Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Is camouflage better than warning colors? For insects, it depends
The effectiveness of camouflage or warning colors for insect defense depends on conditions such as light levels and how many predators are around.
- Psychology
Striking moments make previous memories stronger
Emotional events help solidify memories. The findings may one day help students study or trauma survivors recover.
- Microbes
Staph bacteria are bad at letting go
Calcium, a mineral involved in wound healing, can strengthen the attachment between microbe and skin and make infections hard to shake.
- Animals
This ‘ghost shark’ has teeth on its forehead
Spotted ratfish, or “ghost sharks,” have forehead teeth that help them grasp onto mates. It’s the first time teeth have been found outside of a mouth.
- Neuroscience
Lung cancer plugs into the mouse brain
Exploring the relationship between cancer cells and nerve cells, which can signal tumors to grow, could unearth ways to slow disease.
- Paleontology
An ancient reptile’s fossilized skin reveals how it swam like a seal
A reptile fossil is the first of its kind with skin and partially webbed feet, possibly showing how later species like plesiosaurs adapted to water.
- Animals
Bats live with some viruses. But others can do them in
Bats can carry some deadly human pathogens without signs of illness. A new survey shows that other viruses can still be bad for bats.
- Animals
Tug or fetch? Some dogs sort toys by how they are used
Dogs that easily learn the names of toys might also mentally sort them by function, a new example of complex cognitive activity in the canine brain.
- Health & Medicine
Brains don’t all act their age
A slew of new research attempts to zero in on what happens as our brains get older — and what can bring about those changes early.
- Earth
Recycled glass could help fend off coastal erosion
Sand made from recycled glass can be mixed with sediment to make a medium for plants to grow in. That can help with coastal restoration projects.
- Physics
Scientists made a biological quantum bit out of a fluorescent protein
Researchers could use quantum effects to develop new types of medical imaging inside cells themselves.
- Humans
Want to avoid mosquito bites? Step away from the beer
A Dutch music festival turned into a mosquito lab, revealing how beer, weed, sleep and sunscreen affect your bite appeal.
