Every neuron and connection in the brain of a fly has been mapped—twice. On Friday, researchers announced the completion of […]
Tag: Biology
Just like a fruit fly, a new algorithm never forgets old scents
Insect-inspired “sparse coding” does fast learning, avoids catastrophic forgetting. Fruit flies aren’t exactly famous for their brainpower; you’ve probably drowned […]
Meet the 2026 Ig Nobel Prize winners
The annual award ceremony features miniature operas, scientific demos, and “24/7″ lectures. Ig Nobel Master of Ceremonies Marc Abraham. Credit: […]
Lab supply companies have been selling antibodies using manipulated images
Antibodies play a central role in your body’s immune defense. But they’re also nearly ubiquitous in biological research, being essential […]
Putting mice into hibernation causes a major loss of synapses
Hibernation cuts down on synapses, but mice seem to retain memories anyway. Our leading hypothesis for how our memories are […]
X-rays add new twist to narwhal’s spiral tusk
A double helix Scientists know that the tusk consistently twists in the left-handed direction and that it is composed of […]
Did poop enable the evolution of complex animals?
“The advent of fecal pellets,” wrote Kimming and Bicknell, “provided an additional source of organic carbon, as well as iron, […]
Dogs can tell if you’re scared or sad
Any dog owner would tell you that their canine companions are attuned to their humans’ emotional state and respond accordingly. […]
How snails engineer their slime
C. nemoralis also secretes two different kinds of protective mucus when disturbed. One is a sticky yellow mucus similar to […]
Parasitic zombie-ant fungus thrives in mosses, too
The parasitic fungi in the Cordyceps genus are a favorite subject of nature documentaries. They’ve also infiltrated popular culture via […]