Life

  1. Life

    Smallest known snake

    New species is thin as a spaghetti noodle but shorter.

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  2. Animals

    Built for Speed

    Animals would prove fierce competitors at the Olympics — if only they would stay in their lanes.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Neuron Killers

    Misfolded, clumping proteins evade conviction, but they remain prime suspects in neurodegenerative diseases.

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  4. Life

    Fish lie

    No, really. I like the other girl better. Really. Science reveals a fish dating scene worse than junior high school.

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  5. Life

    How the snake got its fangs

    A study of snake embryos suggests that fangs evolved once, then moved around in the head to give today’s snakes a variety of bites.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Calcium’s possible role in Alzheimer’s

    A new study in mice finds that plaques associated with Alzheimer’s wreak havoc on calcium’s role in cell signaling.

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  7. Paleontology

    Soft tissue in fossils still mysterious

    New research suggests modern biofilms could contaminate ancient fossils.

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  8. Life

    Nature’s chronic boozers

    Tree shrews pub-crawl nightly from flower to flower for fermented palm nectar.

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  9. Ecosystems

    Nomadic ants hunt mushrooms

    A species of ants not well understood surprises researchers with a nomadic lifestyle, roaming the rainforest on fungal forays.

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  10. Ecosystems

    Fish Houses

    Tanked half-way houses allow people and fish to get acquainted on their own terms — and exhibit their individual personalities.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Protein links metabolism and circadian rhythms

    Scientists have known for ages that metabolism is tied to the body’s daily rhythms. Two new studies suggest how.

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  12. Life

    Choose your own splicer

    Zinc-finger proteins can cut, splice or tweak a targeted gene, and a new “open source” method for making customized zinc-finger proteins aimed at specific genes will give scientists easier access to this powerful genetic tool.

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