Life
- Animals
The bad-breath defense
The nicotine in tobacco that poisons some creatures can also act as a chemical defense — at least for some caterpillars. The bad breath it gives these insects repels natural predators, such as spiders.
- Brain
Erasing memories
Electroconvulsive therapy is used to treat severe depression, but the electrical jolt it sends into the brain also may erase bad memories.
- Animals
Why are bees vanishing?
Scientists find evidence that pesticides, disease and other threats are devastating bees. And that could hurt farmers big time.
- Genetics
Ancient DNA sparks new mystery
DNA from a 400,000-year-old leg bone found in Spain is by far the oldest recovered from pre-human ancestors. It also shows an unexpected link to later, Asian ‘kin.’
- Animals
How seahorses use their heads
A dwarf seahorse’s head may look funny, but its shape allows the creature to sneak up on fast-moving prey.
- Animals
Look ma — no stomach
Many animals can digest their meals without an acid-producing stomach. And research now shows they jettisoned those stomachs a long, long time ago.
- Life
Caught in the act
Scientists observe some evolutionary speed demons as they adapt over the course of just a few years to new environmental conditions.
- Fossils
Early tyrannosaurs would have feared this predator
A newfound dinosaur fossil appears to explain why ancestors of T. rex didn’t begin their growth in size — and dominance — any earlier than they did.
- Brain
Inheriting fear
Scared of something and don’t know why? Maybe your parents or grandparents passed along their fear to you, a new mouse study suggests.
- Animals
Mimicking mussels’ muscle
People who seek to get a grip on something — especially in wet environments — might want to take a lesson from some common shellfish. Among those who might benefit most: surgeons.
- Health & Medicine
New problem linked to ‘jet lag’
The body’s internal clock can be thrown off when people alter their day and night routines. That mix-up may lead to a buildup of immune cells that can cause inflammation, according to a new study on mice.
- Animals
Koalas’ very deep voice
Serenading males can sing some surprisingly low notes, and scientists have just uncovered how they do it.
