Life
- Animals
Seals: Catching a ‘corkscrew’ killer
Spiral wounds on dead seals led experts to blame boat propellers. But cameras exposed another source: One seal species was killing another.
- Animals
What a drag! Fishing gear’s effects on whales
Many whales become entangled in the gear that fishing boats use to catch fish and shellfish. Such debris can have dire impacts on the big mammals.
- Health & Medicine
Too many football hits can change the brain
A former football player who died in his mid-20s had serious Alzheimer's-like damage that doctors are now linking to repeated concussions.
- Earth
Bubbles may have sheltered Earth’s early life
For Earth’s earliest inhabitants, a bubble on the beach would have been the next best thing to a safety blanket.
- Genetics
Scientists Say: Mutation
Information in an organism is stored in a code. Here’s the word scientists use to describe a change in that code.
- Animals
Faking out whales
A false “dinner bell” can safely distract hungry whales from stealing fish from commercial fishing lines, new research shows.
- Animals
Do dogs have a sense of self?
Dogs don’t know their own reflections in a mirror, but they do recognize themselves from the scent of their own urine, a new study finds.
- Brain
The most popular stories of 2015
Our readers love to read about health and wellness. Check out which stories were most popular.
- Animals
Gene editing swats at mosquitoes
A new genetic technique can render insects that spread malaria unable to reproduce.
- Animals
Some otters wear red algae
Some sea otters in California sport coats of red algae. A new study finds the species most likely is a non-native organism from half a world away.
- Brain
Brain damage seen in potent-marijuana smokers
Brain scans of people smoking potent forms of pot showed abnormalities in white matter. Studies have not yet looked to see if these changes are also linked with changes in memory, risk of depression or other types of harm.
- Animals
Algal poison can harm sea lion memory
Sea lions exposed to toxic algae can experience seizures and brain damage. New research shows that the toxin also causes impairments to memory.
