If you cannot engineer the organism, engineer its microbiome. Since scientists began exploring how to solve problems using synthetic biology, by focusing on microbial symbionts, a whole universe of possibilities…
Category: Life
How Stress Types Differently Impact Brain and Behavior
Summary: Stress is a universal experience, but not all stress affects the brain in the same way. A new study in rats reveals that acute stress provokes anxiety-like behaviors, especially…
Education Gap Is Speeding Up Aging in Millions of People
Summary: A new study reveals that Americans with less education are aging faster than those with more schooling, and the divide has widened over the past three decades. Biological age—measuring…
Frilly bug feet inspire a water-striding robot
Ripple bugs’ nimble movements on the surface of water inspired a robot with automatically unfurling fans on its feet.
Around the world, birds sing longer in light-polluted areas
Light pollution makes birds work overtime. A behavioral analysis of nearly 600 bird species suggests that light pollution from human development can lengthen the time birds spend singing by nearly…
GLP podcast: ‘Hyperreality.’ How the digital world severs our connection to truth
Endless social media feeds, 24-hour news cycles, and AI-driven search engines have empowered us to curate the content we consume and even the people we interact with. It’s an unprecedented…
Experimental Drugs Reverse Autism Symptoms
Summary: Researchers have identified hyperactivity in the reticular thalamic nucleus as a driver of autism-like behaviors in mice. This brain region, which gates sensory information, was found to be overactive…
These giant carnivorous bats hug, cuddle — and even share dinner
Even for the world’s largest carnivorous bat, a hug is the best hello. Spectral bats are far more cooperative than researchers long assumed, routinely greeting one another with wing wraps…
Chi-Yun Kuo – Functional Ecologists
In this blog post, we hear from Associate Editor Chi-Yun Kuo, Associate Professor at Kaohsiung Medical University. Chi-Yun’s primary research interests are in understanding how animals can modify their behaviours…
“Eureka!”: Surprising Brain Clues Predict When Inspiration Will Hit
Summary: A new study has shown that the brain leaves subtle traces of creativity minutes before an “aha!” moment. By filming mathematicians solving difficult problems, researchers found that behavior grew…
