Consciousness
Some Patients Who ‘Died’ but Survived Report Lucid ‘Near-Death Experiences,’ a New Study Shows
In some cardiac arrest patients, a flurry of brain activity during life-saving CPR may be a sign of a “near-death experience”
Stories by Rachel Nuwer
Animals
How a Color-Changing Hogfish Knows whether Its Skin Is White, Brown or Polka-Dotted
A hogfish may provide the first example of a vertebrate with specialized light-detecting cells that reside outside the central nervous system
Ecology
Cute and Ugly Pygmy Lorises Are Actually Two Different Species
It turns out there are two species of mysterious, venomous pygmy lorises
Animals
Octopuses Redesign Their Own Brain When They Get Chilly
Hyperintelligent octopuses just got weirder: scientists have found the cephalopods can recode their brain when temperatures change
Animals
Gorillas’ Resilience after Early-Life Trauma Holds Lessons for Humans
A young mountain gorilla who is able to survive the tough early years may live as long or longer than peers who coasted through their youth without incident
Particle Physics
Strange Material Breaks a Classic Rule of Physics
An unusual semiconductor is making physicists rethink the science of extreme conditions
Animals
Bumblebees Show Off Their Own Puzzle-Solving Culture
Like chimpanzees, bees can learn specific strategies for opening a puzzle box and accessing a reward inside by mimicking the behavior of their trained mates
Animals
A Famed Dolphin-Human Fishing Partnership Is in Danger of Disappearing
A call for help sounds to ensure survival of a 140-year-old fishing partnership pairing cetaceans and humans
Evolution
Vertebrates May Have Used Vocal Communication More Than 100 Million Years Earlier Than We Thought
Animals with a backbone may have first emitted something akin to bleeps, grunts, crackles, toots and snorts more than 400 million years ago
Genetics
Why Elephants Don’t Get Cancer
Elephants use 20 copies of a key cancer-fighting gene—and humans just have one
Climate Change
Mountain Goats Battle Bighorn Sheep over Climate-Limited Resources
Climate change may be leading to strange hostilities between different animal species over limited resources
Endangered Species
Extinction Risk May Be Much Worse Than Current Estimates
A machine-learning algorithm predicts that more than half of the thousands of species whose conservation status has yet to be assessed are probably in danger of disappearing for good
Medicine
Two Cancer Patients Battle to Make Psilocybin Accessible for Palliative Care
Their efforts could benefit countless others in need of an end-of-life measure
Health Care
Universal Health Care Could Have Saved More Than 330,000 U.S. Lives during COVID
The numbers of lives lost and dollars spent would have been significantly lower if coverage had been extended to everyone, a new study says
Genetics
Stress Management Helped Wolves Become Dogs
Genetic mutations related to production of the stress hormone cortisol may have played a role in the process of canine domestication
Evolution
Ancient Giraffe Relative Was Evolution’s Headbutting Champion, Perhaps Besting Dinosaurs
Natural selection propels the giraffe family to absolute extremes—and it is not just about the absurdly long necks
Conservation
The Scientists Fighting for Parasite Conservation
Parasites play an outsize role in balancing ecosystems, and some species may be in danger
Conservation
Great Apes’ Biggest Threat Is Human Activity, Not Habitat Loss
An assessment of chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos reveals that our economic “footprint” is the primary driver of great apes’ fate
Animals
Rubbing Up against Sharks May Feel Good despite the Danger
Fish species were found deliberately chafing on sharks around the world, though why they do so is not entirely clear
Endangered Species
Disturbing Answers to the Mystery of Tuskless Female Elephants
Poaching brings evolutionary pressure for tusklessness
