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Polar bears waste lots of their energy and it could be a problem

1 February 2018

We thought polar bears had neat tricks for conserving energy in lean periods, but it turns out they are not that thrifty, which could cause them trouble in the future

Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus) in the desert near Ayers Rock, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia

Evolution’s rules mean life on Earth isn’t that varied after all

9 October 2017

While there are millions of species on Earth, many of them have almost identical lifestyles, suggesting nature is more regular and rule-based than we thought

Are atheists really morally depraved? The idea defies logic

9 August 2017

Even in secular countries people are instinctively biased against atheists, a study has found. But the prejudice will hopefully die out soon, says Bob Holmes

First dogs may have been extremely sociable wolves

19 July 2017

Wolves and dogs that are friendliest to people carry mutations in genes with links to sociability, backing the idea that this was key in dog domestication

Sunflowers work together to avoid overcrowding and soak up rays

10 July 2017

In very dense fields, sunflowers self-organise into an alternating-tilt pattern that maximises exposure to sunlight

Bacteria release aphrodisiacs that put others in mood for sex

8 June 2017

Eros protein is the first evidence that bacteria regulate mating of other, non-bacterial creatures

Resurrected gene allows time travel to an Earth before oxygen

4 May 2017

Researchers have rebuilt the gene coding for an ancient form of the photosynthesis enzyme rubisco, which should tell us how life coped with oxygen-poor air

Martian life must be rare as free energy source remains untapped

4 May 2017

The amount of carbon monoxide in Mars’s atmosphere suggests that any existing bacteria that feed on it make up no more than one billionth of Earth’s biomass

Synthetic genes can make weird new proteins that actually work

3 May 2017

Throwing amino acids together has made a handful of proteins that help bacteria lacking certain enzymes survive, giving us a new route to useful molecules