Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Neuroscience
Bacteria may transfer mom’s stress to fetus
Expecting mice under psychological pressure passed different mix of microbes to their pups, affecting the babies’ brains.
- Animals
Gassed snails can’t jump
When exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide, some snails move like slugs and others don’t jump at all.
- Animals
Sea slug mating features a stab in the head
Newly discovered hermaphroditic sea slug deploys specialized needle-thin organ for injections near the eyes.
- Life
Penguin’s flight from Antarctica clocked
A climate shift millions of years ago may have forced the birds’ ancestors to flee to warmer digs.
- Microbes
Surprising metals found in microbes
Scientists discover the first case of an organism needing a rare earth element for survival.
- Animals
Deer and other animals can survive being impaled
Whether they are hunting shots gone wrong or something more sinister, stories of animals surviving such misfortunes are not uncommon.
- Neuroscience
Mold chemical linked to movement disorder
Fruit flies’ brains and human cells show Parkinson’s-like changes when exposed to fungi toxin.
- Microbes
Microbes help hyenas send status updates
Bacteria in the animals’ waste give off fumes that let passersby know who has been there before.
- Genetics
Genetic difference in blood clotting may underlie racial health disparity
Finding could help explain difference between blacks and whites in heart attack survival.
- Paleontology
Oldest bug bonk
Preserved as fossils, two insects remain caught in the act 165 million years later.
- Microbes
Gut bacteria can drive colon cancer development
Gut microbes may reveal who is at risk for colon cancer, a study in mice suggests.
- Animals
Myna birds don’t benefit from brainstorming
Mynas birds are actually a lot worse at problem solving when working in a group.
