Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
A tardigrade protein helped reduce radiation damage in mice
Mouse cells tweaked to produce the tardigrade protein incurred less DNA damage than unaltered cells — hinting at a new tool for cancer patient care.
- Health & Medicine
Tuberculosis could be eradicated. So why isn’t it?
John Green’s new book, Everything Is Tuberculosis, reveals how social injustice sustains the disease, despite available cures and vaccines.
- Agriculture
How silicon turns tomato plants into mean, green, pest-killing machines
Treated plants fight pests without the need for toxic pesticides, oozing a "larval toffee" that stunts tomato pinworms’ growth and attracts predators.
- Health & Medicine
A deep brain stimulation volunteer discusses life after depression
In this bonus episode of The Deep End, you’ll hear an update from Jon Nelson, who is living what he calls his "bonus life."
- Animals
Plastic ‘fossils’ help scientists reconstruct the history of bird nests
Plastic waste has let common coots reuse nests year after year. Scientists have now used the trash layers to date how old nests are.
- Neuroscience
Human memory is flawed. But a new book says that’s OK
The new book Memory Lane convincingly demonstrates how memories are like Lego buildings that are constantly being rebuilt.
- Animals
Hammerhead sharks’ diets may affect if they roam or stay home
Understanding hammerhead sharks’ food preferences could aid efforts to protect the critically endangered fish.
- Neuroscience
Babies can form memories, and they do it a lot like adults
A brain scanning study of babies reveals how some of the earliest memories are made.
- Animals
Gray seals may sense their own blood oxygen levels
The seals’ ability to detect the amount of oxygen in their blood may help them make diving decisions and avoid drowning.
- Animals
Stinky penguin poop strikes fear into the hearts of Antarctic krill
A chemical in Adélie penguin guano may have cued krill to take evasive maneuvers in lab tests.
- Neuroscience
Parrots and humans share a brain mechanism for speech
Brain activity in vocalizing budgerigar parrots showed a pattern that harkened to those found in the brains of people.
- Animals
Some of Sydney’s koalas are chlamydia-free, but still at risk
Southwestern Sydney's koalas have avoided the chlamydia outbreak threatening the entire species. But their isolation has left them extremely inbred.
