Life

Sign up for our newsletter

We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Life

    Moonless twilight may cue mass spawning

    Subtle color shifts on the nights just after the full moon might synchronize the release of gametes by corals and other marine creatures.

    By
  2. Life

    Fleas leap from feet, not knees

    After years of scratching their heads over the question of exactly how the impressive jumpers launch themselves, scientists find an answer.

    By
  3. Life

    Life

    A thinner dodo, plus more in this week’s news.

    By
  4. Life

    Small part of brain itching for a fight

    A cluster of cells compels aggressive behavior in mice.

    By
  5. Life

    Buried microbes coax energy from rock

    In experiments, microorganisms can stimulate minerals to produce hydrogen, a key fuel for growth in a thriving subterranean world.

    By
  6. Humans

    Adaptive no more

    A potential benefit in prehistoric lean times, genetic variant may increase risk of gestational diabetes today.

    By
  7. Life

    Genes & Cells

    Smoking can damage DNA in a flash, plus more in this week's news.

    By
  8. Life

    Running a cancer roadblock

    A new study shows how cells escaping from a breast tumor overcome a piece of RNA that usually stops them.

    By
  9. Physics

    X-raying life’s microscopic machinery

    A powerful new laser technique promises to reveal the cell’s molecular components in detailed, 3-D images.

    By
  10. Life

    Life

    New studies unveil the fire ant genome and why honeybee personalities matter, plus more in the week’s biology news.

    By
  11. Life

    Ants manage incest without inbreeding

    An unorthodox family structure may have helped longhorn crazy ants spread around the globe.

    By
  12. Life

    Straight to the heart

    New method transforms skin cells directly into beating cardiac cells.

    By