HITCHHIKERS These marine sea slugs stowed away on a derelict vessel from Iwate Prefecture in Japan before being washed ashore in Oregon in April 2015.
John W. Chapman
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Magazine
In the Oct. 14 SN: 2017’s scientists to watch, duel over a real-life Brienne of Tarth, the origin of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays, long-lasting spheres of color, watermelon snow’s downside, support for the Unruh effect, polite robots and more.
Life & Evolution
Topic Image Rail
DANGER DETECTOR In planarians (Schmidtea mediterranea shown), a protein called TRPA1 detects hydrogen peroxide, a molecule produced when cells are damaged. These new results give hints about the evolution of human pain.
Chris Petersen/Northwestern University
STICKY SITUATION At the La Brea Tar Pits in today’s Los Angeles, mastodons, dire wolves, saber-toothed cats and thousands of other creatures — prey and predators — were trapped and later excavated.
Larissa Pereira/shutterstock
Life & Evolution
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Animals
News
To understand the origins of pain, ask a flatworm
A danger-sensing protein responds to hydrogen peroxide in planarians, results that hint at the evolutionary origins of people’s pain sensing.The Science Life
Surgeon aims to diagnose deformities of extinct saber-toothed cats
Using CT scans, one orthopedic surgeon is on a quest to diagnose deformities in long-dead saber-toothed cats. -
Plants
Feature
José Dinneny rethinks how plants hunt for water
Plant biologist José Dinneny probes the very beginnings of root development, which may have important implications for growing food in a changing climate.News in Brief
A new portrait of the world’s first flower is unveiled
A reconstruction of the first flowers suggests the ancient blooms were bisexual. -
Microbes
News
Now we know how much glacial melting ‘watermelon snow’ can cause
Algae that give snow a red tint are making glacial snow in Alaska melt faster.News
Microbes survived inside giant cave crystals for up to 50,000 years
Microbes trapped in crystals in Mexico's Naica mine may represent some of the most distinct life-forms found in Earth so far. -
Fungi
Science TickerHow a mushroom gets its glow
For the first time, biologists have pinpointed the compound that lights up in fungal bioluminescence.News in Brief
How a mushroom gets its glow
For the first time, biologists have pinpointed the compound that lights up in fungal bioluminescence. -
Conservation
News
Light pollution can foil plant-insect hookups, and not just at night
Upsetting nocturnal pollinators has daylight after-effects for Swiss meadow flowers.Wild ThingsA message to rock climbers: Be kind to nature
Scientists are only just starting to figure out the impacts that the sport of rock climbing is having on cliff ecosystems. -
Evolution
News
How horses lost their toes
Fossils reveal that as horses evolved to have fewer toes, they also got stronger and faster.Reviews & Previews
‘Darwin’s Backyard’ chronicles naturalist’s homespun experiments
In the new book Darwin’s Backyard, a biologist explores Charles Darwin’s family life, as well as four decades’ worth of his at-home experiments. -
Ecology
Science Stats
Earth’s dry zones support a surprising number of trees
A Google Earth-based estimate of dryland forests adds serious leafage to Earth’s total tree count.Mystery Solved
Hawk moths convert nectar into antioxidants
Hawk moths use their sugary diet to make antioxidants that protect their muscles. -
Paleontology
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Biophysics
Teaser
Ladybugs fold their wings like origami masters
Ladybug wings could lead to new foldable technologies.News
How a flamingo balances on one leg
Flamingos’ built-in tricks for balance might have a thing or two to teach standing robots or prosthesis makers someday.
