Life

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. 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

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  2. Animals

    18 new species of pelican spiders discovered

    A researcher used old and new specimens to discover 18 species of pelican spiders from Madagascar.

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  3. 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.

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  4. 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.

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  5. 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.

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  6. 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.

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  7. 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.

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  8. 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.

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  9. Animals

    Why some birds of paradise have ultrablack feathers

    Birds of paradise have superblack feathers because of tilted, spiky microscopic features in their feathers.

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  10. 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.

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  11. Genetics

    CRISPR gene editor could spark immune reaction in people

    Immune reactions could shut down CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.

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  12. 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.

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