Life

  1. Animals

    Synchronous birth

    For young banded mongoose moms, there’s only one choice for when to give birth — the same day as older, dominant mothers. In communities of these cat-sized animals, all females give birth together, no matter when they became pregnant.

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  2. Animals

    When snakes fly

    A gliding snake gets some lift by spreading its ribs, but much about its flight remains a mystery.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Tumors grow faster in cancer-prone mice given vitamins

    The tumors killed the mice twice as fast as early-stage lung lesions in mice not given the antioxidants, researchers report.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Immunotherapy attacks aberrant cervical growth

    The treatment might stop cancers before they arise.

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  5. Plants

    Sexually deceived flies not hopelessly dumb

    Pollinators tricked into mating with a plant become harder to fool a second time.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    H7N9 flu makes a comeback

    Scientists warn that the risk that the illness could spread remains.

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  7. Life

    A little acid or a tight squeeze can turn a cell stemlike

    Stresses send mouse cells into primordial state capable of making any tissue.

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  8. Neuroscience

    ‘Unique’ human brain regions similar to monkeys’ brains

    Monkeys may have rudimentary brain wiring that later evolved into the connections that gave humans the ability to understand language, think flexibly and make decisions.

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  9. Neuroscience

    Famous brain surgery patient H.M. retained a chunk of hippocampus

    The patient's amnesia was probably due to the loss of other regions and neural connections.

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  10. Life

    Molecule stops MERS spread among cultured human cells

    The molecule interacts with the protein the MERS virus uses to enter a cell.

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  11. Neuroscience

    Big science for lean times

    The greatest promises of brain research — a cellular description of thought and behavior and, even more importantly, strategies to battle disorders of the brain — have yet to be fulfilled. Making good on those promises is the motivation behind the federal BRAIN Initiative.

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  12. Genetics

    Feedback

    Readers discuss the names of really big numbers and whether Lamarckian evolution is making a comeback.

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