Monopoly, Status, & Food
Our perception of our social status, even during a brief board game, may be powerful enough to affect our food choices.
Synthetic Estrogen
A form of estrogen that doesn’t promote cell division may make hormone replaement therapy a safer option for post-menopausal women.
Googling Chicken Pox
Internet search engines can help predict disease outbreaks.
Giraffe Genome
Scientists have sequenced the genome of the giraffe, looking for key differences in their DNA that allows them to tower above all other animals.
Mars Tsunamis
Ancient seismic sea waves on Mars left a lasting record, and insights into how life could have evolved on other planets.
Highly Charged Eels
Acrobatic electric eels go to great lengths to repel threats.
Dog Genome
Today’s dogs may have arisen from two different wolf populations, on opposite sides of Eurasia.
Ant Payola
A Central American tree indirectly pays its ant security system with sweet syrup.
Caterpillar Engineers
Caterpillars build tiny “houses” that shelter other creatures as well.
Scanning for Consciousness
A brain scanning technique could help determine levels of awareness experienced by patients in comas.
Harbor Porpoise Hunting
Harbor porpoises are championship hunters, eating nearly constantly day and night.
Rattlesnakes & Squirrels
Rattlesnake venom is more potent against local ground squirrels than those from other locales.
Psychadelics & Depression
Hallucinogenic drugs could lead to new treatments for intractable depression.
Voice & Gender Perception
Subtle vocal cues lead us to perceive voices as feminine or masculine.
Flying Robots
Engineers have designed flying robots that efficiently perch, extending their missions.
Red Bird Genetics
Scientists uncover the genes behind birds’ flashy red plumage.
Ancient Rocks
Ancient minerals are providing new information on the formation of our planet.
Wearable Batteries
Tough, flexible, solar-powered skin-sensors could be the next step in wearable health monitors.
Distracted Driving
Driving while texting disrupts hand-eye coordination with the brain, unlike other distractions.
Mother’s Voice
Brain scans reveal the power of a mother’s voice on her child.
Ancient Florida
New evidence confirms that a prehistoric archaeological site in Florida is one of the continent’s oldest.
Sleep & Aging
Insomnia in older adults is due to a failure in brain circuitry.
Aerodynamic Bat Ears
One bat species’ big ears may generate lift during flight.