Solo supernovae challenge cosmic distance standards
Supernovae were thought to need help from a nearby star – if they don't, we may have to rethink how we measure cosmic distances as well as dark energy
Do sugary drinks trigger early puberty in girls?
There's a link between sugary beverages and early puberty, regardless of girls' body size. We look at what the underlying cause could be
Fractals seen in throbs of pulsating golden stars
Zoom in on a star's vibrations and, if they're related by the golden ratio, you might see fractals, like a coastline. This could tell us about what's going on inside
Moon milestone prizes awarded to XPrize competitors
The Google-sponsored competition to land a spacecraft on the moon has awarded "milestone prizes" to five competing teams
Sperm whale's emergency evacuation... of its bowels
What does such a gigantic animal have to be scared of? Spooked by the photographers, this sperm whale protected itself by enveloping them in a poonado
E. O. Wilson: Religious faith is dragging us down
The extinctions we cause will kill us too, says the sociobiology pioneer – the best thing would be to eliminate religions, though not human spiritual yearning
Turbulent lessons from tropical storms
From 16th-century colonisers of the Caribbean to Katrina's victims, Stuart Schwarz's Sea of Storms explores the long geopolitical shadow of tropical hurricanes
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