Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Chemistry
Smelling the menu
Mouse breath triggers special cells in the nose that help send a safe-to-eat message.
- Earth
New ‘walking’ fishes discovered in Gulf oil-spill zone
Pancake batfishes may be getting oiled before they get named.
- Paleontology
Apes and Old World monkeys may have split later than thought
A 29- to 28-million-year-old primate fossil found in Saudi Arabia assists scientists in timing a major evolutionary transition.
- Life
Science leaps forward with Calaveras County frog jump
Biologists test the pros of amphibian athletics.
- Health & Medicine
Antiaging protein also boosts learning and memory
An antiaging molecule also helps keep the mind sharp.
- Health & Medicine
Proteins last longer in the brain
A study in mice could lead to a better understanding of aging, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative processes.
- 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.
- 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.
