Big things can sometimes come in small packages. A small fern has broken the record for the largest genome yet known, researchers report May 31 in iScience. The plant’s full…
Category: Life
A built-in pocket protector keeps sawfish from ‘sword fighting’ in the womb
Smalltooth sawfish develop their signature, long, tooth-lined snout while still in the womb. The needle-sharp teeth are encased in a specialized sheath that prevents the rays from cutting up their…
Human body lice could harbor the plague and spread it through biting
Rats and their fleas take the rap for spreading the plague, but lice that infest people may share the blame. Human body lice can harbor plague-causing bacteria and can transmit…
Sumatran orangutans start crafting their engineering skills as infants
At six months old, human infants are still working on sitting up by themselves. But baby orangutans at that age are already developing their engineering skills. Orangutans build complex sleeping…
Genetic analyses of the bird flu virus unveil its evolution and potential
A flurry of reports about the genetics of the bird flu currently infecting U.S. cattle are offering insight into how the virus has and continues to spread. Since it first…
How did an ancient shark parasite end up fossilized in tree resin?
During its lifetime nearly 100 million years ago, a newfound parasitic worm likely made its home in the bellies of fish. So how one ended up preserved in amber, fossilized…
Tiger beetles may weaponize ultrasound against bats
Sounding like a toxic moth might keep some beetles safe from hungry bats. When certain tiger beetles hear an echolocating bat draw near, they respond with extremely high-pitched clicks. This…
Cows might host both human and bird flus
Cows have entry portals for both human and bird flus. This new finding may mean that cattle could host both types of flus at once. The two viruses could then…
A New Era in Neuroscience with Generative AI
Summary: Researchers developed a groundbreaking model called Brain Language Model (BrainLM) using generative artificial intelligence to map brain activity and its implications for behavior and disease. BrainLM leverages 80,000 scans…
Do We Really Learn From Failure?
Summary: A recent study investigated how cardiothoracic surgeons learn from failures, revealing that there is a threshold beyond which they no longer gain knowledge from their mistakes. The research highlights…
