Cult sacrifices might have domesticated cats

From Science Magazine. Ancient bones and DNA from cats across Europe and the Mediterranean suggest they may have been domesticated in Egypt after all—possibly as recently as 3000 years ago. Read the story here: https://www.science.org/content/article/did-cult-sacrifices-ancient-egypt-give-rise-cat 📷: METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART; SUE CRO/FLICKR; KRZYSZTOF BABRAJ/ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM IN KRAKOW; NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, LONDON/BRIDGEMAN IMAGES; ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM/HERITAGE IMAGES/GETTY…

Putting mysterious cellular structures to use

From Science Magazine. The function of vaults remains mysterious, but synthetic versions could act as delivery vehicles for cancer drugs and gene therapy. Read the story: https://www.science.org/content/article/biologist-aims-solve-cell-s-biggest-mystery-could-it-help-cancer-patients-too 🎨: A. FISHER/SCIENCE 📷: N. KEDERSHA AND L. ROME/JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY; WENDELL SMITH/FLICKR; MAGGIE JONES/FLICKR 🎶 CHRIS BURNS

How AI can read the emotion of animals

From Science Magazine. Scientists around the world are turning to AI to decipher the facial expressions of animals, from sheep to horses to cats. Some have already developed algorithms that are faster and more accurate at recognizing signs of distress than the most attentive humans. Read the story: https://www.science.org/content/article/can-ai-read-pain-and-other-emotions-your-dog-s-face 📷: C. LESTÉ-LASSERRE/SCIENCE; HANSEN ET AL.…

These squirrels go months without water

From Science Magazine. During hibernation, thirteen-lined ground squirrels enter a restful state known as torpor, punctuated by periods of activity known as interbout arousal. Throughout these active stretches, squirrels never consume water—even if it’s offered to them. Read the paper: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.adp8358?af=R 🎞️: LUKE GROSKIN 🎥: MADDY JUNKINS; ELENA GRACHEVA; BLACKBOXGUILD/POND5 🎶: NJ CURRY/TRIPLE SCOOP

How the Trump administration is dismantling science

From Science Magazine. Executive orders, sweeping budget cuts, and other actions in the first 100 days of the Trump administration have had innumerable impacts on science in the United States and throughout the world. The scientific workforce, biomedical research, and global health initiatives all face widespread, perhaps permanent damage. Science news staff weigh in on…

Treating autoimmune disease using your own cells

From Science Magazine. Lupus, multiple sclerosis, and other autoimmune diseases all result from a treacherous immune system attacking a person’s own healthy tissue. Last year, a new approach, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, yielded striking improvements in seriously ill patients, opening what may be a new chapter in autoimmune disease treatment. Read the story:…

Your eyelashes’ special curve

From Science Magazine. Human eyelashes are good for more than just catching dust and looking pretty: As researchers report in Science Advances, they also actively fling water droplets away from the #eyes, helping to keep vision clear when we swim, sweat, and cry (or shower) 📝: P. JACOBS/SCIENCE 🎞️: K. MCLEAN/SCIENCE 🎥: ZHOU ET AL./SCIENCE…

A new way to snoop on insect swoops and swirls

From Science Magazine. Read the paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adm7689 0:00 Current approaches to capturing insect flight 1:14 How the new tracking system works 2:42 Recording locusts and bees in the field 3:40 Mounting the tracking system onto a drone 4:58 Insects to observe in the future Other research featured in the video: Dragonfly loop-the-loops: https://www.science.org/content/article/absolutely-insane-dragonfly-s-extreme-loop-loops-are-unparalleled-nature Bode Oke…

How lizard peel their tails off

From Science Magazine. To get out of sticky situations, some lizards detach their tails from their bodies and scurry away. Scientists have long wondered how the bones and muscles in these tails—which help with balance and movement—can sever with ease when needed, but stay firmly in place when not. 🎥: NAVAJIT S. BAVAN; NYU ABU…