Lead clues

An archaeologist at the University of Arizona in Tuscon has analysed lead traces in metal artifacts, mainly copper, to shed light on centuries-old trade patterns across the Sahara, especially during the spread of Islam in Africa. The archaeologist reported his findings at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Atlanta.

Baby words

A new study reveals that 10-month-old infants can link words and objects, according to a team of psychologists at Temple University. “Ten-month-olds simply ‘glue’ a label onto the most interesting object they see,” the team writes in the journal Child Development. “Perhaps this is why children learn words faster when parents look at and name objects the infants already find interesting.”

Magnetic field

Scientists from the University of Exeter and the International University have discovered what is thought to be the strongest magnetic field in the Universe. In the journal Science, they show that violent collisions between neutron stars create this field. It’s thought that these collisions could be behind some of the brightest explosions in the Universe since the Big Bang, so-called short Gamma-ray bursts.

IQ-Brain link

A new study suggests that performance in IQ tests is associated with changes in the brain during adolescence, the New Scientist reports. This study boosts the controversial idea that IQ is a meaningful concept in neuroscience, according to researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland.