Alzheimer's disease is associated with the buildup of toxic amyloid plaques, which may be responsible for neuronal death. A vaccine has been developed against the plaque, which helps clear the plaques.
For high speed internet access in disaster scenarios, researchers have developed a decentralised protocol to help route traffic around downed nodes.
Snake packs! Imagine being set upon by a pack of snakes, flanking you from the sides and cutting off your escape. Clever girl. Unfortunately, they're hunting bats outside their caves, so as bat populations fall, these pack-snakes might die out.
Sherpas have been living in the Tibetan plateau for thousands of years, and it seems like they have evolved to have mitochondria with higher oxygen efficiency. Related: SSC has an interesting piece on why Jews evolved to be smarter. There are also a couple arguments against in the comments.
A goat born with one eye. That is all.
Spider venom turned into a drug delivery method.
We can unconsciously sense sick people before we consciously realise it. All makes us wonder how much unconscious processing is going on behind the scenes.
First off, apparently we can transplant hands and make them functional. Secondly, the brain remodels upon amputation and reattachment.
How does reading shape the brain? A study looking at the brains of illiterate adults as they learn how to read. Changes in the brainstem and thalamus sync up with the visual cortex, allowing the brain to properly parse visual input.
Another reason not to declaw your cat. They become more aggressive. And more difficult to toilet train.
Copper catalyst can help destroy the botulism toxin.
Honeybees which live in the mountains versus the savanna have genetic differences in learning and foraging.
My favourite this week: blind cavefish spend their entire lives swimming in widdershins circles, because their skull is slightly bent to the left.
Humans are more likely to marry those with the same number of CAG repeats. Which is quite strange, as it implies that the repeats have some phenotypic effect. They only look at the DNA of the children, though, so crossover effects might confound this result.