Latest science news in Biology & Nature
At least 16 killed in attack on beachside hotel in Somalia's capital
Somalia's Ministry of Information said Sunday that at least 16 people, including five attackers, were killed in a gunfight after a car bomb detonated outside a beachside hotel in Mogadishu.
Scientists unlock Alpine trees' molecular defence
Researchers say they have found a way to resist the spread of a disease threatening forests.
Micro- and nanoplastics detectable in human tissues
Plastic pollution of land, water and air is a global problem. Even when plastic bags or water bottles break down to the point at which they are no longer an...
'Cyborg' technology could enable new diagnostics, merger of humans and AI
Although true "cyborgs"—part human, part robotic beings—are science fiction, researchers are taking steps toward integrating electronics with the body. Such devices could monitor for tumor development or stand in for...
A new role for a well-known molecule as a plant hormone
Researchers have discovered a new role for a well-known plant molecule, providing the first clear example of ACC acting as a likely plant hormone. Researchers show that ACC has a...
Systemic racism has consequences for all life in cities
A new review paper finds that social inequalities, specifically racism and classism, are impacting the biodiversity, evolutionary shifts and ecological health of plants and animals in our cities.
At least 16 killed in attack on beachside hotel Somalia's capital
Somalia's Ministry of Information said Sunday that at least 16 people, including five attackers, were killed in a gunfight after a car bomb detonated outside a beachside hotel in Mogadishu.
Hundreds of baby turtles begin to hatch at Ontario 'turtle nursery'
Nearly 2,000 turtle eggs are in the process of hatching at a turtle nursery in Cambridge, Ont. The eggs were collected from the sides of roads to protect the baby...
Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden celebrates 350th anniversary
The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh celebrates three and a half centuries of science and conservation.
Illinois' longest-serving governor, James 'Big Jim' Thompson, dies
Illinois' longest-serving governor, James Thompson, has died, his family announced. He was 84.
US allows killing sea lions eating at-risk Northwest salmon
U.S. authorities on Friday gave wildlife managers in Washington, Oregon and Idaho permission to start killing hundreds of sea lions in the Columbia River basin in hopes of helping struggling...
Mexican zoo live-streams birth of elephant named 'Zoom'
A baby African elephant whose birth was live-streamed by a safari park in Mexico has been named Zoom after the video chat app made popular by the coronavirus pandemic.
Pentagon to set up new unit to investigate UFOs
The Pentagon said Friday it was setting up a new task force under the US Navy to investigate UFO sightings.
U.S., Canada, Mexico extend border restrictions during pandemic
The United States announced Friday that it's extending its border closures with Canada and Mexico for another month.
Watching changes in plant metabolism -- live
Almost all life on Earth, e.g. our food and health, depend on metabolism in plants. To understand how these metabolic processes function, researchers are studying key mechanisms in the regulation...
Hypothesis underlying the sensitivity of mammalian auditory system overturned
A new study challenges a decades-old hypothesis on adaptation, a key feature in how sensory cells of the inner ear (hair cells) detect sound.
Source of pathogen that causes bitter rot disease
Fungal spores responsible for bitter rot disease, a common and devastating infection in fruit, do not encounter their host plants by chance. Turns out, they have a symbiotic association with...
Decline in US bird biodiversity related to neonicotinoids, study shows
Bird biodiversity is rapidly declining in the US. The overall bird population decreased by 29% since 1970, while grassland birds declined by an alarming 53%. A new study points to...
Native trees thrive in teak plantations and may protect the Panama Canal
Native to India, teak is the go-to species for reforestation in Central America. But teak often underperforms in the nutrient poor soils that dominate tropical landscapes. To discover if the...
Firefighters free dog with head stuck in cinder block wall
Firefighters and animal protection officers in Arizona came to the rescue of a dog with its head stuck in a cinder block wall.
200,000 years ago, humans preferred to kip cozy
Researchers in South Africa's Border Cave have found evidence that people have been using grass bedding to create comfortable areas for sleeping and working on at least 200,000 years ago.
Becoming a nerve cell: Timing is of the essence
Researchers find that mitochondria regulate a key event during brain development: how neural stem cells become nerve cells. Mitochondria influence this cell fate switch during a precise period that is...
Newly identified gut cells nurture lymph capillaries
IBS research team has identified new subsets of gut connective cells, which are crucial for lymphatic growth.The findings imply a crucial link between the physiology of intestinal environment and biological...
Will 2020 Be the Hottest Year on Record?
It will certainly place in the top five—a marker of how much the world has warmed -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Measuring microplastics in seafood
Analysis reveals the types of polymers and concentrations of microplastics in oysters, prawns, crabs, squid, and sardines
Bad Bunny wins big at Premios Juventud 2020
Bad Bunny took home a leading eight awards at the 2020 Premios Juventud awards show.
The search for molecular glue in targeted disease control
In cells, there are proteins that do the work and proteins that regulate them. The latter inhibit or enhance activity, depending on the need. However, in many diseases—for example cancer—there...
Research helps explain source of pathogen that causes bitter rot disease
Fungal spores responsible for bitter rot disease, a common and devastating infection in fruit, do not encounter their host plants by chance. Turns out, they have a symbiotic association with...