Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
We all sing like fish
From opera singers to toadfish, vertebrates may use basically similar circuitry for controlling vocal muscles.
- Health & Medicine
X-ray vision
A new imaging technique could give scientists unprecedented views into cells and other objects at the nanoscale.
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- Life
HIV after DARC
A gene variant prevalent in people of African descent increases the risk of HIV infection but also helps slow disease progression.
- Life
Young tasmanian devil moms
Tasmanian devils have started mating much earlier in response to an epidemic, called facial tumor disease, that is wiping out much of their population.
- Health & Medicine
The two faces of prion proteins
Scientists are learning more about the protein behind mad cow and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, including how to interfere with the protein’s production in the brains of mice.
- Life
Astrocytes are rising stars
Astrocytes, brain cells previously thought to be support cells for neurons, regulate blood flow in the brain and may aid neuron signaling. The regulation of blood flow makes visualizing brain activity with fMRI possible.
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- Ecosystems
Aspiring to Save the Planet
The failure of the G-8 Summit to put some teeth in greenhouse-gas limits suggests it may be time for a global climate czar.
- Paleontology
A wandering eye
New look at fossils of primitive flatfish reveals how these fish evolved eyes on one side of their head
- Life
Frog builds toes, then legs
A small frog appears to jump-start its skeletal development, turning on genes for building feet and toes before bothering to build its legs.
- Paleontology
Fossils, now available in color
Fossilized feathers of an early bird or dinosaur may retain evidence of pigment, offering a chance to animal colors of the Cretaceous.
