Moonlighting Genes Evolve for a Venomous Job
An unexpected mechanism allows wasps to rapidly co-opt genes for new toxic functions
Stories by Christie Wilcox
How a Wasp Turns Cockroaches into Zombies
A special chemical blend injected into the brains of cockroaches makes them pawns in the jewel wasp’s control—and perfect live food for its offspring
How a Wasp Turns Cockroaches into Zombies
A special chemical blend injected into the brains of cockroaches makes them pawns in the jewel wasp’s control—and perfect live food for its offspring
"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for."
A year and a half ago, the decision to pack up shop at ScienceBlogs and begin blogging at Scientific American was an easy one. The inimitable Bora Zivkovic had assembled a blogging dream team, a group of people I respected and admired and couldn't wait to call networkmates.
Small Guts May Be a Tradeoff for Big Brains
Big brains may mean small guts
Gingrey is a bad doctor, says science
"I’ve delivered lots of babies, and I know about these things" — apparently, Phil, you don't. Photo by CQ Roll Call. It seems like every time a male republican tries to talk about women, he somehow says something stupid and misogynistic.
Fake Feces To Treat Deadly Disease: Scientists Find They Can Just Make Sh*t Up
Though childish songs make crude jokes, there's nothing funny about diarrhea. Aside from the painful, twisting feeling in your guts, there's just something psychologically upsetting about losing control of your bowels.
People With Brown Eyes Appear More Trustworthy, But That's Not The Whole Story
Take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror. I want you to really examine your features—the curves, lines and shapes that make up your face. How broad is your chin?
Parasitic Wasps Master Microbiology In Addition To Neurochemistry
"Oh, beauty is a beguiling call to death, and I'm addicted to the sweet pitch of its siren." - Johnny Quid, RocknRolla Female of the Emerald cockroach wasp Ampulex compressa manipulating an American cockroach, Periplaneta americana , which has been made docile by wasp venom and that will serve as food for the wasp larva.
Expensive Organs: Guppies Reveal The Cost Of Big Brains
There's a lot to be said for smarts—at least we humans, with some of the biggest brains in relation to our bodies in the animal kingdom, certainly seem to think so.
Science Sushi: 2012 in Review
Tonight, we usher in a brand new year and say farewell to 2012. The first full year here at Scientific American Blogs. The year of the Higgs Boson. The year Curiosity landed on Mars.
Happy Holidays, from my tank to yours!
Stumpy (devil scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis diabolus ) and Ginny (Hawaiian green lionfish, Dendrochirus barberi ) wishing you the best this holiday season!
The Best Gangnam Parody I've Seen Yet
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to do a great parody video, but if you have some to include, it's even more brilliant:
Don't Pee On It: Zinc Emerges As New Jellyfish Sting Treatment
Biochemist and venom expert Angel Yanagihara Nothing can turn a fun day at the beach into a nightmare faster than a jellyfish sting, as Angel Yanagihara, researcher at the University of Hawaii, learned firsthand when she was swimming off Kaimana beach in 1997.
Corals Recruit Fish Bodyguards To Protect Them From Seaweed
Reefs recruit fish as bodyguards
Plant's Cry For Help Attracts The Wrong Crowd
A simple white butterfly caterpillar ( Pieris rapae ) nibbles blissfully on a cabbage leaf, completely unaware of the complex interspecies interactions he has just set in motion.
Musical Monday: As Hard As It Is
Welcome to Musical Monday, where I feature an original song just for the heck of it. Want to hear more? Check out my previous musical posts: Time - and brain chemistry - heal all wounds, Biochemically, All Is Fair, Taking Einstein's Advice and the first Musical Monday: Stay Near Me.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but Wild Sex excites me
We humans like to think we have the corner on kink. We bust out our whips and chains, flouting our sexual ingenuity. But, as Dr. Carin Bondar has been telling audiences for years, our sex lives are PG-13 in comparison to those in the animal kingdom.
Advice for grad students: own it.
Recently, the always brilliant Jeremy Yoder put up a fantastic post with some unsolicited advice for getting through grad school. Then, he (on the advice of the ever-infallible Scicurious), decided to make a carnival of it: "Knowing What I Know Now".
Tis the season of giving
Thank you to everyone who came out and donated for the annual Science Bloggers for Students Donors Choose drive - we raised $25,074 for student science programs across the country!
