Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Old fish, new fish, red fish, blue fish
A difference in vision in cichlids in Lake Victoria could be pushing a species to split into two.
- Paleontology
Forget bird-brained
Scientists have uncovered a new dinosaur that breathed like a bird.
- Life
Curtain drops after ants’ final act
A handful of ants remain outside to close the colony door at sunset and sacrifice their lives in the act.
- Life
X chromosome is extra diverse
Men who father children with multiple women are responsible for “extra” diversity on the X chromosome, a new study of six different populations suggests.
- Life
Safer creation of stem cells
A new technique for converting adult cells to stem cells avoids dangerous mutations in cell DNA
- Life
Nanoparticles: size and charge matter
Nanoparticles can be designed for targeted delivery of drugs or genes into the body. New work reveals details of how blood proteins respond to these particles.
- Life
FDA releases guidelines for genetically modified animals
Draft rules lay out policies for approving altered animals, including those used for food.
- Life
First lipid hormone discovered
An omega-7 fatty acid made by fat and liver cells acts as a hormone, even mimicking the health benefits of insulin.
- Climate
Heat waves stunt grassland growth
An abnormally hot year can significantly suppress growth in grasslands, a stifling effect that lingers well into the next year even if temperatures return to normal. It can also hinder how well the grasslands absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Life
Fastest spores in the West (or anywhere)
SEE THE VIDEO: Researchers film a fungus catapulting its spores with an acceleration greater than what astronauts feel.
- Life
Fish glowing red
Plenty of reef creatures fluoresce red, even where seawater absorbs red sunlight.
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