Capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili peppers spicy,

has long been an ingredient in pain-relief creams,

but scientists have only just discovered how the fiery molecule
quiets sore nerves, muscles and joints.
It turns on a protein that senses heat and starts an unexpected
chain reaction that inhibits proteins that detect stretching of cell membranes.
Thats why rubbing creams containing capsaicin
on the skin produces a burning sensation.

Intimate mating concerns among Anopheles mosquitoes

may have inadvertently pushed the evolution of
greater ability to spread human malaria.
Certain reproductive quirks of male and female Anopheles mosquitoes
look as if they evolved in some back-and-forth scenario.

Scientists and parents wonder whether tablets are

all fun and games for toddlers. Most of the research
on screen time has focused on television. Previous studies suggest
that children under 30 months learn less from educational TV programs
like Sesame Street than they do from real-life interactions.
TV exposure can take the place of playing outside
and chatting and playing with parents and other caregivers
with negative effects on the childs development.

The star Kepler 11 (illustrated) is home to six planets,

five of which would fit inside the orbit of Mercury.
Sibling rivalries among planets can turn deadly.
Families of worlds huddled close to their stars might
destroy one another, leaving behind just one or two
planets after the carnage. These family feuds probably
erupt in planetary systems that form much differently
than our own, though its possible our solar system
suffered similar growing pains.

This explosion was ready for its close-up. Chemists used a

high-speed camera to figure out why metals explode
when they come in contact with water.
The experiment only works with elements that are alkali metals.
In nature, these common metals occur only in combination
with other elements. And thats because on their own, they're very reactive.
So they easily undergo reactions with other materials.
And those reactions may be violent.