Summary: Scientists have identified how depression alters the brain’s response to positive and negative stimuli, particularly in the amygdala, a key emotional processing center. The study found that depression reduces…
Category: Life
Male mosquitoes sometimes suck, too
Male mosquitoes may be nearly as bloodthirsty as females under certain conditions, new research suggests. That upends the notion that only female mosquitoes bite, drink blood and spread diseases while…
Individual Reward-Seeking Predicts Nicotine Response
Summary: A new study finds that individualistic reward-seeking behaviors in mice can predict their responses to nicotine. Conducted in a semi-natural environment called Souris-City, the research observed how male mice…
The U.S. empire was built on bird dung
In December 1855 and January 1856, a trio of vessels set sail from the United States to Jarvis and Baker islands, coral atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.…
Rwanda launches Gates-funded project to develop drought, virus and blight resistant crops
Farmers and agriculture sector leaders have said they expect a new five-year scheme called Rwanda Agricultural Biotechnology Program, to support improvement in crop productivity, by addressing production challenges including pests, diseases,…
Chick Calls Reveal Emotional States
Summary: Researchers have developed a way to measure stress in baby chicks using vocalizations, offering new insights into animal emotions. The study found that chicks alone produced higher-pitched, louder calls,…
The ‘Mekong ghost’ megafish has resurfaced after an extinction scare
The “Mekong ghost” fish is a ghost no more. Like the legendary Rip Van Winkle, who wandered into the woods and disappeared for 20 years, the giant salmon carp (Aaptosyax…
How insects can help catch rhino poachers
In 1988, police officers in Australia came for Ian Dadour. Not because the entomologist was under arrest, but because they needed his expertise. Investigators asked Dadour to estimate the ages…
Brain Signals Reveal How Aggression and Arousal Are Encoded
Summary: New research has uncovered that brain signals for aggression in male mice and sexual arousal in female mice are encoded by similar neural mechanisms. The studies found that a…
