Specialized fire structures found in a Gibraltar cave could have produced sticky resin Researchers have found what appears to be remnants of a complex fire structure in Vanguard Cave in Gibraltar (shown), which Neandertals may have used to make tar from nearby plants. Javier Trueba/MSF/Science Source Neandertals really knew their way around a fire. In

A spray-on ink detects electrical activity in the brain for hours Spray-on electrodes go on wet. Once dry, they can detect brain activity about as well as standard electrodes used in a common medical test, researchers find. Nanshu Lu It’s an unusual aesthetic, but it works: Spray-on tattoos that dot the head can collect brain

Similar stingers, known for honeybee attacks, had the Pacific Northwest on edge a few years ago The southern giant hornet (Vespa soror), known to attack and eat creatures as large as geckos, was recently spotted for only the second time outside of tropical Asia. Rushen/Flickr A species of enormous hornets has found its way to

Excerpt from the November 23, 1974 issue of Science News Physicists Samuel Ting (shown) and Burton Richter independently discovered the subatomic particle J/psi in 1974. It quickly led to more discoveries that confirmed quarks are fundamental building blocks of matter. Everett Collection/Alamy A surprising new particle — Science News , November 23, 1974 To add

‘Ingenious’ shows how science inspired and enabled the founding father’s political work Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite experiment, which revealed lightning’s electric nature, is more nuanced than commonly depicted, a new book explains. FPG/The Image Bank/Getty Images Plus Ingenious Richard Munson W.W. Norton & Co., $29.99 Let’s talk about the kite and the lightning storm. In

Toe-tally mysterious Hairs on the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats light up under ultraviolet light, but the reason is unknown, Jason Bittel reported in “Mexican free-tailed bats’ toes glow in the dark” (SN: 8/28/24). Reader Eleanor Peterson asked if the glowing toes might attract prey. It is unlikely, but it is a logical thought, says

The human body is a marvel of engineering, but it’s a machine that requires maintenance and repair. At times, that means trying to replace parts lost to injury or illness. The oldest known prosthesis is the “Cairo toe,” crafted out of wood and leather and thought to be 2,700 to 3,000 years old. Its flexibility

The versatile hunters are known for attacking blue whales, boats — and now whale sharks The whale shark–hunting techniques of orcas has been documented for the first time. Here, a pod of orcas surrounds a whale shark, with one orca using its head to smack the giant fish. Video from excited ecotourists shows how orcas

Two ancient hominid species with slightly different gaits crossed paths in East Africa. Footprints preserved on what was once a muddy lakeshore indicate that the two species, each built to walk in its own way, hung out there around 1.5 million years ago. Newly discovered foot impressions at the northern Kenyan site, and footprints previously

A new book examines the tools in humankind's arsenal and what’s still needed In 2022, NASA’s DART spacecraft (illustrated) successfully shoved the distant asteroid moonlet Dimorphos off course. The mission tested a potential strategy to deflect any asteroid that might someday threaten Earth. NASA, JHUAPL, Steve Gribben How to Kill an Asteroid Robin George Andrews