Life

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

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  1. Animals

    Why some birds sing elaborate songs in the winter

    Several obvious hypotheses fail to explain why great reed warblers sing in winter.

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  2. Animals

    Meet the tarantula in black

    Named for Johnny Cash, a new species of tarantula makes its home in the shadow of Folsom Prison.

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  3. Climate

    Forest management not so hot at fighting warming

    Forest management practices in Europe have slightly worsened climate change, new research shows.

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  4. Animals

    Microbes may help bears stay healthy when fat for hibernation

    Brown bears fatten up for hibernation without suffering from weight-related problems. A new study shows that their gut microbes may help.

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  5. Life

    Removing worn-out cells makes mice live longer and prosper

    Senescent cells promote aging, and removing them makes mice live longer, healthier lives.

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  6. Science & Society

    ‘Three-parent babies’ are ethically permissible, U.S. panel says

    A panel of experts concludes that clinical experiments that create “three-parent babies” are ethical, with limits.

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  7. Genetics

    Bedbug genome spills secrets of violence, weird sex

    Maps of bedbugs’ genetic material reveal clues to their success.

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  8. Animals

    Purpose of zebra stripes remains a mystery

    Zebra stripes don’t help the animals disappear in the vision of predators, a new study finds.

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  9. Genetics

    DNA may determine if you’re an early bird or night owl

    Morning people are more likely to have certain variations in their DNA, but less likely to have insomnia or sleep apnea.

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  10. Genetics

    DNA may determine if you’re an early bird or night owl

    Morning people are more likely to have certain variations in their DNA, but less likely to have insomnia or sleep apnea.

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  11. Genetics

    U.K. first to approve gene editing of human embryos for research

    The United Kingdom is the first government to approve gene editing in human embryos for research purposes.

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  12. Climate

    Phytoplankton rapidly disappearing from the Indian Ocean

    Phytoplankton populations in the Indian Ocean fell 30 percent over the last 16 years largely due to global warming, new research suggests.

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