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Science News

Trying to break a photon would create a quantum mess

When it comes to making a mess, not even the world’s crumbliest cookie would compare to a photon. Photons are fundamental particles of light. As fundamental particles, they cannot really…

Here’s how ‘singing’ mice belt out their tiny tunes

Disney’s Cinderella is not the only place you can hear mice “sing.” Some real-world rodents also serenade each other. And now, scientists know how. The mice inflate tiny, balloon-like sacs…

Earth’s crust under Africa is thinning in a way never seen before

Sometimes, pieces of Earth’s outer layer pull apart like taffy. Right now, part of Africa is being stretched to nearly the breaking point. The giant jigsaw pieces of Earth’s outer…

VR can train the human brain to treat wings like real limbs

In X-Men, Warren Worthington III sprouts huge white wings from his back and shoots into the sky. Scientists have yet to fully turn that comic-book trick from fiction to fact.…

Scientists Say: Corn Sweat

Corn sweat (noun, “KORN SWET”) Corn sweat is moisture released by cornfields during summer heat, particularly in the central United States. The scientific term for corn sweat is evapotranspiration. This…

Giant school bus–sized octopuses may have once ruled the oceans

The kraken — a giant, tentacled sea monster that dragged ships into the depths — is a creature of Norwegian myth. But millions of years ago, a similar, real-life animal…

Mosquitoes may learn to like DEET, a common insect repellent

Pesky mosquitoes on the hunt for blood may find the smell of a common repellent attractive, not repulsive. That’s the finding of new lab tests. The chemical is known as…

Why are Arctic rivers turning orange?

Abstract The Salmon River in Alaska’s Kobuk Valley National Park is wild and scenic. Recently, scientists were surprised to find many of the streams in the park turning a bright,…

Experiment: Remove microplastics from water with yeast

Objective: In this science project, you’ll investigate how much yeast is needed to remove microplastics from contaminated water.Areas of science: Environmental Science; Green ChemistryDifficulty: Intermediate easyTime required: Very Short (≤…

Scientists Say: Fluoride

Fluoride (noun, “FLOOR-ide”) Fluoride is an electrically charged form of the element fluorine. An atom that carries such an overall charge is called an ion. Fluoride is a negative ion…