A lightning strike can reshape a mineral’s crystal structure, according to a new study. Researchers once believed only meteorites
could do so.

A NASA camera aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite captured a unique view of the moon as it moved in front of
the sunlit side of Earth last month. The series of test images shows the fully illuminated ‘dark side’ of the moon that is never visible from Earth.

When it comes to body clocks, pandas are the rugged individualists of the forest. A research team that has spent years getting
unprecedented peeks into panda habits courtesy of five animals with GPS collars has learned their daily routines fall out of the ordinary.

Preconditioning adult corals to increased temperature and ocean acidification resulted in offspring that may be better able
to handle those future environmental stressors, a new study shows. This rapid trans-generational acclimatization may be able to ‘buy time’ for corals in the race against climate change.

Historical records from china stretching back over 400 years have been used to track changes in the distribution of gibbons,
which today are some of China’s most threatened species. This is one of the first instances of using ancient historical records to reconstruct the course of extinctions across several centuries.

Horses and humans use similar facial expressions to communicate, according to new research.

Scientists have, for the first time, found further evidence of how the differentiation of pluripotent cells is tied to and
controlled by the cell cycle clock. This deeper understanding of how cells become differentiated is extremely important when considering therapeutic potentials.

As temperatures rise, some of the organic carbon stored in Arctic permafrost meets an unexpected fate — burial at sea. As
many as 2.2 million metric tons of organic carbon per year are swept along by a single river system into arctic ocean sediment, according to a new study.

They are some of the most interesting and unique creatures in the oceans — deep-sea life. Most people can identify a shark
or sea turtle or whale, but many are shocked to see what a lanternfish or oarfish looks like. Deep-sea creatures can be down-right scary looking. Adding to the list of deep-sea creatures, marine biologists recently found a never-before seen species from the
deep waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Using photosynthetically active microorganisms, researchers have succeeded in manufacturing several biocatalysts suitable for
industrial application: a crucial step towards sustainable chemical processes, according to authors of a new report.

Counties in the united states with more beautiful weather and scenery have lower rates of membership and affiliation with religious
organizations, according to a study.

Two new species of submarine shrimp-like creature, capable of ‘stripping’ a pig carcass in a matter of days, have been discovered
by a team of scientists. These 3mm long scavenging crustaceans, known as amphipods, live in depths of up to 4500 metres in the North Atlantic Ocean. They act in swarms to strip the carcasses of dead marine animals, including whales, fish and seabirds.

The summer months are dangerous for indoor cats. A large number of cats have accidents every year when they fall out of open
windows or from balconies. Veterinarians strongly recommend keeping windows closed or to secure windows in an appropriate way.

Flowers can pose a grave danger to bees, a team of researchers has determined. The study is the first to show that not only
can bees disperse parasites around the environment but also that flowers are platforms for a host of pollinator parasites subsequently dispersed onto visiting bees. The finding may affect the national and international trade of flowers unless sterilization
of parasites on these flowers can be guaranteed.

Eating spicy food more frequently as part of a daily diet is associated with a lower risk of death, suggests a new study. The
association was also found for deaths from certain conditions such as cancer, and ischemic heart and respiratory diseases.

Greenhouse-gas emissions from human activities do not only cause rapid warming of the seas, but also ocean acidification at
an unprecedented rate. Artificial carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere has been proposed to reduce both risks to marine life. A new study based on computer calculations now shows that this strategy would not work if applied too late. CDR cannot
compensate for soaring business-as-usual emissions throughout the century and beyond.

The notion that septic tanks prevent fecal bacteria from seeping into rivers and lakes simply doesn’t hold water, says a new
study. A team of water detectives has discovered freshwater contamination stemming from septic systems.

To cut down on the barrage of sensory information, the human brain ignores input caused by eye movements. Researchers have
found a similar process in flies, whose brains shut out input generated by flight turns. This discovery gives researchers a new tool with which to study this silencing process.

The first known toxin of the pathogenic bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been described by scientists. This necrotizing
toxin is the founding member of a novel class of previously unrecognized toxins present in 246 bacterial and fungal species.

Consumers are more likely to buy meat that is identified as a US product, but that effect diminishes if they are told that
processing standards in other countries are equivalent to US standards.