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Genome analysis of stored potato leaf samples identified exactly what strain of blight ravaged potatoes in the Irish Famine. Sophie Bushwick reports.
Mice given a healthy colony of human gut bacteria were able to ward off infections by pathogen E. coli bacteria. Christopher Intagliata reports
Harlequin ladybirds carry a parasite that does not kill them--but does kill other ladybug species that attempt to eat the harlequin progeny. Sophie Bushwick reports
Isotopic analysis of fluid seeping from an isolated Canadian underground reservoir indicates that the water has been sequestered for at least 1.5 billion years. Sophie Bushwick reports
A study analyzed nearly 1,000 speed dates and their aftermaths to find out what conversational cues work best for people to click. Amy Kraft reports
Equestrians who use the bouncy "rising trot" actually keep their center of mass more steady when they stand, which reduces the force on the horse's back. Karen Hopkin reports
Analyses of sediment cores show that Arctic summers 3.6 million years ago were a good 8 degrees Celsius warmer than they are today, and supported Douglas fir and hemlock. Sophie Bushwick reports
With a relatively small surface area to body volume, elephant heat dissipation is limited to the point where extended exertion in the heat can be fatal. Sophie Bushwick reports
Researchers offer tips to racking up Twitter followers, based on an analysis of over 500 active tweeters and their half million tweets during a 15-month stretch. Christopher Intagliata reports
Elderly people who played a video game that challenged their brain processing speed showed improvements in executive function compared with those who did crossword puzzles. Amy Kraft reports
Compared with kids who graduated high school the 1970s, Millennial teens are more interested in material signs of success and less concerned with working to get them. Karen Hopkin reports
Volunteer listeners expressed preferences for voice qualities that ordinarily correlate with specific body dimensions. Sophie Bushwick reports
A small network of smartphones can analyze rifle shot shockwaves, enabling users to locate the source of the shots. Christopher Intagliata reports
Cultural transmission is behind the recent spread of a hunting technique called "lobtail" feeding among humpback whales off New England. Sophie Bushwick reports
People watching a robot being beaten felt similar emotions as when they watched a human apparently being abused. Sophie Bushwick reports
Volunteers who watched video of pro poker players could discern the quality of the cards in play by how the players moved their arms when adding chips to the pot. Steve Mirsky reports
Compared with males that lived someplace quiet, roadside-dwelling grasshoppers selectively boosted the bass notes in their mating calls to be heard above traffic noise. Karen Hopkin reports
Bitter substances block calcium channels, which can relax the tissue that tightens up during asthma attacks. Sophie Bushwick reports
Circadian rhythms may influence the timing of cell division, which could inform the timing of some therapies. Christopher Intagliata reports
Listeners' reactions to new music were associated with activity in the nucleus accumbens, a section of the brain's pleasure center. Sophie Bushwick reports
Stingrays that interact with humans at an interactive tourism area change their normal activity patterns and interact with each other more aggressively than animals not dealing with people. Amy Kraft reports
Location-tagged tweets enabled researchers to calculate the dominant language of any given region, down to neighborhoods in New York City. Sophie Bushwick reports
The tiny protuberences on the leaves of the kidney bean plant ensnare the feet of bed bugs, trapping them in place. Christopher Intagliata reports
Climate models and turbulence algorithms forecast that, by mid-century, clear-air turbulence will be more violent and transatlantic flights will hit it twice as often. Christopher Intagliata reports
Detection dogs fed diets high in fat were better at sniffing out explosives and contraband than dogs given their regular food. Amy Kraft reports
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notscientific "Many of the world's glaciers will disappear by the end of the century." By @FrontierSi http://t.co/QRpJNs9fMW #scilogs notscientific I interview the awesome @Sci_Phile about how he mixes pop culture and science http://t.co/igDmk12iOi #sciamblogs
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