From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
- Brain
Explainer: How our eyes make sense of light
It takes a lot for images before the eyes to be 'seen.' It starts by special cells sensing the light, then signals relaying those data to the brain.
- Oceans
Going bright may help corals recover from bleaching
When some corals bleach, they turn neon colors. Flashy hues may be part of a response that helps these corals recover and reunite with their algae.
- Chemistry
This tube worm’s glowing slime may help sustain its own shine
Snot oozed by a marine tube worm can glow for up to 3 full days. The secret of how this works might lead to long-lasting lights that glow on and on.
- Animals
Why elephants and armadillos might easily get drunk
Stories of drunken elephants may not be a myth. Differences in a gene for breaking down alcohol could explain how they get tipsy.
- Planets
Planets with hydrogen skies could harbor life
Microbes can live in a hydrogen atmosphere. This points to new space worlds that host alien life.
- Tech
Our gut microbes love a good workout
Technology shows how microbes in the body respond to exercise. That helps scientists understand why those microbes keep athletes healthy.
- Animals
Minecraft’s big bees don’t exist, but giant insects once did
Big bees buzz in Minecraft. In our world, blocky bees might starve and be stuck on the ground. Yet long ago, giant insects did roam our planet.
- Science & Society
Brainwaves of people with coarse, curly hair are now less hard to read
Electrodes weren’t designed for people with coarse, curly hair. A redesign was needed, scientists say.
- Health & Medicine
How to find the next pandemic virus before it finds us
Wild animals carry viruses that can sicken people. Monitoring those viral hosts that pose the greatest risk might help prevent a new pandemic.
- Microbes
Check out the communities of bacteria living on your tongue
Bacteria scraped off the tongue offer a window into how the microbes structure their communities.
- Health & Medicine
Antibodies from former COVID-19 patients could become a medicine
The experimental treatment uses antibodies from the blood plasma of COVID-19 survivors. It may prevent disease in other people or help treat the sick.
- Health & Medicine
New ultrasound treatment kills off cancer cells
Low-frequency ultrasound destroys cancer cells while leaving most healthy cells intact.
