Life
We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Paleontology
Octopus origins
After examining more than 90 new specimens of Nectocaris pteryx, paleontologists put it near the root of the cephalopod evolutionary tree.
- Life
Bacterial chitchat proves distracting for wound healing
Microbial communication signals partially block skin cells from closing a cut.
- Humans
Chaos makes a scream seem real
Researchers analyze movie sound tracks to identify the acoustic roots of fear.
- Life
Parks not burdening poor neighbors, study says
New research examines controversy over conservation areas by studying poverty in Costa Rica and Thailand.
- Life
Artificial butterfly mixes high, low tech
Model shows importance of wing veins and bobbing flight to keeping swallowtails aloft.
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- Life
Genome from a bottle
Cells switch species when given synthetic DNA, an advance that could lead to designer organisms.
- Animals
Argonauts use shells as flotation devices
The octopus relatives create their own buoyancy devices by gulping and hoarding air from the surface.
- Life
Light shows fMRI works as advertised
Optogenetic method validates assumption underlying brain imaging technique.
- Animals
Fight or flee, it’s in the pee
Researchers get a better understanding of how mice smell a rat, or a cat, and maybe even a snake.
- Earth
Lizards threatened by warming
Analysis suggests climate change could wipe out 20 percent of species, 39 percent of local populations.
- Earth
Earliest birds didn’t make a flap
The feathers of Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornis probably were not strong enough to support sustained flight.
