Ice cores hint at a volcanic eruption around the time of the burial in Stone Age Denmark More than 100 engraved stones unearthed in Denmark depict images of the sun. The stones, including the two shown here, may have been buried as part of a ritual to bring back the sun after a volcanic eruption

Studies in rats link high exposure to cancer, but there’s little science on its harm to people  Some gummy and other candies get their bright color from the synthetic food dye Red No. 3, which the FDA has now banned. mikroman6/Getty Images The cherry-red synthetic dye Red No. 3 is no longer allowed in foods

An artificial intelligence tool designs proteins that match toxins scientists want to target When snakes like this Mozambique spitting cobra bite, they deliver potent toxins to victims via their venom. AI-designed proteins that stick to these toxins could one day be part of new antivenom therapies. Digital Vision/gettyimages Artificial intelligence could take the bite out

DNA clues hint men married into women-led communities Excavations of Iron Age skeletons such as this one from Celtic sites in southern England have produced genetic evidence reflecting social practices that enhanced women’s power, researchers say. © Bournemouth University Celtic women’s social and political standing in Iron Age England has received a genetic lift. DNA

Toxic alkaloids are often antimicrobial, but some bacteria seem to be using them as food Alkaloid chemicals bathe the skins of poison dart frogs (such as the diablito (Oophaga sylvatica) of Ecuador, shown). Some microbes seem to thrive in — and even feed off — the powerful toxins. Stephanie Caty Poison? What poison? Some bacteria

Red squirrels fed peanuts showed signs of weaker bite force versus those getting their own nuts Squirrels love peanuts of course, but peanuts may not love them back. Populations of red squirrels fed a supplemental diet of peanuts developed weaker jaws than those living on a natural, harder nut diet. Simon Hind/500px/Getty Images Plus Soft

BMI labels some people as having a disease, even if their excess body fat isn’t causing harm Obesity could get a new definition and diagnostic criteria thanks to a global commission of health experts. Yaroslav Astakhov/iStock/Getty Images Plus Obesity needs a new definition, argues a global group of health experts. For over 75 years, obesity

United by Fire explores lessons from the two largest blazes in Colorado history Flames devoured pines and other vegetation in the Arapaho National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park during the East Troublesome Fire in 2020. The blaze, the subject of a new podcast, is the second largest wildfire in Colorado history. milehightraveler/istock/getty images plus

A common decongestant doesn’t work any better than a placebo, but that might be good enough Evidence suggests the placebo effect can offer some relief from coughs and stuffy noses. Tanja Ivanova/Moment/Getty Images, T. Tibbitts The viruses of cold and flu season are upon us, and in us, where they’re causing misery upon misery. But

An undiscovered population of ancient black holes may be lurking throughout the universe. These bottomless cosmic pits would have a lot in common with more familiar black holes; in some cases, the two may be indistinguishable. But unlike their kin, these undiscovered black holes wouldn’t have formed from a massive star collapsing in on itself