Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Microbes
Some superbugs lurk in Britain’s surf
In Great Britain’s coastal waters, surfers and swimmers are exposed to low levels of drug-resistant E. coli, a new study finds.
- Humans
Egg-meet-sperm moments are equal opportunities for girls and boys
Despite previous claims, equal numbers of male and female embryos are conceived, new data suggest.
- Environment
Fracking chemicals can alter mouse development
Hormone-disrupting chemicals used in fracking fluid cause developmental changes in mice, new experiments show.
- Science & Society
White House unveils strategy against antibiotic resistance
The Obama Administration has launched a long-term plan to curb antibiotic resistance, unveiling incentives and requirements designed to boost surveillance and diagnosis of resistant microbes.
- Animals
Panda stalking reveals panda hangouts
Scientists used GPS trackers to learn about the giant panda lifestyle.
- Life
Bright bird plumage resulted from natural, sexual selection
Darwin hypothesized that bird color differences resulted from sexual selection. Wallace disagreed. A study shows that both were right after all.
- Neuroscience
Our taste in music may age out of harmony
Age-related hearing loss may be more than just the highest notes. The brain may also lose the ability to tell consonance from dissonance, a new study shows.
- Animals
For bats, simple traffic patterns limit collisions
Humans aren’t the only ones who follow traffic rules. Bats do it too, researchers report.
- Genetics
Ebola virus not mutating as quickly as thought
The virus causing the current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is not evolving as quickly as some scientists had suggested.
- Life
No-fishing scheme in Great Barrier Reef succeeds with valuable fishes
Coral trout are thriving in marine protected areas in the Great Barrier Reef, but the no-take zones are having a smaller effect on other reef residents, a new 10-year report card shows.
- Genetics
Iceland lays bare its genomes
A detailed genetic portrait of the Icelandic population is helping scientists to identify the genetic underpinnings of disease.
- Animals
‘If you build it they will come’ fails for turtle crossings
Turtles and snakes barely used an ecopassage built to make their movements safer. Scientists blame poor fencing that failed to keep them off the roadway.
