Fake spider webs cover suburban lawns every October, but did you know that scientists have recently created glowing spider silk sutures that dim if they encounter an infection in the host tissue?
Continue ReadingWhat do giraffes, angelfish, and seashells all have in common? Their surface patterns, from the patches on giraffe coats to the stripes on the angelfish, are formed through the reaction-diffusion process, a mathematical model describing the interplay between an activator and inhibitor.
Continue ReadingSelf-healing buildings and compostable bricks are astonishing architectural feats brought to you by fungi.
Continue ReadingHow will future astronauts and space voyagers build shelters? Turns out, their own blood might be key.
Continue ReadingOf all the creatures on earth, octopuses might be the most alien. They could not be more different from us, with powerful tentacles, three hearts, blue blood, and neurons spread…
Continue ReadingCancer is an immensely complex disease to treat. The number of mutations and combinations of mutations that can lead to its development make each “cure” more of a patch to…
Continue ReadingThink for a minute about your grandkid’s grandkids. Where are they living? Perhaps you momentarily considered the possibility of your intrepid descendants dwelling in outer space. You’re not alone: since…
Continue ReadingClass Cephalopoda is home to some of the most intelligent and mysterious critters in the sea. Including species of octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus, cephalopods are a type of mollusk…
Continue ReadingYou may have seen the anglerfish sex video floating around the Internet recently, with titles like “The worst sex in the world is anglerfish sex, and now there’s finally video.”…
Continue ReadingWhile the shock of an electric eel sounds like more of a medical nightmare than a fortunate asset, researchers at the University of Michigan were inspired to simulate the power…
Continue ReadingConjuring up two milliliters of spit after not eating/drinking 30 minutes prior doesn’t sound taxing, but give it a try, and you’ll quickly change your mind. Four years ago, I…
Continue ReadingThe science that plants rely on goes far beyond photosynthesis, the familiar process where plants use sunlight to help make food. In honor of spring’s pending arrival, it’s time to…
Continue ReadingWhen you think of scientific research that is worthy of international recognition, 10 trillion dollars, and a prize handed out by Nobel laureates, you are probably envisioning high-impact research that…
Continue ReadingTechnology moguls dream of human colonies on other planets. For this dream to become reality, science needs to develop new spacecraft capable of transporting people and cargo to the outer…
Continue ReadingCloned primates are here! Over three decades have passed since the birth of Dolly, the sheep, scientists have now tackled cloning mammals that are even closer to us on the evolutionary…
Continue ReadingWith each flu season comes a bombardment of new advertisements reminding people to get a flu vaccine. The vaccine is free to most and widely available, yet almost half of…
Continue ReadingWhether our favorite characters are trying to train them, ride them, or simply escape from them, there is no denying the prevalence of dragons in popular culture. Dragon myths have existed…
Continue ReadingEarlier this year, scientists from the Belmonte lab at the Salk Institute (La Jolla, CA) reported the first successful grafting of human stem cells into pig embryos. In other words, they were…
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