Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Science & Society
Dive deep to discover unexpected connections
Readers often praise Science News for its brevity. But some ideas need more space, writes acting editor in chief Elizabeth Quill.
- Planetary Science
Readers intrigued by Mars’ far-out birth
Readers sent feedback on the Red Planet's formation, jumping genes and more
- Genetics
DNA evidence is rewriting domestication origin stories
DNA studies are rewriting the how-we-met stories of domestication.
- Plants
How to eavesdrop on kelp
Sounds reverberating through a kelp bed can be linked to environmental factors, suggesting a low-key way to monitor undersea communities.
- Genetics
Double-duty DNA plays a role in birth and death
Coronary artery disease may be the price humans pay for improved fertility.
- Animals
The blue wings of this dragonfly may be surprisingly alive
The wings of adult morpho dragonflies show tiny respiratory channels that may support a complex of nanostructures that shine blue.
- Plants
Petunias spread their scent using pushy proteins
Scent molecules hitch a ride on a particular protein to escape flowers.
- Genetics
Horse version of ‘Who’s your daddy?’ answered
Genetics and horse pedigrees reveal all modern domestic stallions’ sires.
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- Life
Chronic flu patients could be an early warning system for future outbreaks
Cancer patients’ long-term flu infections may preview future viruses.
- Plants
Floral curve test shows what’s great for a moth is not so good for a flower
3-D printed flowers reveal a hidden conflict between a hawk moth and the flowers it pollinates.
- Animals
Drowned wildebeests can feed a river ecosystem for years
Only a small percentage of wildebeests drown as they cross the Mara River, but they provide resources for the river ecosystem for years after their deaths.
