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The magnetic field generated during an MRI scan spins the hydrogen in water molecules into alignment. The resulting image—of a knee, a brain, a tumor—is a snapshot of the molecules as they return to their normal charge; different tissues “spin down” at different speeds. But the M2 protein exists at the water-repellent cell membrane, making MRI scans impossible. The charged field generated by NMR spectroscopy can spin elements other than hydrogen, making it possible to image proteins that do not live in a watery medium.

A big pulse of phosphate would have supported a lot of life in the ocean,” Lyons says. This phosphate buffet would have encouraged the abundance of oxygen-producing algae and other organisms and increased oxygen levels spurring the explosion of animal evolution. “This study links Earth’s geochemical systems with the evolution of life,” says Gabriel Filippelli of Indiana and Purdue Universities, who was not involved with the study. It also shows how one big chill might have changed life on Earth forever.

P h ys i cs Particles That Flock Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider are trying to solve a puzzle of their own making: why particles sometimes fly in sync In its first six months  of operation, the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva has yet to find the Higgs boson, solve the mystery of dark matter or discover hidden dimensions of spacetime. It has, however, uncovered a tantalizing puzzle, one that scientists will take up again when the collider restarts in February following a holiday break.