Life
- 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.
- Animals
Some fish wear an invisibility cloak
Some fish can hide in open water. How? Tiny crystals in their scales and skin help them reflect and blend in with polarized light.
- Animals
Picture This: Rare tiger becomes mom
Zolushka is the first Amur tiger to be reintroduced to the wild and have cubs. She are her two young were caught on a camera trap.
- Brain
Meditation may boost teen memory
Teens who trained in a practice called mindfulness meditation saw improvements in their ability to remember things.
- Brain
Bubbles may underlie trauma’s brain injury
Many soldiers and accident victims sustain traumatic brain injury that can affect memory, thinking and body movements. New research now studies whether tiny bubbles caused by pressure waves may trigger that damage.
- Agriculture
New gene resists our last-ditch drug
Antibiotic resistance continues to grow. Now, scientists have found a tiny loop of DNA that resists a drug doctors use as a last line of defense.
- Animals
As big animals poop out
Whales move nutrients from deep ocean to surface waters. From there, nutrients move to land and fertilize continents. But the system is in trouble.
- Animals
Cool Jobs: Getting in your head
Experimental psychologists study animals and people to understand the roots of behavior.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Quoll
This small marsupial is about the size of a housecat. It lives in Australia and New Guinea, where it is under threat from toxic toads.
- Animals
Elephants’ trunks: These leaf-blowers snag food
Researchers at a Japanese zoo filmed two elephants using their trunks as leaf-blowers, pulling food toward them with puffs of air.
