Life
We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Tickling apes reveals laughter’s origins
Roots of laughter go back at least 10 to 16 million years, study of romping apes suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Nicotine’s role in SIDS
New study in rats explains how smoke exposure may increase risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
- Life
No rest for weary fruit flies
Fruit flies with insomnia may help researchers track genetic factors that lead to the sleep disorder.
- Life
Phony fighters discovered among fig wasps
A newly discovered species of fig wasp has a fraction of dishonest guys with big mouthparts.
- Life
Engineered DNA counts it out
Scientists create a biological system that uses the genetic code to tally up molecular events.
- Animals
Extensive toolkits give chimps a taste of honey
Chimps living in central Africa’s dense forests make and use complex sets of tools to gather honey from beehives, further narrowing the gap between the way humans and chimps use tools.
- Chemistry
Deadly mushroom toxin exposed
Researchers have isolated and identified a muscle-destroying compound in some mushrooms.
- Life
Four marmosets are first transgenic primates
Scientists in Japan have successfully introduced a foreign gene into a primate species for the first time, opening a new avenue for modeling human diseases, particularly brain disorders.
- Life
The case of the disappearing fingerprints
One potential side effect of an anti-cancer drug: identity theft.
- Life
Trees of stone tell tropical tale
Peruvian petrified forest offers insight into low-latitude conditions of millions of years ago
- Life
Ocean’s gazillion
A picture of past ocean life suggests a higher capacity for marine life than what modern habitats host.
- Life
Genetic analysis of swine flu virus reveals diverse parts
Detailed genetic analysis of the H1N1 swine flu virus indicates that its components have been present for years. The virus is still susceptible to drugs and vaccine development.
