Fresh insights into how cells detect damage to their DNA -- a hallmark of cancer -- could help explain how the body keeps disease in check. Scientists have discovered how damage to the cell's genetic material can trigger inflammation, setting in motion processes to remove damaged cells and keep tissues healthy.

Scientists have demonstrated how living cells can be induced to carry out computations in the manner of tiny robots or computers.

Using new 3-D methods to analyze stone projectile points crafted by North America's earliest human inhabitants, scientists have found that these tools show evidence of a shift toward more experimentation about 12,500 years ago, following hundreds of years of consistent stone-tool production. The findings provide clues into changes in social interactions during a time when people are thought to have been spreading into new parts of North America.