From Science Magazine. HIV infects more than a million people every year worldwide. While decades of research have led to effective treatments and pre-exposure prophylactic (PrEP) drugs that have dramatically reduced the impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic, completely wiping the virus out has remained out of reach. Lenacapavir, a new twice-yearly PrEP injection, may be the…

From Science Magazine. After an oil spill, bacteria like Alcanivorax borkumensis can help the cleanup process, consuming oil and breaking it down. A group of biophysicists have observed how a biofilm forms around the oil and push and pull the oil’s surface into branching tubes. Watch the full-length video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwPVeiMYi-M Read the paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adf3345 Footage:…

From Science Magazine. Marine snow is the dead, discarded, and sloughed off organic matter that floats down to the sea floor like snowflakes. Originating from living organisms at the surface, then dropping down to the depths, it’s an important part of how the ocean captures carbon from the atmosphere. However, by analyzing the sinking patterns…

From Science Magazine. This flatworm species has the most extreme soldiers yet among parasites. When the nest of Haplorchis puilio is threatened, the soldiers crawl up to the foreign trematodes, attach their mouths, and expand their throats. The resulting vacuum blows a hole in the larger parasites, allowing the soldiers to suck out their guts.…

From Science Magazine. Northern elephant seals are invaluable partners in oceanographic research. By mounting sophisticated sensors on these large, round marine mammals, scientists gather crucial data on hard-to-access marine ecosystems. 00:00 Intro to UC Santa Cruz northern elephant seal research program 01:21 Monitoring seal health and foraging 02:03 Seals as smart sensors 03:14 Instruments to…

From Science Magazine. The amazon River maybe altered forever by #climatechange Photographer Dado Galdieri offers insight on how he approached covering the drought in the amazon for a news feature in the February 16, 2024 issue of Science. Footage: Patric Vanier and Dado Galdieri Music: Ruben Lozano/Pond5

From Science Magazine. After training in thousands of simulated environments, this bipedal robot named Digit could walk stably and adaptably in the real world.

From Science Magazine. Ten seconds before it charges, a marlin "turns on" its stripes. Then, when the attack is done, the marlin dials the contrast back down. Layers of colorful cells in their skin rapidly change shape to create the strong pattern. Read the article: https://www.science.org/content/article/watch-marlin-flash-bright-stripes-deadly-strike Footage: Alicia Burns Script: Sierra Boucher

From Science Magazine. When stressed, this comb jelly reverts to a larval form, then matures again when favorable conditions return. PHOTOS: Joan J. Soto-Anjel and Pawvel Burkhardt; Maria Pia Miglietta; Ganímendes/Wikimedia Commons STORY: E. Pennisi/Science

From Science Magazine. New studies combining genetics and neuroscience offer clues Centuries of selective breeding of Siamese fighting (betta) fish (Betta splendens) have produced the elaborate colors and patterns that have made them popular pets. But their early domestication was focused on a different signature trait: aggression. In this video, Andrés Bendesky and his team…

From Science Magazine. This jumping spider mimics the movements of ant species in its environment to avoid being eaten. The spider’s predators, such as praying mantis, pass up anything that might be an ant to avoid the ants’ painful bite. Read the story: https://www.science.org/content/article/watch-spider-crawl-ant-avoid-being-eaten

From Science Magazine. Turns out blueberries don’t have blue pigment. Instead, structural color from the waxy surface on blueberries gives them their signature color. Video by Sarah Crespi Footage: Middleton et al. (2024)/Science Advances Music: Nguyen Khoi Nguyen

From Science Magazine. In 1974, paleoanthropologist Don Johanson and student Tom Gray unearthed a 40% complete skeleton of an early human ancestor, fundamentally changing the human family tree. The specimen acquired a nickname that persisted: Lucy, after the Beatles song playing at the fossil hunter’s camp–“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” At 3.2 million years…

From Science Magazine. Developing athletic ability requires practice, even for robots. Using an approach driven by trial and error called deep reinforcement learning, researchers at DeepMind helped these soccer-playing robots develop skills, agility, and techniques to improve their play–all at a higher level than could be manually programmed. The computer “agents” controlling the robots picked…

From Science Magazine. Scientists have figured out why some miniaturized frogs from Brazil are such clumsy jumpers. A 2022 study published in Science Advances reveals that among adult vertebrates, members of the genus Brachycephalus have the smallest known semicircular canals – the part of the inner ear necessary for maintaining balance and spatial orientation. The…

From Science Magazine. In order to withstand the crashing waves, mussels have strong filaments called byssal threads to help them stick to rocky surfaces with surprising strength. When needed, the bivalves can also release these threads with seemingly little effort. Video by: Luke Groskin Link to video: https://youtu.be/63ge4qvz19E Link to paper: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.adi7401