Biology

Science

You Come From This Thing: The Oldest Animal Ever Discovered

2:00PM February 9, 2012 | Jesus Diaz

Scientists believe that this is the animal from which everything else evolved. The first multicellular being that spawned every living being in this world through billions of mutations, from fish to amphibians to reptiles to birds to mammals to you. More »


Science

Massages Feel Good Because It Changes Your Gene Expression

2:30AM February 7, 2012 | Jamie Condliffe

Stiff muscles definitely benefit from a rub down, but scientists have never quite known why. Now a team of researchers has shown that it works by changing your gene expression — quite literally, your body is hard-coded to release pain-easing chemicals when you’re massaged. More »


Science

Aussie Study: It Takes 24 Million Generations For A Mouse To Evolve Into An Elephant

7:15AM February 1, 2012 | Jamie Condliffe

If you’ve ever wondered how quickly evolution works, well, now you have an answer: slowly. Very. Slowly. In fact it takes at least 24 million generations for a mouse-sized animal to evolve to the size of an elephant. More »


Science

Drinking Doubles Lifespans, Reduces Stress**

8:00PM January 21, 2012 | Andrew Tarantola

**Restrictions may apply. Someone get me my whiskey-drinking cap, I’m gonna live forever! Wait, whaddya mean it only works for worms?!?! More »


Science

‘Extinct’ Giant Turtle Might Be One Of World’s Rarest Creatures

7:30PM January 10, 2012 | Kristen Philipkoski

A giant tortoise species presumed extinct for more than 150 years is actually roaming the Galápagos islands today according to DNA evidence, scientists report. More »


Science

Why Genetic Determinism Is Bad For Humans

10:40AM December 21, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

Do you prefer to run in packs or operate as a loner? Your answer is determined by your genes, a new study claims. It’s a big shift in social behaviour theory, since scientists previously thought the environment determined social behaviour. More »


Science

Foetuses Can Donate Their Stem Cells To Help Heal Their Mothers’ Hearts

12:00AM November 24, 2011 | Robert T. Gonzalez

Researchers have known for some time that women who experience weakened heart function in the months before and after childbirth (a condition known as peripartum cardiomyopathy) recover more quickly than any other group of heart failure patients. Now, a team of researchers from Mt Sinai School of Medicine thinks it may know why. More »


Science

Giant Sea Sponge And Possible Eames Inspiration Rediscovered

9:40AM November 18, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

Doesn’t this amazing sea sponge look like an Eames moulded plastic chairs? We can’t say for sure it was the design duo’s inspiration, but we do know that until it was recently rediscovered, scientists thought “Neptune’s cup” was extinct. More »


Science

Squids And Octopi Change From Invisible To Camouflaged In A Snap

4:30PM November 12, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

Squids and octopi are mesmerising creatures when you can get a look at them. But that’s not so easy thanks to their magical invisibility and camouflage powers. More »


Science

How The Biggest Biological Cells On Earth Work

5:00AM October 31, 2011 | Kristen Philipkoski

Have you ever heard of an endocycle? Endocycles are happening all around you! They’re one way that biological cells grow, and they generate more than half the earth’s biomass. But how exactly endocycles work has been elusive to scientists until now. More »