Life

Oceans

Sharks face rising odds of extinction even as other big fish populations recover

Over the last 70 years, large ocean fishes like tuna and marlin have been recovering from overfishing. But sharks continue to decline toward extinction.

Animals

Some harlequin frogs — presumed extinct — have been rediscovered

Colorful harlequin frogs were among the hardest hit amphibians during a fungal pandemic. Some species are now making a comeback.

Health & Medicine

Here’s how mysterious last-resort antibiotics kill bacteria

Scientists are finally getting a grip on how a class of last-resort antibiotics works — the drugs kill bacteria by crystallizing their membranes.

Life

Certain young fruit flies’ eyes literally pop out of their head

The first published photo sequence of developing Pelmatops flies shows how their eyes rise on gangly stalks in the first hour of adulthood.

Life

Video reveals that springtails are tiny acrobats

Poppy seed–sized cousins of insects, famed for wild escape leaping, right themselves in mid-falls faster than cats.

Animals

Deer-vehicle collisions spike when daylight saving time ends

In the week after much of the United States turns the clock back, scientists found a 16 percent increase in crashes between vehicles and deer.

Microbes

Ancient bacteria could persist beneath Mars’ surface

Radiation-tolerant microbes might be able to survive beneath Mars’ surface for hundreds of millions of years, a new study suggests.

Animals

Here’s how polar bears might get traction on snow

Microstructures on the Arctic animals’ paws might offer extra friction that keeps them from slipping on snow, a new study reports.

Animals

Bizarre aye-aye primates take nose picking to the extreme

A nose-picking aye-aye’s spindly middle finger probably reaches all the way to the back of the throat, CT scans suggest.

Animals

Insect swarms might generate as much electric charge as storm clouds

Honeybees flying over a sensor measuring atmospheric voltage sparked a look into how insect-induced static electricity might affect the atmosphere.

Animals

Mountain lions pushed out by wildfires take more risks

A study tracking mountain lions showed that after an intense burn, the big cats crossed roads more often, raising the risk of becoming roadkill.

Psychology

A new treatment for debilitating nightmares offers sweeter dreams

A new study combines standard nightmare disorder therapy with a memory-enhancing technique to create happier dreams and bring greater, lasting relief.