Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Neuroscience
Being watched can boost productivity
In the company of another, a monkey steps up production on a simple job.
- Animals
Gazing deeply into your dog’s eyes unleashes chemical attraction
Dogs and people gazing into each other’s eyes give each other a bond-strengthening rush of oxytocin.
- Life
Octopuses move with uncoordinated arms
An octopus crawls unlike any other animal. Mimicking the cephalopod’s control over its movements may lead to more agile robots.
- Neuroscience
When brain’s GPS goes awry, barriers can reboot it
Brain’s internal map self-corrects when it hits a (literal) wall.
- Animals
How many manatees live in Florida?
The most recent official count reports more than 6,000 manatees in Florida waters, but a new estimate may give a better picture of the population.
- Life
‘Geographic tongue’ creates unique topography
A condition called ‘geographic tongue’ makes mouth organ appear maplike.
- Health & Medicine
Same mutations can show up in tumors, healthy tissues
Analyzing samples of healthy and tumor tissues could pinpoint which mutations are driving cancer and help develop better-targeted treatments.
- Life
Researchers pull fingers to solve why knuckles crack
Knuckle cracking is the sound of a bubble forming in a joint, MRI images reveal.
- Health & Medicine
Why cancer patients waste away
A tumor-produced protein that interferes with insulin causes wasting in fruit flies with cancer.
- Animals
Shimmer and shine may help prey sabotage predators’ aim
Iridescent prey was more difficult to strike in a video game for birds.
- Neuroscience
Nicotine exposure escalates rats’ desire for alcohol
Rats drink more alcohol after they’ve been hooked on nicotine.
- Plants
From lemons to kumquats, roots of citrus variety dug up
Citrus fruits’ lineage is traced through chloroplast DNA, revealing both maternal and paternal heritage.
