Life in the deep
The deepest hydrothermal vents yet found have been discovered in a rift in the Caribbean seafloor. At a depth of 5000 metres, they are 800 metres deeper than any vents found so far. They are home to a new species of shrimp (Nature Communications, ).
Probe鈥檚 downfall
As New 杏吧原创 went to press, Russia鈥檚 hobbled Phobos-Grunt Mars probe 鈥� marooned in Earth orbit since November 鈥� looked destined to fall back to Earth on 15 January. Where was not clear but fragments totalling 200 kilograms could survive to reach the surface. Mission controllers think the craft鈥檚 toxic fuels will burn up safely since they are contained in easily melted aluminium tanks.
Patchy memory
Adults aged 76 on average with mild cognitive impairment performed better on memory tests after wearing nicotine patches for six months. Such patches can have side effects, says Paul Newman at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, so should only be used for cognitive purposes with medical supervision (Neurology, ).
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Baby鈥檚 wake-up call
Hearing a baby cry makes adults more alert than hearing distressed grown-ups. Forty volunteers playing a fast-reaction game called 鈥淲hack-a-mole鈥� scored highest on the game if they had heard babies crying beforehand (Acta Paediatrica, ).
Quake accelerator
A Japanese particle accelerator damaged in the March 2011 earthquake is set to resume operation after extensive repairs. The accelerator, part of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex in Tokai, is used to generate neutrinos and might one day probe faster-than-light physics.