Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Light pollution can foil plant-insect hookups, and not just at night
Upsetting nocturnal pollinators has daylight after-effects for Swiss meadow flowers.
- Genetics
Gene editing of human embryos gets rid of a mutation that causes heart failure
Gene editing of human embryos can efficiently repair a gene defect without making new mistakes.
- Plants
A new portrait of the world’s first flower is unveiled
A reconstruction of the first flowers suggests the ancient blooms were bisexual.
- Animals
Newly discovered lymph hydraulics give tunas their fancy moves
There’s still some anatomy to discover in fishes as familiar as bluefin and yellowfin tunas.
- Neuroscience
Mice with a mutation linked to autism affect their littermates’ behavior
Genetically normal littermates of mutated mice behave strangely, suggesting that the social environment plays a big role in behavior.
- Genetics
Tardigrades aren’t champion gene swappers after all
Genetic studies reveal more secrets of the bizarre creatures known as tardigrades.
- Materials Science
Slug slime inspires a new type of surgical glue
A new glue that mimics a slug’s mucus secretions sticks well, even when wet. The adhesive could be used in place of sutures or staples in surgeries.
- Anthropology
Ancient DNA offers clues to the Canaanites’ fate
DNA is painting a more detailed portrait of the ancient Canaanites, who have largely been studied through the secondhand accounts of their contemporaries.
- Genetics
50 years ago, diabetic mice offered hope for understanding human disease
Mice described in 1967 are still helping researchers understand diabetes.
- Plants
Borrowed genes give mums the blues
Scientists have genetically modified chrysanthemums to be “true blue” for the first time.
- Anthropology
Readers question hominid family tree
Readers sent feedback on hominid origins, fast cameras, slimy sea creatures and more.
- Health & Medicine
Most football players who donated their brains to science had traumatic injury
A self-selected sample of 202 deceased football players, the largest to date, finds that the majority suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
