Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Best Science Photos of the Week - Dec. 10, 2011
An albino seal pup, rare Persian leopard, disappearing lake, and more.
Rats show empathy to trapped cage mates
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
(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
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
(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
(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
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
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
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
(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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
WASHINGTON (AP) -- New experiments show that rats, despite their selfish reputation, don't act like, well, rats....
Mere fear shrinks bird families
Just hearing recordings of predators caused sparrows to raise fewer babies