The mummified remains of of a land-dwelling vertebrate are helping to reveal how early ancient reptiles began to take a breath with their whole chests — the breathing style used…
Category: Life
Single Immune Switch Drives Both Arthritis and Alzheimer’s
Summary: Inflammation is the body’s natural defense, but when it gets stuck in the “on” position, it drives everything from sepsis to Alzheimer’s. A comprehensive review identifies a protein called…
A new book finds parenting inspiration in the animal kingdom
The Creatures’ Guide to Caring Elizabeth PrestonViking, $30 My early days of nursing a newborn felt like I’d transformed into a 24-hour diner. A demanding yet adorable customer flagged me…
Edge of Chaos: Why Pigeons Refuse to Become “Machines”
Summary: If you found a guaranteed way to get a reward, you’d probably stick to it, right? According to a new study, pigeons aren’t that predictable. Researchers tested the century-old…
AI Body Gap: Why Robots Need “Internal Feelings” to be Safe
Summary: When you reach for a saltshaker, your brain isn’t just calculating coordinates; it’s listening to your body’s sense of balance, the friction on your skin, and your internal level…
Individual Cone Cells Create Our Sharpest Sight
Summary: We’ve long known that the human eye is capable of incredible detail, but a “missing link” in science remained: does that sharp vision come from the eyes, the brain,…
Cicadas use darkness cues from shadows to move toward trees
When periodical cicadas surface after years underground, they don’t grope blindly for trees. They head for the shadows, researchers report March 20 in the American Naturalist. A detailed analysis of…
Fossil reveals that an early relative of spiders had claws
A stunningly preserved fossil shows that early relatives of spiders and scorpions were already armed with their hallmark front claws about half a billion years ago. The newly described animal…
