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We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.

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  1. Life

    Genes & Cells

    Mouse fur yields insights into the genetics of camouflage, plus more in this week’s news.

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  2. Chemistry

    Mad cow-type diseases lie in wait

    Prion infections build quickly in the brain then pause before killing, new research suggests.

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  3. Life

    Tobacco tricks caterpillars with treats

    Larvae that eat tempting hairs on the plant's leaves make themselves more attractive to predators.

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  4. Life

    Life

    One type of squid camouflages itself with reflective eyes, plus more in this week's news.

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  5. Tech

    Physics of burrowing sandfish revealed

    A new study shows how sandfish lizards swim through Saharan sands, a find that could inspire better burrowing tools for use in the aftermath of disasters.

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  6. Life

    Biologists go bats for storm-watch data

    Borrowing meteorologists’ weather radar info may reveal new view of the ecology of flying animals.

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  7. Microbes

    Gulf floor fouled by bacterial oil feast

    Observations may explain the widespread mortality of sediment-dwelling animals.

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  8. Genetics

    Some genes like it hot

    Some regional DNA differences may be due to climate, global surveys suggest.

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  9. Life

    Genes & Cells

    A study of the Amish reveals that sleep habits are inherited, plus more in this week’s news.

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  10. Humans

    Sweeps weak in human evolution

    Contrary to conventional wisdom, the rapid spread of beneficial mutations has been relatively rare in the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens, a new study shows.

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  11. Life

    Packing away the poison

    A genetic adaptation in a Hudson River fish species allows it to simply store toxic pollutants in its fat.

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  12. Life

    Hibernation mystery

    Somehow overwintering bears slow their metabolic rates far more than their slightly decreased body temperatures would predict.

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