Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Paleontology
More plants survived the world’s greatest mass extinction than thought
Fossil plants from Jordan reveal more plant lineages that made it through the Great Dying roughly 252 million years ago.
- Neuroscience
The battle over new nerve cells in adult brains intensifies
It’s not yet time to abandon the idea that adult human brains make new nerve cells.
- Animals
Invasive asexual midges may upset Antarctica’s delicate moss banks
Fast-multiplying insects with earthworm powers have invaded Antarctica, and scientists are worried about how their waste could affect the continent.
- Life
Mice lack stem cells in the heart needed for self-repair
Adult mice hearts have no stem cells, a study finds. The same may be true for people, and that’s not welcome news for those who’ve had a heart attack.
- Health & Medicine
Tumor ‘organoids’ may speed cancer treatment
Growing mini tumors in a lab dish, researchers can screen compounds to find promising combinations for treating rare cancers.
- Genetics
News of the first gene-edited babies ignited a firestorm
A researcher in China announced he created two babies using CRISPR. Many scientists questioned the study’s ethics and medical necessity.
- Genetics
Crime solvers embraced genetic genealogy
DNA searches of a public genealogy database are closing cases and opening privacy concerns.
- Earth
Greenland crater renewed the debate over an ancient climate mystery
Scientists disagree on what a possible crater found under Greenland’s ice means for the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis.
- Animals
Humans wiped out mosquitoes (in one small lab test)
An early lab test of exterminating a much-hated mosquito raises hopes, but is it really such a great idea?
- Neuroscience
Zapping the spinal cord helped paralyzed people learn to move again
A handful of people paralyzed from spinal cord injuries have learned to walk again.
- Animals
Endangered northern bettongs aren’t picky truffle eaters
Without the northern bettong, the variety of Australia’s truffle-producing fungi could take a hit, a new study finds.
- Animals
Counting the breaths of wild porpoises reveals their revved-up metabolism
A new method tracks harbor porpoises’ breathing to collect rare information on the energy needs of the marine mammals.
