Life

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We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Plants

    Most energy drinks lag in added health benefits

    Many caffeinated tonics lack natural antioxidants and other beneficial compounds found in coffee, yerba maté and other plant-based drinks.

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  2. Life

    Unraveling ant genomes yields high hopes

    A new study may yield new insights into behavior and life-span in ants and other animals.

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  3. Chemistry

    How to bug bugs

    New insights on how insect repellents work could eventually help scientists prevent the transmission of diseases like malaria.

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  4. Chemistry

    Deep-sea oil plume goes missing

    Controversy arises over whether bacteria have completely gobbled oil up.

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  5. Life

    ‘Whispering’ gives bats the drop on prey

    A stealth approach to echolocation appears to be adaptive for catching eared moths.

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  6. Plants

    Chlorophyll gets an ‘f’

    New variety of photosynthetic pigment is the first to be discovered in 60 years

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  7. Life

    Gene profiles may predict TB prognosis

    A molecular profile may help doctors predict who will get sick from TB infections.

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  8. Earth

    Perforated blobs may be early sponges

    Odd shapes in Australian rocks could be the oldest fossil evidence of multicellular animals.

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  9. Anthropology

    Genome of a chief

    Ancient DNA experts say they are analyzing a lock of Sitting Bull's hair.

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  10. Life

    Muscles remember past glory

    Extra nuclei produced by training survive disuse, making it easier to rebuild lost strength.

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  11. Life

    New titi monkey, at last

    Travel risks in parts of Colombia had kept primatologists out for decades.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Delivering a knockout

    Scientists have finally succeeded in genetically engineering rats.

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