Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Chemistry
Spray of zinc marks fertilization
Embryonic development begins with an outpouring of the metal, illustrating chemistry's importance in orchestrating biological processes.
- Earth
Warming dents corn and wheat yields
Rising temperatures have decreased global grain production and may be partly responsible for food price increases.
- Life
Giant ants once roamed Wyoming
The first complete fossil found in North America suggests warm spells in the far north allowed big insects to spread.
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- Life
Sickle-cell may blunt, not stop, malaria
Once thought to keep parasite out of cells, the trait appears to diminish the severity of infection.
- Life
Genes & Cells
A boost for tired antibiotics, plus a fishy mom’s mucus and high-gravity microbes in this week’s news.
- Life
Zap! More fish
An upgraded brain underlies the wide diversity in a family of electric fish, scientists say.
- Life
Antarctic humpbacks make a krill killing
Late-arriving sea ice enhances crustacean feast for whales, but the bounty may be fleeting.
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- Life
Half-asleep rats look wide awake
In a discovery with ominous implications for sleep deprivation, researchers find that some brain regions can doze off while an animal remains active.
- Life
Great (Dane) minds don’t think alike
Female dogs react to an unexpected twist that males show no awareness of, suggesting that canine sexes are wired differently.
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