Life

  1. Paleontology

    Oldest bug bonk

    Preserved as fossils, two insects remain caught in the act 165 million years later.

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  2. Microbes

    Gut bacteria can drive colon cancer development

    Gut microbes may reveal who is at risk for colon cancer, a study in mice suggests.

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  3. Animals

    Myna birds don’t benefit from brainstorming

    Mynas birds are actually a lot worse at problem solving when working in a group.

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  4. Neuroscience

    Brain patterns of haunting memories

    Some fearful experiences stick with us forever. Others we brush off easily. The difference could be in which neuronal patterns are activated in our brains.

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  5. Life

    Gene makes old cells act young again

    Turning on a gene called Lin28a in old, damaged tissue may help the cells heal quicker.

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  6. Plants

    In dry times, these trees invest in ants

    The insects provide adequate defense by ganging up on leaf-eating caterpillars and biting their undersides until the herbivores fall off the tree.

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  7. Life

    Immune system follows circadian clock

    Mice with jet lag have boosted supply of cells linked to inflammation.

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  8. Life

    Getting to know the real living dead

    A look at the bacteria inside bloated cadavers finds the dead are teeming with life.

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  9. Animals

    Pink armadillos ain’t your Texas critters

    It’s a real animal, the smallest armadillo species in the world. At about 100 grams, it would fit in your hands.

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  10. Neuroscience

    Monkeys control two arms in virtual reality

    A new brain-computer interface has enabled movement of two virtual limbs at the same time.

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  11. Microbes

    Bacteria starved in space grow better

    Given limited resources microbes in microgravity make more new cells than their counterparts on Earth.

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  12. Paleontology

    Oldest known T. Rex relative found in Utah

    Researchers say the animal — named the gore king of the southwest — was an early member of the tyrannosaur family.

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