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y_chromosome (1)

Long Live the Y

By Megan Scudellari | February 22, 2012

Despite suggestions to the contrary, the Y chromosome is not necessarily rotting away.

Flickr, Images_of_Money

Opinion: Good, But Not Good Enough

By Umberto Galderisi | February 22, 2012

Funding only outstanding researchers is increasing the gap between good and great labs and forcing some out of science in search of a bigger paycheck.

Bluetongue lizard Scott Maxworthy, Flickr

Behavior Brief

By Megan Scudellari | February 21, 2012

A round-up of recent discoveries in behavior research

Prostate cancer Wikimedia commons, Nephron

News from AAAS

By Jef Akst | February 20, 2012

A roundup of recent research announced last weekend at the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Colorized transmission electron micrograph of Avian influenza A H5N1 viruses (in gold)Wikimedia Commons, CDC

Bird Flu Paper Publication Delayed

By Jef Akst | February 17, 2012

The World Health Organization announced today that it recommends publishing the two controversial H5N1 papers in full, as soon as a few details are worked out. And Science is listening.

Screenshot from a video produced by Panasonic Hollywood Labs (PHL) featuring Murayama’s work

Building Flowers

By Jef Akst | February 16, 2012

An architecture graduate constructs intricate botanical illustrations using the computer graphics programs intended to design buildings.

Courtesy of im.no.hero via Flickr

Boozing for Better Health

By Megan Scudellari | February 16, 2012

Fruit flies consume alcohol to kill off parasites.

Virus modelsFlickr, Razza Mathadsa

Opinion: What Is Life?

By Edward N. Trifonov | February 16, 2012

Designing the simplest possible living organism artificially may lend clues as to what life is.

Prion fibrils Valerie Sim, niaid.nih.gov

Propitious Prions

By Megan Scudellari | February 15, 2012

Often thought to be artifacts of the lab, prions in yeast may actually drive the evolution of beneficial traits.

A microrocketAmerican Chemical Society, Courtesy of Joseph Wang, UCSD

Next Generation: Rockets for the Gut

By Edyta Zielinska | February 14, 2012

Researchers develop a tiny device that motors around the stomach, fueled by its acidic environment.