Uncategorized
- Genetics
Year in Review: Caffeine triggers cloning advance
To successfully clone human cells, eggs must be dunked in the stimulant.
By Meghan Rosen - Humans
Year in Review: Language learning starts before birth
Babies seem familiar with vowels and words heard while in the womb.
- Environment
Stillbirth rates tied to lead in drinking water
Fetal death rates rose in Washington, D.C., in parallel with two recent spikes in drinking water’s lead levels.
- Science & Society
Year in Review: High court rules against gene patents
The justices’ decision opens the way for choices in DNA testing.
- Health & Medicine
Year in Review: Sleep clears the cluttered brain
Some forms of brain washing are good, like the thorough hosing the brain gets during sleep.
- Life
Year in Review: A double dose of virus scares
Outbreaks of two deadly viruses captured the world’s attention in 2013, but neither turned into the global pandemic expected to strike one of these years.
- Plants
Lone survivor of ancient flowers is gluttonous gene consumer
The rare Amborella shrub has engulfed whole genomes from other species.
By Susan Milius - Humans
Year in Review: New discoveries reshape debate over human ancestry
Human evolution appears poised for a scientific makeover as the relationships among early hominids are disputed.
By Bruce Bower - Cosmology
Year in Review: Planck refines cosmic history
The satellite data hint at a slower expansion rate for universe.
By Andrew Grant - Life
Year in Review: Bioengineers make headway on human body parts
New techniques produce mimics of brain, liver, heart, kidney, retina.
By Meghan Rosen - Life
Year in Review: Your body is mostly microbes
Microbiome results argue for new view of animals as superorganisms.
- Life
Solving the mystery of Alzheimer’s start
Molecular evildoers team up to launch neural destruction.