Life
- 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!
- Animals
Don’t mess with a frustrated fish
When a trout doesn't get the snack it expected, look out. These fish get aggressive. Sometimes they can defeat even bigger fish.
- 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.
- Animals
These insects thirst for tears
In some parts of the world, insects will drop by for a savory beverage. Interestingly, neither a croc — nor a scientist who offered his eyes up to ‘tear-sipping’ bees — seemed bothered much by the freeloaders.
- 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.
- Health & Medicine
New ‘Heartland’ disease emerges in U.S. Midwest
A new viral disease causes major pain and flu-like symptoms. At present, no treatment or cure exists.
- Plants
Wily bacteria create ‘zombie’ plants
Scientists have discovered how some plant pathogens ensure their own survival by transforming flowering plants into strictly leaf-producing ones. These green ‘zombies’ attract insects that the parasites need to help them spread to other plants.
- 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.
- Microbes
A success for designer life
Synthetic biologists are scientists who create custom organisms in the lab. Their efforts have just taken a big step forward. They have created the first lab-made yeast chromosome. The advance could lead to entirely synthetic organisms customized to produce food, fuel or medicine.
- Animals
Sea otters picked up swine flu
A new study finds that large numbers of sea otters off of the U.S. Pacific coast have been exposed to the ‘pandemic’ type of this killer virus.
- 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.
