Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Beetles have been mooching off insect colonies for millions of years
The behavior, called social parasitism, has been going on for about 100 million years.
- Life
Immune cells play surprising role in steady heartbeat
Immune system cells called macrophages help heart cells rhythmically contract, maintaining the beat of mice’s hearts.
- Neuroscience
Brain gains seen in elderly mice injected with human umbilical cord plasma
Plasma from human umbilical cord blood refreshes aspects of learning and memory in mice.
- Particle Physics
Scientists find amazement in what’s most familiar
Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses the unexpected nature of science.
- Animals
Readers bugged by wine-spoiling stinkbugs
Stinkbug hazards, Great Lakes invaders and more reader feedback.
- Animals
Venomous fish have evolved many ways to inflict pain
Fish venom shows great diversity and is being studied to treat pain, cancer and other diseases.
- Health & Medicine
Frog slime protein fights off the flu
Urumin, a protein found in Indian frog mucus secretions, has a knack for taking down H1 flu viruses, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
Frog slime protein fights off the flu
Urumin, a protein found in Indian frog mucus secretions, has a knack for taking down H1 flu viruses, a new study finds.
- Archaeology
How the house mouse tamed itself
When people began to settle down, animals followed. Some made successful auditions as our domesticated species. Others — like mice — became our vermin, a new study shows.
- Paleontology
Early dinosaur relative sported odd mix of bird, crocodile-like traits
Teleocrater rhadinus gives researchers a better picture of what early dinosaur relatives looked like.
- Animals
Improbable ‘black swan’ events can devastate animal populations
Conservation managers should take a note from the world of investments and pay attention to “black swan” events, a new study posits.
- Ecosystems
Hawk moths convert nectar into antioxidants
Hawk moths use their sugary diet to make antioxidants that protect their muscles.
