Biology

Is this the altruism gene?

Researchers have identified a gene associated with empathy and sociability, and you can tell if someone has it just by watching their body language. The altruism gene is actually a variant of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene. People with one version of this gene, the GG variant, said that they experience high levels of empathy,…

io9 Tim Barribeau

Our bodies are a global marketplace where bacteria trade genes

There is a vast, unseen marketplace that connects us all. The traders are the trillions of bacteria that live on or within our bodies; the commodities they exchange are genes. This flow of genes around our bodies allows bacteria to rapidly evolve new skills, including the abilities to resist antibiotics, cause disease, or break down…

io9 Ed Yong - Not Exactly Rocket Science

Invasive rats could be the savior of pollinating plants

About 90% of flowering plants require animals to pollinate them, and that includes about two-thirds of the world’s crops. The extinction of pollinating organisms could spell disaster… but the very species that are killing them off could prove excellent substitutes. The need for plants to be pollinated by insects and other creatures is one of…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

The National Science Foundation is slated to receive a 2.5% increase in its 2012 budget!

Congress is expected to approve three spending bills by week’s end that would grant the National Science Foundation a 2.5% bump in it’s 2012 budget. It might not sound like a lot, but a 2.5% budget boost translates to a 173-million dollar increase over this year’s funds; that’s 173-million dollars that the NSF can put…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Fish enjoy a good massage as much as humans

It’s not exactly a secret that many humans derive pleasure from massages, and previous research has shown other primates enjoy it as well. And now, we’ve found the first non-primate to use massages to relieve stress: the surgeonfish. Surgeonfish are one of a number of fish species that enlist tiny cleaner wrasse fish to clean…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Bats can instantly change the shape of their ears just to hear better

Bats rely on their hearing more than any other mammal. After all, bats navigate the night sky by hearing the results of their echolocation, their natural sonar system. Turns out that’s just the beginning of what makes bat-hearing amazing. In order to better hear the returning ultrasonic pulses that they send out, bats can actually…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

The world’s first lab-grown hamburger could be created by August of 2012

There’s no two ways about it: humans love meat. By 2030, it’s estimated that the world’s annual meat production will reach 376 million tons, up from 218 million tons in 1999. But conventional meat production is notoriously wasteful, and it’s becoming more and more unsustainable by the day. Many scientists believe that meat grown in…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

The ongoing mystery of the magnetosensing cows

Back in 2008, a team of German researchers published a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that claimed to demonstrate that cattle, when resting or grazing, actually align their bodies along the Earth’s magnetic fields. The team’s results — which were based on satellite imagery of over 8,500 cattle from different regions…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

For some shrimp, monogamy requires sacrifices. Blood sacrifices.

The cleaner shrimp is perfectly happy to live out its life in peace and tranquility with its monogamous partner. But add any more shrimp to the mix — even another happy couple — and the whole thing turns into a bloodbath. This particular cleaner shrimp species is Lysmata amboinensis, a hermaphroditic species that lives in…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Could breast milk solve the stem cell controversy?

The use of embryonic stem cells in medical research has been a hot-button moral and ethical debate for years — but there may be a way to sidestep the issue entirely. Scientists have now isolated embryonic-like stem cells in human breast milk. Researchers at the University of Western Australia first found stem cells in breast…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Sex in the Animal Kingdom

Sex is probably the most popular pastime in the history of life on Earth — which makes it all the more ridiculous that so many of us have such a mealy-mouthed way of talking about it. Take the expression “the birds and the bees,” which we use to avoid speaking more explicitly about courtship and…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

All the noise we’re making is driving birds crazy

This might seem like a bit of just deserts for all the times people have been woken up early by chirping birds, but human noise pollution is actually making it impossible for birds to mate. Humanity has crossed the line! Yes, as far as birds are concerned, humans have pretty much become the inconsiderate roommate…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Dinosaurs moved fast because of their giant, powerful butts

Dinosaurs ruled Earth for 160 million years, but they didn’t get that way by running everywhere. What little we can tell about dinosaur anatomy suggests they could barely run at all. But they could power walk…thanks to their muscular rumps. Modern mammals and flightless birds share some common anatomical features in how they run. Specifically,…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Ape hand gestures reveal where humans evolved language

