Life
- Tech
This bionic mushroom makes electricity
What do you get when you combine fungi, graphene, 3-D printing and photosynthetic bacteria? A mushroom that makes electricity.
- Fossils
These fuzz-covered flying reptiles had catlike whiskers
New fossils are changing the look of ancient flying reptiles called pterosaurs.
- Life
Scientists Say: Metabolism
Metabolism is all the chemical activities that support life in a cell, an organ and a whole organism’s body.
- Animals
To monitor penguin diet from satellites, look to poop
Scientists have figured out what foods dominate an Adélie penguin colony’s diet by looking at Landsat imagery. But to do so, they had to start with penguin poop.
- Animals
How some insects fling their pee
Insects called sharpshooters use a tiny barb on their rear ends to hurl their pee at 20 times the acceleration of Earth’s gravity.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Jellies
Jellies have roamed the seas for 500 million years. Some have stinging tentacles and bell-shaped bodies and are called jellyfish. Others are very different.
- Microbes
Amoebas are crafty, shape-shifting engineers
It’s easy to overlook amoebas — but we shouldn’t. These one-celled wonders can build their own shells, punch holes in prey and even farm bacteria.
- Fossils
A skeleton named ‘Little Foot’ causes big debate
New studies suggest a fossil hominid called Little Foot belongs to the species Australopithecus prometheus. Other scientists question whether such a species exists.
- Brain
Expecting pain? That could really make it hurt worse
How much someone expects something to hurt affects how their brain processes the pain, and how well they learn from it.
- Animals
This spider feeds a type of milk to its babies
Even after spiderlings start hunting for themselves, they return to mom for milk.
- Ecosystems
Mosquito repellent could pose risks to baby salamanders
Two ingredients in bug repellant — DEET and picaridin — can end up in streams. There, they may hurt salamanders but leave mosquitoes alone, a study finds.
- Brain
Marijuana use may affect decision-making areas in teen brains
Marijuana use during adolescence may damage decision-making areas of the brain, according to a new study in rats.
