Breaking News } Flash flood watch for Johnston County

In the news:  Now there’s another reason to get back to nature. A new study reveals that people who grow up in more-rural environments are less likely to develop allergies.

Blog Spotlight:  Jessica Higgins, 25, and Sarah Seiter, 28, are grad students in evolutionary biology at UNC-Chapel Hill who write the Butterflies and Science blog (http://butterfliesandscience.wordpress.com). Follow them on Twitter @JessicakHiggins and @sarahseiter. Questions and answers have been edited.

Ask a Scientist:  Dr. Darlene Taylor is assistant professor of chemistry at North Carolina Central University. She explains how she and other like-minded scientists are infusing materials with intelligence. Questions and answers have been edited.

A new study in PLoS Genetics shows that modern supermarket apples are more closely related to crabapples than to other, better-tasting ancient species.

The requirements are daunting for a team of scientists at Wake Forest University who are helping work on a cure for cancer: the ability to comprehend, interpret and apply complex concepts and data in a new format; the pursuit or completion of advanced degrees; patience and a tireless work ethic, and being a video game master.

Nature’s Secrets:  Burmese pythons remain the biggest threat to Florida’s economy due to their size – who wants to hike in the Everglades with 16-foot snakes dangling from tree branches? And who wants to find a mama python with 60-plus babies clustered on the edge of a trailer park?

Up in the Air:  Did you catch sight of the “supermoon” a few weeks ago?