Latest science news in Biology & Nature

Best Science Photos of the Week - Dec. 10, 2011

13 years ago from Live Science

An albino seal pup, rare Persian leopard, disappearing lake, and more.

Rats show empathy to trapped cage mates

13 years ago from UPI

CHICAGO, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Rats can be empathetic and will help free a trapped cage-mate even in the absence of any reward for doing so, U.S. researchers report.

Survival of the fittest: Linguistic evolution in practice

13 years ago from Science Blog

(Washington, DC) -- A new study of how compound word formation is influenced by subtle forms of linguistic pressure demonstrates that words which "sound better" to the speakers...

Empathy: rats to the rescue

13 years ago from CBC: Technology & Science

New experiments show rats demonstrating compassion and helping other rodents. It is a trait some scientists thought was reserved only for humans and higher primates.

Prime Indonesian jungle to be cleared for palm oil

13 years ago from Physorg

(AP) -- The man known as Indonesia's "green governor" chases the roar of illegal chainsaws through plush jungles in his own Jeep. He goes door-to-door to tell families it's...

Star Wars-inspired bacterium provides glimpse into life

13 years ago from Physorg

(PhysOrg.com) -- A bacterium whose name was inspired by the Star Wars films has provided new clues into the evolution of our own cells and how they came to possess...

Coral reefs in warming seas

13 years ago from Physorg

Disease outbreaks are often associated with hot weather. Because many bacteria typically multiply more rapidly in warmer conditions, it's a commonly held notion that warm-weather outbreaks are a straightforward consequence...

Characterizing a toxic offender

13 years ago from Physorg

The brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease contain protein aggregates called plaques and tangles, which interfere with normal communication between nerve cells and cause progressive learning and memory deficits. Now,...

Proteins linked to longevity may be involved in mood control

13 years ago from MIT Research

Over the past decade, MIT biologist Leonard Guarente and others have shown that very-low-calorie diets provoke a comprehensive physiological response that promotes survival, all orchestrated by a set of proteins called sirtuins.In a...

New biosensor is based on a nanowire crystal array

13 years ago from Physorg

(PhysOrg.com) -- A quick, inexpensive and highly sensitive test that identifies disease markers or other molecules in low-concentration solutions could be the result of a Cornell-developed nanomechanical biosensor, which could...

Yahoo! launches online comedy channel

13 years ago from Physorg

Yahoo! is adding a comedy channel to its online line-up, kicking it off with a "CrazyStupidPolitics" show starring Bill Maher live in Silicon Valley in February.

Solar power development in US Southwest could threaten wildlife

13 years ago from Physorg

Government agencies are considering scores of applications to develop utility-scale solar power installations in the desert Southwest of the United States, but too little is known to judge their likely...

Solitary sea otter pops up near Laguna Beach

13 years ago from LA Times - Science

Participants in a whale-watching excursion made the sighting. Experts said the otter was probably a solo male roving far beyond the boundaries of the threatened species' established range along California's...

T. Franklin Williams, Early Geriatric Specialist, Dies at 89

13 years ago from NY Times Health

Dr. Williams was a former director of the National Institute on Aging and a longtime professor at the University of Rochester.

Premature babies harbor fewer, but more dangerous microbe types

13 years ago from Science Daily

One of the most comprehensive studies to date of the microbes that are found in extremely low-birthweight infants found that hard-to-treat Candida fungus is often present, as well as some...

Scientists Find Mechanism for Reprogramming Stem Cells

13 years ago from Science Blog

In healthy bodies, liver cells beget liver cells, while skin cells beget skin cells. Previous research, however, has shown that cells sometimes can be reprogrammed, for example, from skin to...

Nighttime images help track disease from the sky

13 years ago from Science Blog

Normally used to spot where people live, satellite images of nighttime lights can help keep tabs on the diseases festering among them, too, according to new research. Princeton University-led...

Secret Coca-Cola Recipe Displayed at Museum

13 years ago from Live Science

The secret recipe for Coca-Cola, which has been stored in the same bank vault in Atlanta since 1925, has finally been moved.

Nano-carving offers medical leaps

13 years ago from BBC News: Science & Nature

A new method to "carve" complex shapes out of nano-particles may create new medical tests and drugs delivery systems.

New target found for aggressive cancer gene

13 years ago from Science Blog

Researchers have found a way to kill human cells hijacked by a genetic accelerator that puts cancer cells into overdrive: the Myc oncogene. The discovery reveals new drug targets for...

Twitter redesign: Close but still not great

13 years ago from CBSNews - Science

Too bad Steve Jobs never got his hands on a micro-blogging site whose design has been serviceable but crappy

Empathetic rats help each other out

13 years ago from MSNBC: Science

The act of helping others out of empathy has long been associated strictly with humans and other primates, but new research shows that rats exhibit this prosocial behavior as well.

Biologists Sequence Genome of Controversial Arsenic Bacterium

13 years ago from PopSci

Test Bed Wolfe-Simon collecting sediment samples at Mono Lake in 2009 El Universal/Zumapress.com One of the most controversial science stories in recent memory, the saga of arsenic-loving microbes, resurfaced again this week, a...

Neuroscientists boost memory in mice using genetics and a new memory-enhancing drug

13 years ago from Science Daily

When the activity of a molecule that is normally elevated during viral infections is inhibited in the brain, mice learn and remember better, researchers report.

Helping your fellow rat: Rodents show empathy-driven behavior

13 years ago from Science Daily

The first evidence of empathy-driven helping behavior in rodents has been observed in laboratory rats that repeatedly free companions from a restraint, according to a new study by University of...

Researchers identify key plant immune response in fight against bacteria

13 years ago from Physorg

Researchers at the University of Missouri have found a key process in a plant's immune system response that may help future crops fight off dangerous diseases.

Study: Rats aren't selfish, but show compassion

13 years ago from AP Science

WASHINGTON (AP) -- New experiments show that rats, despite their selfish reputation, don't act like, well, rats....

Mere fear shrinks bird families

13 years ago from Sciencenews.org

Just hearing recordings of predators caused sparrows to raise fewer babies