From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
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High school student studies slime mold smarts
Are slime molds “smart,” and what does that mean? Hannah McShea ran experiments to find out more about how slime molds behave and what it means for intelligence.
- Health & Medicine
For better weight control, fiber up!
Certain types of fiber suppress appetite, at least in mice. Found in fruits, vegetables, oats and barley, this fiber breaks down in the gut to release acetate. That travels to the brain, where the chemical prompts the release of hunger-fighting hormones.
- Brain
The scent of a woman — or a man
Animals unwittingly signal things about themselves by giving off subtle scents. A new study claims the same is true for people.
- Animals
Move over cheetah: Mite sets new speed record
A super-speedy species sprints faster than any other land animal — for its size, a new study finds. Scientists may someday tap this tiny mite’s technique to create robots and other devices that zip around at sensational speeds!
- Health & Medicine
Infected cutting boards
Germs can hitchhike into the kitchen on meat and many types of produce. A new study finds that some of those germs are particularly nasty. They are immune to the one or more of the drugs doctors would prescribe to wipe out the infection.
- Brain
Ghosts in your head
Many people see, feel and hear things that aren’t really there — despite how much their brain tries to convince them otherwise.
- Animals
One plus to wearing stripes
A zebra’s black-and-white coat doesn’t offer cooling or camouflage, researchers find. Instead, its stripes appear to keep away biting flies — and deadly diseases.
- Brain
Loneliness can breed disease
Everyone experiences loneliness from time to time. But when allowed to persist, loneliness can damage your health and steal years from your life.
- Chemistry
Urine may make Mars travel possible
On Earth, urine is a waste. En route to Mars, it could be a precious renewable commodity: the source of drinking water and energy.
- Animals
When a species can’t stand the heat
When temperatures rise, New Zealand’s tuatara produce more males. With global warming, that could leave the ancient reptile species with too few females to avoid going extinct.
- Health & Medicine
The nose knows a trillion scents
There's a long-standing claim that people can identify 10,000 different odors. But a new study suggests that people can actually identify at least 10,000 times that many scents.
- Brain
Understanding Autism
Genetics appears to play some role in this disorder, which affects more than one percent of all Americans.
