Life
We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
New technique gives see-through view into mouse brains
Replacing fatty molecules turns organs transparent, allowing study of structure and function at the same time.
- Life
Dinosaur embryos were restless, speedy growers
Hundreds of fossils found in China suggest some unhatched dinos kicked their legs.
- Life
A giant tortoise by any other name
Long, heated battle ends with a moniker for the Indian Ocean reptile.
- Life
Molecule in meat may increase heart disease risk
Gut bacteria transform compound into artery hardener.
- Psychology
Light found in cocaine addiction tunnel
Using lasers, scientists target a sluggish set of neurons in rats to ease drug compulsion.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Life
Gut microbes may be behind weight loss after gastric bypass
Mice slim down after receiving bacteria transplanted from rodents that had the surgery.
- Life
Impending death alters crickets’ standards for mates
With a short time to live, parasite-infested females lose their preference for fast-chirping males.
- Life
Longhorn cattle ancestors came from Pakistan
New World breeds trace back to both major bovine lineages, genetic analysis shows.
- 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.
