Life
We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Genetics
When flowers died out in Arctic, so did mammoths
Genetic analysis finds vegetation change in the Arctic around same time as megafauna extinction.
- Neuroscience
Diuretic may treat autism, study in rodents suggests
Drug that lowers chloride levels in brain cells staves off symptoms in mice and rats.
- Life
Some animals eat their moms, and other cannibalism facts
A new book surveys those who eat their own kind, revealing some surprises about who’s eating whom.
- Neuroscience
Prosthetic provides sense of touch to man who lost hand
A new prosthetic hand restores a sense of touch by stimulating nerves in the arm.
- Ecosystems
Amazon doesn’t actually go green in dry seasons
An optical illusion in satellite data made forests appear to grow faster.
- Life
The fluid part of semen plays a seminal role
We often think of reproduction as involving only sperm and egg. But a new study highlights the seminal role of liquid semen in fertility and healthy offspring.
- Genetics
Chemical changes to genes make twins’ pain differ
Chemical changes to genes may make identical twins experience pain differently.
- Health & Medicine
Overcoming peanut allergy requires maintenance for most
In small study, nearly all people who stopped eating the legumes daily later experienced an allergic reaction.
- Life
Mosquito sperm may sense smells
Mosquitoes’ sperm may have chemical sensors that detect odors similar to the way the insect’s antennae sort smells.
- Paleontology
Rivers of rock and gas froze ancient animals in time
Ancient Chinese fossil beds were preserved by high-speed rivers of volcanic rock and gas.
- Humans
DNA suggests humans moved back into Africa
About 3,000 years ago, human populations from western Eurasia migrated back into eastern Africa, specifically Ethiopia.
- Genetics
Bacteria can be genetically tricked into self-destructing
Manipulating microbes’ defenses could lead to targeted antibiotics.
