Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Paleontology
Tiny scales in ancient lagoon may be the first fossil evidence of the moth-butterfly line
Fancy liquid-sipper mouthparts might have evolved before the great burst of flower evolution
- Animals
18 new species of pelican spiders discovered
A researcher used old and new specimens to discover 18 species of pelican spiders from Madagascar.
- Climate
Rising CO2 in lakes could keep water fleas from raising their spiky defenses
Rising CO2 in freshwaters may change how predators and prey interact in lakes.
- Health & Medicine
Not all strep infections are alike and it may have nothing to do with you
Add-on genes in some bacteria shape the way strains interact with the immune system.
- Neuroscience
Protein helps old blood age the brains of young mice
Increased levels of one protein in old blood may contribute to its aging effects on the brain, a mouse study suggests.
- Microbes
A new gel could help in the fight against deadly, drug-resistant superbugs
An antibacterial ointment breaks down the defenses of drug-resistant microbes such as MRSA in lab tests.
- Life
Readers wrangle with definition of ‘species’
Readers asked about the definition of "species," a new atomic clock and how a neutron star collision produces heavy elements.
- Materials Science
This artificial cartilage gets its strength from the stuff in bulletproof vests
One of the key ingredients in this artificial cartilage is a nanoversion of the synthetic fiber in body armor.
- Animals
Why some birds of paradise have ultrablack feathers
Birds of paradise have superblack feathers because of tilted, spiky microscopic features in their feathers.
- Neuroscience
Website invites you to probe a 3-D human brain
Getting up close to the human brain is easy with BrainFacts.org’s interactive organ.
- Genetics
CRISPR gene editor could spark immune reaction in people
Immune reactions could shut down CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.
- Climate
Warming ocean water is turning 99 percent of these sea turtles female
Green sea turtle populations in part of the Great Barrier Reef are becoming increasingly female due to higher ocean temperatures.
