Science Ticker
A roundup of research and breaking news
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Gut bacteria compounds bring cockroaches together
Gut bacteria in young German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) produce fragrant compounds that, when excreted, attract other roaches.
- Animals
Pygmy slow loris in Asia takes unusual downtime in winter
The pygmy slow loris is the first primate outside Madagascar found to hibernate.
- Astronomy
LISA Pathfinder to pave way for gravitational wave detection
The successful launch of the LISA Pathfinder mission marks the first step toward testing techniques needed to build a space-based gravitational-wave detector.
- Paleontology
Long-necked monsters roamed more than Scotland’s lochs
The discovery of sauropod footprints in Scotland suggest the dinosaurs lived in lagoons.
- Health & Medicine
Taking antiviral drug ‘on demand’ guards against HIV
The antiviral drug Truvada taken before and after sex cuts HIV transmission rates.
- Animals
Mystery deepens for what made tarantulas blue
Blue hair on tarantulas shows what evolution does with iridescence that females probably don’t care about.
- Plants
Conifer ancestors had a double dose of DNA
The genomes of conifers — pine, cypress and yew trees — doubled twice in the distant past.
- Plants
Roses rigged with electrical circuitry
Bioelectric molecules can form wires and conduct electricity in cut roses, researchers find.
- Science & Society
Genetically modified salmon gets approval in U.S.
Fast-growing salmon become first genetically engineered animals approved for human consumption.
- Animals
Adorable birds tap dance their way into the heart of a mate
Blue-capped cordon-bleu songbirds not only sing, but also tap dance to woo mates, study reveals.
- Life
Truffles aren’t laced with radioactive cesium
Fallout from the Chernobyl disaster hasn’t made truffles dangerously radioactive, scientists find.
- Health & Medicine
Study brews up more evidence for coffee’s health benefits
Drinking up to five cups of coffee a day reduced the risk of dying early from heart and brain diseases and suicide.
