Science Ticker
A roundup of research and breaking news
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
History of road-tripping shaped camel DNA
Centuries of caravan domestication and travel left some metaphorical tire marks on Arabian camel genes, researchers find.
- Health & Medicine
This week in Zika: An anniversary, how the virus kills brain cells and more
New weapons in the fight against Zika, how the virus shrinks minibrains, a quick paper-based test for Zika, and more in this week’s Zika Watch.
- Astronomy
Mercury is about to make a rare journey across the face of the sun
On May 9, Mercury will make a rare appearance as a small dot passing across the face of the sun.
- Plants
Venus flytraps use defensive genes for predation
Genetic analysis suggests that Venus flytraps repurposed plant defenses against herbivores to live the carnivore life.
- Animals
Why Labrador retrievers are obsessed with food
A genetic variant could explain obesity trends seen in Labrador retrievers.
- Animals
Male giant water bugs win females by babysitting
Female giant water bugs prefer males already caring for eggs, an evolutionary force for maintaining parental care.
- Particle Physics
A weasel has shut down the Large Hadron Collider
A tiny furball brought Earth’s most powerful particle accelerator to its knees this morning.
- Health & Medicine
This week in Zika: Haiti hit early, possible monkey hosts, and more
A new test for Zika, how Haiti fits into the outbreak timeline, a look at monkeys that can carry the virus, and more in this week’s Zika Watch.
- Astronomy
Japan’s latest X-ray telescope is officially dead
The Japanese space agency has officially declared its latest X-ray telescope a loss.
- Plants
Nightshade plants bleed sugar as a call to ants for backup
Bittersweet nightshade produces sugary wound goo to lure in ant protectors that eat herbivores, researchers have found.
- Planetary Science
Hubble telescope finds small moon orbiting dwarf planet Makemake
Hubble Space Telescope images from April 2015 show that the dwarf planet Makemake has a tiny moon.
- Science & Society
Findings on wobbly memories questioned
In contrast to older studies, new results suggest that new memories don’t interfere with older, similar ones.
