Catherine Griffin : Science World Report

Nov 04, 2013 10:43 AM EST

DNA from Mom and Dad: New Method Personalizes Medicine

Is your DNA from mom or from dad? Particular genetic sequences can come from different sides of the family tree. Now, scientists have developed a new technique that successfully determines whether these genetic sequences come from an individual's mother or father.

Nov 04, 2013 10:00 AM EST

Synaptic Transistor Mimics Behavior of the Human Brain by Learning

Scientists have made a huge step toward creating more efficient and capable supercomputers. They've designed a new type of transistor that mimics the behavior of a synapse in a human brain.

Nov 04, 2013 09:14 AM EST

Unusual Life Form Uses 'Back Door' to Replicate: Implications for Cancer Spread

Life isn't as straightforward as you might expect. Scientists have discovered that a rudimentary form of life that is found in some of the harshest environments on Earth is able to sidestep normal replication processes and reproduce by the "back door." The findings could have implications for life o...

Nov 04, 2013 08:31 AM EST

NASA Launches Mission to Measure Changes in Greenland Ice Sheet and Arctic Melt

NASA has now launched its first ever airborne campaign to measure changes in the height of the Greenland Ice Sheet and surrounding Arctic sea ice produced by a single season of summer melt.

Nov 04, 2013 07:43 AM EST

Global Warming Led to Dwarfism in Mammals: Impacts of Climate Change

Mammals don't just change their behaviors when things heat up; they may also change their sizes. Scientists have discovered that mammal body size decreased significantly during at least two ancient global warming events--and a similar outcome may be possible for current warming trends.

Nov 02, 2013 01:56 PM EDT

Plant Production Declines in Drylands as Climate Change Impacts Soil

As our climate shifts, drylands in the world are becoming even drier. Water isn't the only resource that will come in short supply, though; the levels of nutrients in the soil will also likely be affected. Now, scientists have found that as the climate changes, plants could experience a decline whic...

Nov 02, 2013 01:55 PM EDT

Geoengineering the Climate May Reduce Vital Monsoonal Rains

Geoengineering the climate holds the potential to potentially reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Now, though, scientists have found that this method may not be the "quick fix" that some once believed it to be. It turns out that geoengineering could severely impact rainfall and sn...

Nov 02, 2013 01:55 PM EDT

NASA Hubble Telescope Identifies Youngest Galaxy in the Universe Yet

Astronomers have officially identified the earliest galaxy ever detected. In a major new survey of the early universe conducted by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, scientists have discovered the most distant galaxy yet.

Nov 01, 2013 10:45 AM EDT

Rare Tallgrass Prairies Hold Diverse Life Just Beneath the Surface

Tallgrass prairies once spread across the vast plains of America, providing a home to dozens of species of grasses that could grow to the height of a man, hundreds of species of flowers and herds of roaming bison. Now, scientists have gotten a closer peek at a vitally important community of tallgras...

Nov 01, 2013 10:05 AM EDT

Butterflies Reveal Evolution of a New Species May Not be so Difficult

What do butterflies tell us about evolution? It turns out that they can reveal quite a bit about the process. By studying the full genome sequences of 32 Heliconius butterflies, scientists have found that the evolution of new species might not be as hard as it seems, even when diverging populations ...

Nov 01, 2013 09:24 AM EDT

Underwater Robot Fish Influence Golden Shiner Swimming Behavior

Robots are gaining steam in the world of biology. They're showing researchers exactly how they can influence species to perform different behaviors. Now, scientists have discovered that a robotic fish can be used to understand and influence the complex swimming behaviors of schooling fish.

Nov 01, 2013 08:54 AM EDT

Dog's Tail Wag Says a Lot: What Your Canine is Communicating

You may think that a dog's wagging tail just means that he's happy to see you. But it turns out that a dog's tail wag means a lot more than that. Researchers have found that dogs recognize and respond differently when their fellow canines wag to the right than they do when they wag to the left.