Happy Face Genetics
Differences in a gene influence how much time we spend looking at happy faces.
Killer Whale Microphone
An underwater microphone takes inspiration from the ears of killer whales.
Stop Smoking Texts
Encouraging text messages help smokers kick the habit.
Loudest Animal
The mating calls of an insect called the water boatman are much louder than expected given the bug’s diminutive size.
Medical Roundup
New research lends clues to why a bad sunburn hurts so much.
Comfort Food Hormone
A hormone called ghrelin is a key part of how stress triggers mice to seek out fatty food.
Bat Navigation
Bats have tiny hairs on their wings that help them maneuver in complete darkness.
Appliance Roundup
Some of the world’s most forbidding environments occur right in our own homes, but microorganisms are finding a way to colonize them.
Neurons from Skin
Two teams of scientists have converted skin cells directly into neurons.
Promiscuous Finches
Promiscuity-related genes in finches may exist to exist solely to benefit males.
Double Dolphin Sonar
Using precision instruments, scientists have discovered a second dolphin echolocation signal previously unknown to science.
Waste Heat Cooling
A prototype cooling system runs on waste heat from car exhaust.
Theta Waves
A type of spontaneous brain activity seems to create favorable conditions for remembering things.
Kids & Pet Allergies
A new study suggests that babies exposed to pets in the home are less likely to develop allergies to them.
Nature Roundup
Scientists are sequencing the genomes of thousands of insect species.
Brain Folding Gene
A tiny fragment of a single gene makes or breaks the all-important folding of brain tissue.
Rainbow Polymer
Color-shifting polymers could make money and other documents harder to copy.
Deaf Vision
The retinas of people who have been deaf from birth enhance their peripheral vision.
Reindeer Vision
Reindeer can detect ultraviolet light with their retinas, which may help them survive dark Arctic winters.