Life

Sign up for our newsletter

We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

More Stories in Life

  1. Oceans

    Deep-sea snails ride surface currents to reach distant hydrothermal vents

    The finding shows how life spreads between isolated deep-sea vents — and how closely those ecosystems are tied to the sunlit ocean.

    By
  2. Health & Medicine

    Inside the fight against the parasite Cyclospora

    Parasite-induced cases of explosive diarrhea are sweeping the United States. Containing the outbreak won’t be easy.

    By
  3. Tech

    No, SpudCells aren’t alive. But they’re a step toward the first synthetic life

    The lab-made cells open a window into what’s possible for synthetic life, researchers say.

    By
  4. Genetics

    Genes offer new clues to stopping Huntington’s disease in its tracks

    A new generation of therapies aims to intervene at a recently discovered gap between the disease’s molecular march and its neurological consequences.

    By
  5. Neuroscience

    Whether lefty or righty, practice makes the difference

    Researchers looking for the origins of left-right dominance in the brain found no innately better motor skills on either side.

    By
  6. Animals

    Summit living isn’t a problem for this tiny mouse

    A boost to heat production and drawing in more oxygen may help Andean leaf-eared mice thrive at altitude.

    By
  7. Agriculture

    Scientists say Beefalo are all beef, no -alo. Breeders disagree

    A whole-genome analysis of Beefalo, a hybrid bison-cattle breed, suggests very few individuals have any bison DNA at all, a new study reports.

    By
  8. Anthropology

    ‘Hobbits’ likely scavenged dragons’ kills

    Homo floresiensis may have scavenged Komodo dragon leftovers instead of hunting small elephant relatives.

    By
  9. Plants

    Giant trees have tricks to work around drought

    Samples collected at daring heights provide evidence for an untested theory of tree drought adaptation, while countering another.

    By