Until recently, scientists figured that the origins of human language could be found in our vocal cords. That seems reasonable enough, but the latest evidence suggests our hands are actually the source of language…and a bunch of hand-waving primates agree. The latest theories of language evolution suggest that how we make the sounds of language…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Watch the largest polar bear gathering in the world live via HD webcam

Every autumn, around 1,000 of the world’s estimated 20,000 polar bears make their way to Churchill, Manitoba, a small town situated on the shore of northeastern Canada’s Hudson Bay. There, the polar bears wait for the bay to freeze over so that they can hunt for seals and other marine mammals, and accumulate fat stores…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Squids and Octopi Change From Invisible to Camouflaged in a Snap

Squids and octopi are mesmerizing creatures when you can get a look at them. But that’s not so easy thanks to their magical invisibility and camouflage powers. Sarah Zylinski and Sönke Johnsen of Duke University recently learned that the octopus Japetella heathi and the squid Onychoteuthis banksii become camouflaged when faced with bright light, then…

Tech News Kristen Philipkoski

The growing evidence for octopus intelligence

Humans want to believe that they’re the smartest creatures on the planet. But the more we understand octopuses, the more it seems that we may not be alone in our ability to solve problems, make complex connections between ideas, and survive by wits alone. A growing body of evidence — a lot of it still…

io9 Annalee Newitz

The tiny genetic tweak that gives mice super strength

An inhibitor in your body might be sapping your strength, taking away your endurance, making you feel cold, and giving you diabetes. When scientists eliminated it, they unlocked the key to super strength in both mice and worms. Find out what’s in your body that’s making you weak. Your worst enemy could be floating around…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Africa’s Western black rhino has been declared extinct

In 2006, researchers undertook an extensive search for Western black rhinos in Cameroon, the place where the species was last sighted. No rhinos were found. Researchers failed to turn up any evidence of their dung, tracks, or signs of feeding. Had the rare subspecies of black rhinoceros gone the way of the dodo? Sadly, yes.…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Deep sea cephalopods can switch between transparent or opaque for better camouflage

Cephalopods continue to astound us on a daily basis. New research has shown that deep sea cephalopods not only have incredible camouflage powers, but can switch between being transparent and opaque at will. For sea creatures, the best type of camouflage depends greatly on the conditions and the depth. When it’s comparatively light, transparency is…

io9 Tim Barribeau

Is this the altruism gene?

Our bodies are a global marketplace where bacteria trade genes

Invasive rats could be the savior of pollinating plants

The National Science Foundation is slated to receive a 2.5% increase in its 2012 budget!

Fish enjoy a good massage as much as humans

Bats can instantly change the shape of their ears just to hear better

The world’s first lab-grown hamburger could be created by August of 2012

The ongoing mystery of the magnetosensing cows

For some shrimp, monogamy requires sacrifices. Blood sacrifices.

Could breast milk solve the stem cell controversy?

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Sex in the Animal Kingdom

All the noise we’re making is driving birds crazy

Dinosaurs moved fast because of their giant, powerful butts

Ape hand gestures reveal where humans evolved language

Watch the largest polar bear gathering in the world live via HD webcam

Squids and Octopi Change From Invisible to Camouflaged in a Snap

The growing evidence for octopus intelligence

The tiny genetic tweak that gives mice super strength

Africa’s Western black rhino has been declared extinct

Deep sea cephalopods can switch between transparent or opaque for better camouflage

Pompeii Study Confirms Roman ‘Wine’ Ritual Previously Known Only From Texts

JBL Clears Out a 5.0-Channel Compact All-in-One Soundbar at a Record Low Beyond Its Portable Speaker Deals

Andy Weir Says Paramount Rejected His ‘Star Trek’ Pitch, Proceeds to Blast Modern ‘Trek’

Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station Is 50% Off as Amazon’s Spring Sale Pushes Into Its Final Clear-Out

Anker’s USB-C Docking Station With Detachable Hub Hits an All-Time Low in Amazon’s Spring Sale, Likely the Last Chance Before Prime Day

The Sadie Sink ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Rumors Just Keep Swirling

This Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader Now Costs About as Much as a Few Paper Books, While Amazon’s Spring Sale Price Still Holds

Lenovo Tab One Becomes an Even Better Budget Tablet Pick Below $100, Now Bundled With a Case in Amazon’s Spring Sale

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Let us help find what you are looking for...