Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Seaweed genome reveals tools for multicellular lifestyle
Genetic blueprints of a brown alga reveal adaptations to changing tides and may give clues for to evolution of more complex life.
- Ecosystems
Honeybee death mystery deepens
Government scientists link colony collapse disorder to mix of fungal and viral infections.
- Health & Medicine
Shark cartilage doesn’t appear to help lung cancer
Patients taking an extract show no improvement.
- Paleontology
Octopus origins
After examining more than 90 new specimens of Nectocaris pteryx, paleontologists put it near the root of the cephalopod evolutionary tree.
- Life
Bacterial chitchat proves distracting for wound healing
Microbial communication signals partially block skin cells from closing a cut.
- Humans
Chaos makes a scream seem real
Researchers analyze movie sound tracks to identify the acoustic roots of fear.
- Life
Parks not burdening poor neighbors, study says
New research examines controversy over conservation areas by studying poverty in Costa Rica and Thailand.
- Life
Artificial butterfly mixes high, low tech
Model shows importance of wing veins and bobbing flight to keeping swallowtails aloft.
-
- Life
Genome from a bottle
Cells switch species when given synthetic DNA, an advance that could lead to designer organisms.
- Animals
Argonauts use shells as flotation devices
The octopus relatives create their own buoyancy devices by gulping and hoarding air from the surface.
- Life
Light shows fMRI works as advertised
Optogenetic method validates assumption underlying brain imaging technique.
