Single-celled marine organism first to be found releasing oxygen in the dark

A previously unknown biological pathway allows a widespread type of oceanic archaeon to release both oxygen and nitrogen in the dark – the first time such a phenomenon has been seen in nature in an anoxic environment. The process, whose details are not yet fully understood, could transform scientists’ understanding of the cycle of key […]

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Dolphin females have working clitoris, anatomical evidence suggests

Like humans, female dolphins have a functional clitoris, according to a study appearing January 10 in the journal Current Biology. The findings are based on the discovery that the clitoris-like structure positioned in the vaginal entrance of bottlenose dolphins has lots of sensory nerves and erectile bodies. “The dolphin clitoris has many features to suggest that […]

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Rare African script offers clues to the evolution of writing

The world’s very first invention of writing took place over 5,000 years ago in the Middle East, before it was reinvented in China and Central America. Today, almost all human activities—from education to political systems and computer code—rely on this technology. But despite its impact on daily life, we know little about how writing evolved […]

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Exploring growth within a confined space

Grow a tomato inside a square box, and you’ll end up with a square tomato. It’s an experiment that shows clearly how confinement can influence a body’s evolving shape. Now, MIT and Yale University researchers have developed a theoretical framework to explain the mechanics of how growing bodies respond to confinement. To test their theory, […]

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James Webb Space Telescope nearly three quarters through its journey

More than two weeks after the James Webb Space Telescope’s launch on Christmas Day, the telescope has traveled about 700,000 miles from Earth. JWST has successfully deployed its secondary mirror, a key element of the telescope’s optics. Next, JWST will unfold its primary mirror segments. U-M astronomer Michael Meyer says that observing the telescope’s transformation […]

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Oxytocin, from love potion to medicine

Oxytocin appears to be involved in several types of attachment, including love. Marcel Hibert explains its chemical and biological mechanisms and the therapeutic hopes it inspires, notably in the treatment of autism. You have been studying oxytocin and its role in behavioural disorders for more than twenty years. You tell this story in Ocytocine mon […]

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Novel Brainstem Circuit Gives Rise to the Rhythms of Vocalization

The vocal sounds of humans – laughing, crying, and the babbling of babies – have the same rhythmic quality as the sounds made by many mammals, songbirds, and even some species of fish. Researchers at UC San Francisco have discovered that a small cluster of neurons in the brain stem not only regulates tempo but […]

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Case closed on how surfactant micelles create mesopores within zeolites

For years, zeolite researchers have argued over how surfactants create mesopores in zeolites, key catalysts in oil refining. Now, a new study settles the debate. Raman spectroscopy shows surfactants form micelles inside the zeolite, templating the mesopores from within. ‘Some authors suggested the formation of mesopores involved the dissolution of the zeolite to produce an […]

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