Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Life on Earth may have begun as dividing droplets
Chemical droplets could split and reproduce in the presence of an energy source, new computer simulations suggest.
- Plants
Genetic switch offers clue to why grasses are survival masters
Scientists have identified a genetic switch that helps grasses regulate their carbon dioxide intake.
- Paleontology
Under lasers, a feathered dino shows some skin
Laser-stimulated fluorescence reveals detailed images of soft tissue in a feathered dinosaur from 160 million years ago.
- Animals
Shocking stories tell tale of London Zoo’s founding
In The Zoo, Isobel Charman pens a gripping narrative of the London Zoo’s early days, when workers had a hard time keeping animals alive.
- Ecosystems
A king snake’s strength is in its squeeze
King snakes feast on other, larger snakes, perhaps thanks to superior constricting abilities, new research suggests.
- Neuroscience
Smartphones may be changing the way we think
We rely on our digital devices to connect with others and for memory and navigation shortcuts. What is that doing to our brains?
- Animals
Detachable scales turn this gecko into an escape artist
A new species of gecko evades predators by shedding its scaly armor.
- Animals
How one enslaving wasp eats through another
A wasp that forces oaks to grow a gall gets tricked into digging an escape tunnel for its killers.
- Animals
Tropical bedbugs outclimb common species
A study of bedbug traps and feet names finds that tropical bedbugs are much better at scaling slippery walls than common bedbugs.
- Animals
Tropical bedbugs outclimb common bedbugs
A study of bedbug traps and feet names finds that tropical bedbugs are much better at scaling slippery walls than common bedbugs.
- Neuroscience
Making a mistake can put your brain on ‘pause’
When there’s not much time to recover, one error can lead to another.
- Genetics
How to grow toxin-free corn
Corn genetically altered to produce specialized molecules may prevent a fungus from tainting it with carcinogenic toxins.
