Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Harvester ants are restless, enigmatic architects
Florida harvester ants dig complex, curly nests over, then leave and do it again.
- Neuroscience
Mouse study offers clues to brain’s response to concussions
The brain needs time to recover between head hits, a study in mice suggests.
- Animals
Why some birds sing elaborate songs in the winter
Several obvious hypotheses fail to explain why great reed warblers sing in winter.
- Animals
Meet the tarantula in black
Named for Johnny Cash, a new species of tarantula makes its home in the shadow of Folsom Prison.
- Climate
Forest management not so hot at fighting warming
Forest management practices in Europe have slightly worsened climate change, new research shows.
- Animals
Microbes may help bears stay healthy when fat for hibernation
Brown bears fatten up for hibernation without suffering from weight-related problems. A new study shows that their gut microbes may help.
- Life
Removing worn-out cells makes mice live longer and prosper
Senescent cells promote aging, and removing them makes mice live longer, healthier lives.
- Science & Society
‘Three-parent babies’ are ethically permissible, U.S. panel says
A panel of experts concludes that clinical experiments that create “three-parent babies” are ethical, with limits.
- Genetics
Bedbug genome spills secrets of violence, weird sex
Maps of bedbugs’ genetic material reveal clues to their success.
- Animals
Purpose of zebra stripes remains a mystery
Zebra stripes don’t help the animals disappear in the vision of predators, a new study finds.
- Genetics
DNA may determine if you’re an early bird or night owl
Morning people are more likely to have certain variations in their DNA, but less likely to have insomnia or sleep apnea.
- Genetics
DNA may determine if you’re an early bird or night owl
Morning people are more likely to have certain variations in their DNA, but less likely to have insomnia or sleep apnea.
