News
-
Fingerprinting fugitive microbes
A new computational tool can identify engineered bacteria by finding the genetic "fingerprints" that distinguish altered bacteria from natural ones.
-
Crustacean shuffle
A twisted joint might have made all the difference to scurrying crabs as they diverged from their clunky lobsterlike brethren.
By Amy Maxmen -
AnthropologyA hip stance by an ancient ancestor
By 6 million years ago, upright human ancestors had evolved a hip design that remained stable for perhaps the next 4 million years, until the appearance of hip modifications in Homo erectus.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & MedicineStrong support for a basic diet
The alkalinity of diets rich in potassium—usually a reflection of heavy fruit and vegetable consumption—helps preserve muscle.
By Janet Raloff -
PlantsFloral Shocker: Blooms shake roots of flowering-plant family
A tiny aquatic plant, once thought to be related to grasses, raises new questions about the evolution of the earliest flowering plants.
-
-
EarthNew Recipe for Pollution Stew: Another chemical culprit adds to ozone
A reactive chemical in urban air cleans up some pollutants but could introduce another.
By Sid Perkins -
AstronomyIn the Beginning: More early clues for life at home, out there
Astronomers move closer to understanding how life arose on Earth and how it could arise elsewhere.
By Ron Cowen -
Health & MedicineLong-life Link: Gut protein ties low insulin to longevity
A new link between insulin and aging adds to scientists' understanding of longevity and points to possible targets for life-extending therapies.
-
AnimalsFinch Concerts: Female bird brain notes male attention
Male zebra finches sing slightly differently when serenading a female as opposed to twittering to themselves, and females react to those differences.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsLove Code: A twist of light only mantis shrimp can see
Alone in the animal kingdom, these crustaceans signal their presence to potential mates with circularly polarized light.
-
Health & MedicineBad Blood? Old units might be substandard
Heart patients who get transfusions of donated blood that's kept more than 14 days fare worse than patients who get fresher blood.
By Nathan Seppa