Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Some birds adapt to Chernobyl’s radiation
Some birds seem to fare well in and near the Chernobyl exclusion zone, but overall the nuclear disaster has been bad news for the region’s bird populations.
- Paleontology
Loblolly sets record for biggest genome
At 20 billion base pairs, the loblolly pine is the largest genome sequenced to date.
- Animals
Bird mimicry lets hustlers keep cheating
Drongos are false alarm specialists that borrow other species’ warning sounds and freshen up their fraud.
- Microbes
Viruses buoy life at hydrothermal vents
Using hijacked genes, deep-sea viruses help sulfur-eating bacteria generate power in the plumes of hydrothermal vents.
- Neuroscience
Humans can sniff out gender
A new study adds to controversy of whether people have pheromones.
- Animals
Caiman tears make a salty snack
An ecologist observed a bee and a butterfly hovering around a caiman, engaging in lacryphagous behavior, slurping up the crocodilian’s tears.
- Psychology
Leonardo da Vinci may have invented 3-D image with ‘Mona Lisa’
A mysterious copy of the ‘Mona Lisa’ combines with the Louvre painting to make a stereoscopic image of the woman with the enigmatic smile.
- Humans
Neandertals’ inferiority to early humans questioned
Early modern humans may not have been smarter or more technologically or socially savvy than their Neandertal neighbors.
- Health & Medicine
Potential H7N9 bird flu vaccine shows promise
An early trial of a bird flu vaccine suggests that the treatment could be used to counter the potentially deadly H7N9 flu virus.
- Health & Medicine
With help from pig tissue, people regrow muscle
Noncellular material implanted in patients attracts stem cells to fix injuries.
- Environment
Prestige oil spill linked to drop in seabird chicks
European shag in colonies affected by the 2002 Prestige oil tanker spill produced fewer chicks than birds in oil-free colonies.
- Science & Society
Students retain information better with pens than laptops
Compared with typing on a laptop, writing notes by hand may lead to deeper understanding of lecture material.
