Life

  1. Animals

    Fake fog, ‘re-skinning’ and ‘sea-weeding’ could help coral reefs survive

    Coral reefs are in global peril, but scientists around the world are working hard to find ways to help them survive the Anthropocene.

    By
  2. Animals

    At the foot of a melting glacier in Peru, llamas helped revitalize the land

    A partnership between scientists and farmers suggests how llama herding can mitigate some of the impacts of climate change.

    By
  3. Life

    See the wonders of two newfound deep-sea coral reefs off the Galápagos

    Coral reefs around the world are in trouble. But these reefs in the Galápagos Island Marine Reserve have yet to be damaged by humans.

    By
  4. Life

    Human cancer cells might slurp up bacteria-killing viruses for energy

    In the lab, human cancer cells show signs of cell growth after ingesting bacteria-killing viruses, a hint our cells might use bacteriophages as fuel.

    By
  5. Animals

    Pumping cold water into rivers could act as ‘air conditioning’ for fish

    Hundreds of salmon, trout and other fish sought shelter from summer heat in human-made shelters, suggesting a way to help fish adapt to river warming.

    By
  6. Paleontology

    Dinosaur feathers may have been more birdlike than previously thought

    Feather proteins can change during fossilization, raising questions about what dinosaur feathers really can tell us about feather evolution.

    By
  7. Plants

    Berkley Walker wants to revamp photosynthesis for a changing climate

    Finding ways to make plants work better could help feed a growing population, especially as the planet warms.

    By
  8. Genetics

    These 8 GMOs tell a brief history of genetic modification

    Since the first genetically modified organism 50 years ago, GMOs have brought us disease-resistant crops, new drugs and more.

    By
  9. Animals

    How sea anemones living on deep-sea hydrothermal vents avoid metal poisoning

    The anemone Alvinactis idsseensis dominates its toxic environment thanks to an unusual number of genes geared toward protecting cells from heavy metals.

    By
  10. Genetics

    Most of today’s gene therapies rely on viruses — and that’s a problem

    The next big strides in gene therapy for rare diseases may come from CRISPR and new approaches to delivery.

    By
  11. Life

    10 billion snow crabs have disappeared off the Alaskan coast. Here’s why

    In the eastern Bering Sea, the snow crab population plummeted after a marine heat wave in 2018. The crabs may have starved, a new study finds.

    By
  12. Animals

    Scientists debunked a long-standing cicada myth by analyzing their guts

    The lack of obvious chewing mouthparts may have made casual observers think that adult cicadas don’t need to feed. But that’s not the case.

    By