Life

Animals

How termites ‘hear‘ about trouble

When danger comes too close, termites bang their heads against the walls of their homes. This action sends out a warning vibration that others ‘hear’ with their legs.

Environment

Watering plants with wastewater can spread germs

Recycled waste water may slake the thirst of outdoor plants. But it also can spread bacteria, a new study finds — germs that antibiotics may not be able to kill.

Animals

Octopus sets egg-nurturing record

Animals will do extraordinary things to help their babies survive. Consider ‘Octomom:’ She sat on one clutch of eggs for nearly 4.5 years.

Fossils

Dinos ‘quickly’ shrunk into birds

Scientists had long known birds descended from dinosaurs. A study now shows that the morphing from dinos into birds went along with a quick and steady shrinking of their body sizes.

Microbes

Record Ebola epidemic strikes

A record outbreak of the deadly disease has already claimed nearly 1,000 lives in West Africa. Scientists suspect bats or eating some other wild animals may have triggered the epidemic.

Brain

Lacrosse: Different genders, same injuries

Scientists find that boys’ and girls’ versions of lacrosse lead to similar injuries. Because girls frequently get concussions, the study argues that like the boys, girls too should wear helmets.

Health & Medicine

Clay: A new way to fight germs?

Geologists have discovered a type of volcanic clay that shows promise in fighting infections — maybe even ones resistant to antibiotic medicines.

Animals

Elephants appear to be super sniffers

Elephants are not only massive, but also possess the most odor-detecting genes of any animal known, new research shows.

Microbes

The Bahamas’ African roots

Ocean bacteria may have built the Bahama islands, fed by dust blown across the Atlantic from the Sahara Desert.

Genetics

High-altitude help from extinct ancestors

The Tibetan plateau is high in altitude but low in oxygen. An unusual version of one gene in Tibetans' DNA helps them survive this environment. And that gene appears to have been passed along from Denisovans, a Neandertal-like ancestor.

Fossils

Some Arctic dinos lived in herds

Fossil footprints retrieved from Alaska indicate that plant-eating duckbill dinos not only traveled as extended families but also spent their entire lives in the Arctic.

Brain

Choosing shocks over contemplation

Some people think being alone is unpleasant. In one new study, some found choosing to get a painful shock helped them endure being alone for 15 minutes.