Life
We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Earth
Mangroves do a coast good
Left intact, dense swaths of trees can reduce tsunami damage, a new study suggests.
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- Health & Medicine
Protein regulator shows promise against addiction
Elevating levels of a tiny molecule in rats’ brains blunted the animals’ cocaine use.
- 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.
- 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.
- Life
Saber-toothed cats strong-armed prey
Smilodon fatalis used strong forelimbs to pin victims, an analysis of fossils shows.
- Life
Evolutionary adaptation breeds gender-identification confusion
The rise of camouflage among some lizards in White Sands National Monument has generated a communication breakdown.
- 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.
- Health & Medicine
Stem cells from blood a ‘huge’ milestone
New technique promises to be easier, cheaper and faster than other harvesting methods.
- 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.
- Earth
Moby Dick meets Jaws
A recently discovered fossil demonstrates that giant whales weren’t always as gentle as they are today.
- Earth
Ivy nanoparticles promise sunblocks and other green products
I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with English ivy that’s been devolving towards hate-hate. But a new paper may temper my antipathy. Apparently this backyard bully also offers a kinder, gentler alternative to the potentially toxic metal-based nanoparticles used in today’s sunscreens.
