Life

  1. Health & Medicine

    Critics point to flaws in longevity study

    BLOG: A study showing a genetic basis for exceptionally long life in humans has come under fire from critics.

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  2. Earth

    Mangroves do a coast good

    Left intact, dense swaths of trees can reduce tsunami damage, a new study suggests.

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  3. Life

    Fertilizing future brain cells

    A new compound helps newborn neurons grow up.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Protein regulator shows promise against addiction

    Elevating levels of a tiny molecule in rats’ brains blunted the animals’ cocaine use.

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  5. Life

    Ocean acidification may make fish foolhardy

    Rising carbon dioxide alters fish larvae’s sense of smell, which they use to avoid predators and find their way home.

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  6. Climate

    Methane releases in arctic seas could wreak devastation

    Warming climate could lead to dead zones, acidification and shifts at the base of the ocean’s food chain.

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  7. Life

    Saber-toothed cats strong-armed prey

    Smilodon fatalis used strong forelimbs to pin victims, an analysis of fossils shows.

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  8. Life

    Evolutionary adaptation breeds gender-identification confusion

    The rise of camouflage among some lizards in White Sands National Monument has generated a communication breakdown.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    For most centenarians, longevity is written in the DNA

    A study of people who live past 100 reveals many genetic paths to a long life.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Stem cells from blood a ‘huge’ milestone

    New technique promises to be easier, cheaper and faster than other harvesting methods.

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  11. Life

    Having BFFs brings longevity to female baboons

    A seven-year study of one African troop finds that females live longer if they form close, lasting friendships.

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  12. Earth

    Moby Dick meets Jaws

    A recently discovered fossil demonstrates that giant whales weren’t always as gentle as they are today.

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