Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Five species that show why ‘bird brain’ is a stupid phrase
Birds can use tools, make art and understand human language. Why do we assume they are stupid?
- Plants
Roses rigged with electrical circuitry
Bioelectric molecules can form wires and conduct electricity in cut roses, researchers find.
- Life
Many Amazon trees endangered
Large numbers of Amazon tree species are threatened by deforestation.
- Science & Society
Genetically modified salmon gets approval in U.S.
Fast-growing salmon become first genetically engineered animals approved for human consumption.
- Animals
How to see with eyes made of rock
Tiny mollusk eyes in chiton armor can pick up rough images.
- Animals
Adorable birds tap dance their way into the heart of a mate
Blue-capped cordon-bleu songbirds not only sing, but also tap dance to woo mates, study reveals.
- Health & Medicine
A good diet for you may be bad for me
Eating the same foods can produce very different reactions in people.
- Animals
Vampire bats share blood to make friends
Vampire bats that share blood with nonrelatives have a wider social network to rely on when they’re in need, a new study finds.
- Animals
Getting creative to cut methane from cows
Changing feed, giving vaccines and selective breeding may enable scientists to help beef and dairy cattle shake their title as one of society's worst methane producers.
- Health & Medicine
Engineered vocal cords show promise in animal tests
Lab-grown vocal cord tissue could lead the way to better treatments for people with vocal problems
- Science & Society
The vagus is the nerve to know
The nervous system's meandering superhighway has the potential to lead researchers treatments for myriad health conditions.
- Life
Truffles aren’t laced with radioactive cesium
Fallout from the Chernobyl disaster hasn’t made truffles dangerously radioactive, scientists find.
