How electric fish were able to evolve electric organs

Electric organs help electric fish, such as the electric eel, do all sorts of amazing things: They send and receive signals that are akin to bird songs, helping them to recognize other electric fish by species, sex and even ...

Gene editing gets safer thanks to redesigned Cas9 protein

One of the grand challenges with using CRISPR-based gene editing on humans is that the molecular machinery sometimes makes changes to the wrong section of a host's genome, creating the possibility that an attempt to repair ...

Fate of sinking tectonic plates revealed

Our world's surface is a jumble of jostling tectonic plates, with new ones emerging as others are pulled under. The ongoing cycle keeps our continents in motion and drives life on Earth. But what happens when a plate disappears ...

Water in bedrock is sustaining trees across country

You can't squeeze water from a rock. But tree roots can—and they're doing it more frequently than scientists previously thought, with a new study finding that bedrock is a regular source of water for trees across the United ...

Bird brains left other dinosaurs behind

Today, being "birdbrained" means forgetting where you left your keys or wallet. But 66 million years ago, it may have meant the difference between life and death—and may help explain why birds are the only dinosaurs left ...

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