Life

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Health & Medicine

    New cases of Ebola emerge in Liberia

    Liberia has recorded three new Ebola cases after being declared free of the disease in May.

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  2. Life

    Age isn’t just a number

    Getting old happens faster for some, and the reason may be in the blood.

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  3. Animals

    Seabirds may navigate by scent

    Shearwaters may use olfactory cues to find islands far across the open ocean, a new study suggests.

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  4. Genetics

    Why mammoths loved the cold

    An altered temperature sensor helped mammoths adapt to the cold.

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  5. Animals

    Why seahorses have square tails

    3-D printed seahorse tails reveal possible benefits of square cross-sections for armor and gripping.

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  6. Neuroscience

    Wrinkled brain mimics crumpled paper

    Brains crumple up just like wads of paper, a new study suggests.

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  7. Chemistry

    Missing enzyme to blame for scentless roses

    The unusual enzyme behind roses’ sweet smell may help researchers revive the flower’s potent aroma.

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  8. Life

    Genetic tweak hints at why mammoths loved the cold

    An altered temperature sensor helped mammoths adapt to the cold.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Smell test may detect autism

    A quick sniff test could reveal whether or not a child has autism, but some scientists have doubts.

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  10. Animals

    Centipede discovered in caves 1,000 meters belowground

    A newly discovered centipede species lives deep underground.

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  11. Animals

    Flatworm can self-fertilize by stabbing itself in the head

    Hermaphroditic flatworms with hypodermic-style mating get sharp with themselves.

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  12. Animals

    Heat turns wild genetic male reptiles into functional females

    Genetic male bearded dragons changed to females by overheating in the wild can still breed successfully.

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