'Unselfish' genes that make plants cooperate could boost crop yields:
A simple breeding experiment can identify genetic variants that make plants grow well without impeding their neighbours, improving overall yields
Bats and death metal singers use the same throat structure to growl:
Daubenton’s bats use false vocal folds in their throat to produce a lower frequency grunt for communication – the same structure that lets death metal singers growl
Gliding sensors inspired by floating seeds will biodegrade after use:
A biodegradable glider based on the seeds of the Javan cucumber, which float for long distances, could be used to monitor the environment without leaving polluting e-waste
Boarding school rules on phones and bedtimes help teens get more sleep:
At one high school, students who boarded had a consistent lights-out time and no phone access in bed, with these students getting almost five hours of extra sleep a week compared with the students who only attended school during the day
Do we have 'immunity debt' and how could it affect our infection risk?:
The covid-19 lockdowns undoubtedly saved many lives, but the prolonged restrictions also reduced our exposure and immunity to other infections, which could be set to spike in the UK this winter
Brain mapping in mice may explain why pain makes us lose our appetite:
Researchers have identified different pathways that lower a mouse's desire to eat when it's in pain - and a similar brain circuit could also occur in humans
A rat without a Y chromosome could be a glimpse of our genetic future:
Researchers have figured out how the Amami spiny rat lost its Y chromosome, and some believe the same fate may be in store for humans
Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano is erupting for the first time since 1984:
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the world’s largest active volcano is erupting in Hawaii, after weeks of increased activity at the caldera
Japanese firm ispace is racing to put first private lander on the moon:
The Japanese Hakuto-R lander is vying to be the first privately-funded spacecraft to land on the moon
Ancient predator was one of first vertebrates to grow fast while young:
The bones of 2-metre-long tetrapod Whatcheeria reveal that it had an early growth spurt – a trait that was thought to have evolved later