Life
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Life
Molecule in meat may increase heart disease risk
Gut bacteria transform compound into artery hardener.
By Meghan Rosen -
Psychology
Light found in cocaine addiction tunnel
Using lasers, scientists target a sluggish set of neurons in rats to ease drug compulsion.
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Life
Eye drops reduce signs of macular degeneration in mice
Targeting cholesterol in retina stops rogue blood vessel growth often seen in the vision disease.
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Animals
Termites, not fairies, cause plant circles in African deserts
Underground insect engineers create water traps in the soil, allowing rings of green grasses in the sand.
By Susan Milius -
Life
Blind cave-dwelling fish also hard of hearing
Two species that live in the dark have worse hearing than do their surface-living cousins.
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Life
Gut microbes may be behind weight loss after gastric bypass
Mice slim down after receiving bacteria transplanted from rodents that had the surgery.
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Life
Impending death alters crickets’ standards for mates
With a short time to live, parasite-infested females lose their preference for fast-chirping males.
By Meghan Rosen -
Life
Longhorn cattle ancestors came from Pakistan
New World breeds trace back to both major bovine lineages, genetic analysis shows.
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Life
How mammals grow ears: With a flaw
A newly discovered rupture-and-repair process that occurs in embryos could explain a lot about infections and hearing defects.
By Susan Milius -
Life
Disease threatens garden impatiens
Surprising scientists, once-mild downy mildew has struck the popular blooms in 33 states.
By Susan Milius -
Life
Giant squid population is one big happy species
Elusive deep ocean dwellers have low genetic diversity despite living around the globe.