News Sampler

As word spread of the blasts, social media seemed shaped by every aspect of the response, from runners giving their accounts of the nightmare on Facebook, to authorities using Twitter to give instant updates.

Scientists bear down, attacking H7N9 on multiple fronts. They are testing wild birds and thousands of domestic fowl, analyzing the viruses they find, and trying to trace people who have been exposed to infected patients.

Canny computer-makers are developing high-powered souped-up computers so they can mine the Bitcoins hidden in cyberspace and potentially make a small fortune.

Ransoms are fueling militants' clout in West Africa. One faction that has seized northern Mali is estimated to have amassed as much as $90 million over a decade from Western countries seeking the release of their citizens.

One of the world's leading causes of blindness is a small parasitic worm that can get in the eyes. Diagnosis has proven difficult, but the recent discovery of a biomarker in the urine of those infected will aid in treatment.

A Chinese entrepreneur is selling fresh air in soft drink cans, with atmospheric flavors like "pristine Tibet." China's air is turning so bad that the idea of bottled fresh air is no longer fanciful.

Nearly 300 rockets have been intercepted by Iron Dome since Israel launched its aerial attacks on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. Many see it as a savior, and officials joke that a "cult of the Iron Dome" has developed.

MakerBot Industries, a leading 3-D printer manufacturer, has purged user-generated files for printing parts for a firearm from its database, but it can't stop other sites from mirroring the files.

The shock wave from a meteor that exploded above Siberia somehow sheared the roof off a brick and steel factory building while leaving a nearby glass facade intact.

Two outer planets of the Kepler 62 system may lie in the habitable zone. Their orbits place them both in the “Goldilocks” zone of lukewarm temperatures suitable for liquid water.