Life

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Animals

    Young eels use magnetic ‘sixth sense’ to navigate

    Migrating eels use Earth’s magnetic field.

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  2. Animals

    New worm-snail is a super slimer

    New worm-snail species shoots snot to snag a snack.

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  3. Ecosystems

    Volcanic eruptions nearly snuffed out Gentoo penguin colony

    Penguin poop dumps data on how a Gentoo colony responded to ancient volcanic eruptions.

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  4. Ecosystems

    Volcanic eruptions nearly snuffed out Gentoo penguin colony

    Penguin poop dumps data on how a Gentoo colony responded to ancient volcanic eruptions.

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  5. Genetics

    Gene knockouts in people provide drug safety, effectiveness clues

    People naturally lacking certain genes give clues about drug safety and efficacy, a study in Pakistanis shows.

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  6. Life

    Cells’ stunning complexity on display in a new online portal

    A new online explorer tool from the Allen Institute for Cell Science shows 3-D models of cell interiors.

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  7. Climate

    The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing a major coral bleaching event right now

    A second coral bleaching event has struck the Great Barrier Reef in 12 months, new observations reveal, raising concerns about the natural wonder’s future.

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  8. Paleontology

    Bedbugs bugged prehistoric humans, too

    Scientists have found the oldest known specimens of bedbug relatives in an Oregon cave system where ancient humans once lived.

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  9. Humans

    Scientists seek early signs of autism

    The search for autism biomarkers, in the blood and the brain, is heating up.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Genetic risk of getting second cancer tallied for pediatric survivors

    Inherited mutations, not only treatment, affect the chances that a childhood cancer survivor will develop a second cancer later in life.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Common virus may be celiac disease culprit

    A common virus may turn the immune system against gluten, leading to the development of celiac disease.

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  12. Genetics

    Cephalopods may have traded evolution gains for extra smarts

    Editing RNA may give cephalopods smarts, but there’s a trade-off.

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