow foragers’ waggle dances.  Read More Ocean acidification could weaken diatoms’ glass houses Ocean acidification may lead to smaller, lighter diatoms in seawater, which could also shrink how much carbon the tiny ocean algae can help sequester.   Read More How a newly identified bacterium saps corals of their energy A parasitic bacterium that preys on corals quickly reproduces when it senses more nutrients in its host.  Read More How strep throat may spark OCD and anxiety in some kids A potential link between strep throat and sudden mental disorders in children raises questions about how infections can alter the brain. Read More An Illinois patient’s death may be the first in the U.S. tied to vaping Officials have announced one death among nearly 200 patients with severe lung illnesses that are potentially related to vaping. Read More Brazil’s Amazon has burned this badly before. This year’s fires are still bad An environmental scientist discusses possible impacts from the thousands of fires burning across the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Read More Marijuana and meth are getting more popular in America, but cocaine has declined In 2006, drug users spent more on cocaine than on heroin, marijuana or methamphetamine. By 2016, marijuana expenditures had exceeded the other drugs. Read More ‘End Times’ explores the catastrophic events that could kill us all A new book looks at the threats that could wipe out humankind and what can be done to counteract them. Read More For an asteroid, Ryugu has surprisingly little dust on its surface Ryugu lacks the dust that some other space rocks have. The near-Earth asteroid may hide the fine debris inside porous rocks or eject it into space. Read More Privacy policy  |  Update Profile  | Manage Subscriptions  |   Unsubscribe This email was sent by: Society for Science & the Public 1719 N Street NW Washington, DC, 20036, US