Life

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Anthropology

    Ardi walked the walk 4.4 million years ago

    Ancient hominid evolved upright stance without sacrificing climbing ability.

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  2. Animals

    How honeybees’ royal jelly might be baby glue, too

    A last-minute pH shift thickens royal jelly enough to stick queen larvae to the ceiling of hive cells.

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  3. Animals

    The truth about animals isn’t always pretty

    The Truth About Animals digs up surprising stories about sloths, pandas, penguins and other wildly misunderstood wildlife.

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  4. Animals

    Toxins from the world’s longest animal can kill cockroaches

    Bootlace worms can stretch up to 55 meters long and ooze toxins that can kill cockroaches and green crabs.

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  5. Animals

    Some frogs may be bouncing back after killer chytrid fungus

    Frogs in Panama may be developing defenses against a fatal skin disease, a new study suggests.

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  6. Life

    Why cracking your knuckles can be so noisy

    Knuckles crack due to the partial collapse of bubbles in joint fluid, a new study suggests.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Opioids kill. Here’s how an overdose shuts down your body

    Powerful opioids affect many parts of the body, but the drugs’ most deadly effects are on breathing.

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  8. Materials Science

    Live heart cells make this material shift color like a chameleon

    A new material made of heart cells from rats and hydrogel changes color as the living cells contract and relax.

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  9. Neuroscience

    Brain waves of concertgoers sync up at shows

    During a live musical performance, audience members’ brain waves get in sync.

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  10. Neuroscience

    Parents’ presence promotes a child’s pluck

    Parents’ presence or absence during a learning exercise determines whether their child is fearful later, or willing to explore.

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  11. Life

    ‘Nanobot’ viruses tag and round up bacteria in food and water

    Viruses called phages evolved to hunt bacteria. With magnetic nanoparticles and genetic engineering, they become nanobots that work for us.

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  12. Neuroscience

    When tickling the brain to stimulate memory, location matters

    Conflicting results regarding the benefits of brain stimulation may be explained by the precise location of electrodes.

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