To eat a sugar-filled diet, birds had to evolve some sweet genetic tricks. Birds that feed on nectar and fruits have important variants in genes that control metabolism, fat processing…
Category: Life
RFK, Jr.’s aversion to legislation raises the question: Will his revolution endure?
Over the course of his year in the Cabinet, Kennedy has racked up major wins for his Make America Healthy Again movement by pushing the limits of his executive authority.…
Brain Switch Identified for Unlearning Fear Faster
Summary: Unlearning a fear response—a process known as fear extinction—is essential for moving past a traumatic or threatening experience. A groundbreaking study reveals a specific “on/off switch” in the brain…
Climate change could threaten monarch mass migration
Climate change may threaten North America’s iconic mass monarch butterfly migration. Every fall, millions of monarchs (Danaus plexippus) travel thousands of kilometers over North America as they leave their breeding…
Keeping a beat wins caterpillars friends in low places
Some caterpillars speak ant by rocking to a beat. By jiggling like a cellphone receiving a call while on vibrate, the caterpillars cozy up to ants, reaping benefits for them both.…
Gut-Brain-Heart Axis: How Microbes Control Your Blood Pressure
Sumary: High blood pressure and heart failure might be managed through the gut. New research has identified a direct communication line between gut bacteria, the brain, and the heart. The…
An African monkey ate a rope squirrel and came down with mpox
A monkey making a meal of a squirrel may have sparked an outbreak. In early 2023, mpox broke out among a group of a few dozen sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) living…
Intricate silk helps net-casting spiders ensnare prey in webs
Rufus net-casting spiders can tune the stiffness and elasticity of their webs thanks to loops of silk, scanning electron microscope images reveal.
Chatbots Can Worsen Delusions and Mania
Summary: For many, AI chatbots are a helpful tool for productivity, but for those with severe mental illness, they may be a dangerous “echo chamber.” A new study warns that…
Moving Beyond Dopamine to Treat Schizophrenia
Summary: Schizophrenia treatment has been dominated by dopamine-targeting drugs for decades, but these often fail to address the debilitating cognitive and negative symptoms of the disorder. A comprehensive review synthesizes…
