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Maria Temming

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a computer simulated image showing Earth and the lines of its magnetic field

New data suggest that humans may join birds, bacteria and certain other organisms in being able to sense Earth’s magnetic field (illustrated).

vjanez/iStock/Getty Images Plus

 Brain
People may indeed have a sixth sense — for magnetism
Brain waves hint that humans might possess an ability similar to that seen in some other animals
a photo of the ALMA array, a group of radio telescopes with large dishes

A network of telescopes across the globe — including ALMA in Chile (partially shown here) — teamed up to create the Event Horizon Telescope. It’s a virtual radio dish almost as big as Earth.

Carlos Padilla/AUI/NRAO

 Astronomy
It took a ‘virtual’ telescope to actually picture a black hole
The accomplishment relied on a network of radio telescopes spanning the globe
a photo showing a drill into the ice above Lake Mercer in Antarctica

Researchers drilled through a kilometer of ice above Lake Mercer in Antarctica. They found mud that contained carcasses of tiny animals resembling spiders, crustaceans, worms and water bears.

Billy Collins/SALSA Science Team

 Animals
Animal graveyard found in deeply buried Antarctic lake
Mud from Lake Mercer revealed tiny squashed creatures that resemble spiders and worms
cell-tweezers

These so-called tweezers can take out single molecules or structures from individual cells — such as mitochondria from nerve cells (illustrated here).

IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON

 Technology
Electro-tweezers let scientists safely probe cells
They allow repeated sampling of materials from the same living cell over time
a horse stuffed animal with white wraps around its legs is walking across a the screen against a black background, electric wires trail behind it

A new bendable, stretchable skin can wrap around inanimate objects — such as this stuffed horse’s legs — creating a soft robot.

J.W. Booth et al./Sci Robotics 2018

 Robotics
Soft robots get their power from the skin they’re in
Given bendy, stretchy skin, everyday objects can morph into useful — or just adorable — robots
chemistry nobel

This year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry went to Frances Arnold (left), George P. Smith (middle) and Gregory P. Winter (right) for research on proteins, including enzymes and antibodies.

CalTech; University of Missouri; Aga Machaj/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

 Chemistry
Three take home chemistry Nobel for harnessing protein ‘evolution’
The scientists created bio-based techniques to speed up the development of drugs, fuels and more