Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Everyday tree deaths have doubled
In past 50 years, apparently healthy forests have started losing trees faster, possibly because of climate change.
- Life
As cells age, the nucleus lets the bad guys in
A study tracks a growing 'leakiness' in the membrane of the cell nucleus that could contribute to aging and even to diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
- Life
Three deep-sea fish families now one
Male and young whalefish look so different from females that scientists had mistakenly put them all in different families.
- Health & Medicine
Epigenetics reveals unexpected, and some identical, results
One study finds tissue-specific methylation signatures in the genome; another a similarity between identical twins in DNA’s chemical tagging.
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- Life
Step-by-step Evolution
Hard to find, but very fruitful when found, transitional fossils fill in the gaps in the paleontological record.
- Life
A Most Private Evolution
The most dramatic examples of the power of evolutionary theory may come from the strange and ugly stuff — biology too dumb to have been designed.
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- Computing
Computing Evolution
Scientists sift through genetic data sets to better map twisting branches in the tree of life.
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- Life
For worms, one gene can change survival behavior
Natural differences in a single gene cause worms to either eat or avoid harmful bacteria.
- Life
Capuchin monkeys choose the right tool for the nut
New field experiments indicate that wild capuchin monkeys choose the most effective stones for cracking nuts, suggesting deep evolutionary roots for the use of stone tools.
