Life
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Year in Review: Odd cicada history emerges
Brood II returns better understood.
By Susan Milius - Animals
Year in Review: Canine genealogy
Competing clues confuse the story of dog domestication.
By Meghan Rosen -
- Neuroscience
Year in Review: Obama unveils brain initiative
In April, the president announced an ambitious plan to reveal the human brain’s secrets.
- Animals
A year of rediscovered species
Thousands of species go extinct each year, but at least a few are found after many years of being lost.
- Neuroscience
Bad memories fade with a short jolt
Research illustrates the vulnerability of the brain’s information storage.
- Genetics
Year in Review: Caffeine triggers cloning advance
To successfully clone human cells, eggs must be dunked in the stimulant.
By Meghan Rosen - Animals
African frog conceals itself with chemicals
Two small peptides keep the West African savanna frog from being stung by ants.
- Science & Society
Year in Review: High court rules against gene patents
The justices’ decision opens the way for choices in DNA testing.
- Life
Year in Review: A double dose of virus scares
Outbreaks of two deadly viruses captured the world’s attention in 2013, but neither turned into the global pandemic expected to strike one of these years.
- Plants
Lone survivor of ancient flowers is gluttonous gene consumer
The rare Amborella shrub has engulfed whole genomes from other species.
By Susan Milius - Life
Year in Review: Bioengineers make headway on human body parts
New techniques produce mimics of brain, liver, heart, kidney, retina.
By Meghan Rosen