Scicurious

Neuroscience

To pee or not to pee

Mice recognize others’ scents through proteins in urine, suggesting that mouse pheromones produce more complex behaviors than previously thought.

Neuroscience

You smell, and mice can tell

A new study shows that the smell of a man causes stress in lab mice. The findings show scientists have yet another variable to control: the scientist.

Neuroscience

How brains filter the signal from the noise

Our brains can distinguish a single voice in the middle of a noisy street. A new study in ferrets shows how auditory systems might separate the signal from the noise.

Neuroscience

Bingeing rats show the power of food habits

Rats allowed to binge on sweetened milk show a bad habit for food. But while food might change our habits, a bad food habit may not necessarily be an addiction.

Psychology

That beard is only hot because it’s not cool

There’s more to facial hair than whether you can grow it. A new study shows that attractiveness increases when your style of facial hair is rare.

Life

Males compete all the way to sperm shape

An association between the ratio of certain proteins in mouse sperm and sexual competition raises many questions about what exactly gives a sperm a good head.

Neuroscience

Lost sleep could mean lost neurons

A new study shows we may not be able to make up for chronic sleep deprivation. The protein SirT3 might protect us against late nights, but all-nighters may produce neuron loss.

Animals

Bats’ dinner conversation may go over your head

Hunting big brown bats do more than echolocate. When male bats compete for a single prize, they send social calls to keep other bats at bay.

Neuroscience

Calcium in alcoholism drug may be what prevents relapse

Acamprosate, one of the few drugs to treat alcoholism, may be nothing more than a vehicle for a calcium supplement.

Animals

Sing a song of bird phylogeny

A new study challenges assumptions about birdsong, finding that the majority of songbird species have female singers.

Animals

Chemical in male goat odor drives the lady goats wild

A new study shows that male goats exude pheromones from their skin that could make female goats ready to roll in the hay.

Animals

Methylation turns a wannabe bumblebee into a queen

Epigenetic changes to bumblebee DNA turns a worker into a reproductive pseudo-queen, suggesting that genomic imprinting could be responsible for the bumblebee social system.