Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Science & Society
Climate Threatens Living Fossil
Thanks to global warming, within the lifetimes of certain reptiles in the South Pacific, all members of their species could be born male.
- Life
Embryos can learn visually
For cuttlefish embryos, what they see is what they'll crave as food later
- Chemistry
HIV knockout
Cutting a gene in immune cells could offer a new way to treat HIV infections.
- Animals
Mighty mites
Mites that were thought to be parasites to their host wasps turn out to be bodyguards, attacking intruders.
- Animals
Live fast, die young
With a lifespan of just five months, the chameleon Furcifer labordi leads a briefer life than any other land-dwelling vertebrate.
- Math
Optimizing leafy networks
Scientists reveal a mathematical principle underlying the arrangement of leaf veins in plant species.
- Animals
Whaling, to be announced
The 60th meeting of the International Whaling Commission defers voting on deadlocked issues
- Ecosystems
Ecosystem engineers
Nonnative earthworms are deliberately burying ragweed seeds, enhancing the weed’s growth, researchers report.
- Chemistry
Quantifying the “gene for” fallacy
Looking at one gene at a time misses about a third of the genes that contribute to the way a cell functions, scientists say.
- Life
Viruses rewritten
Scientists could create wimpy versions of real viruses to develop vaccines for emerging diseases.
- Life
Losing sleep
A genetic source of mental retardation and autism may also disrupt sleep patterns.
- Agriculture
Bee-Loved Plantings
Zipcode-organized guidelines tell gardeners, farmers and others how to design a landscape that will not only entice pollinators but also keep these horticultural helpers happy.
