MI weekly selection #200
Bumblebees’ emotional buzz charted
Happy bumblebees are productive bumblebees, according to a study published in Science that charted how the insects’ changing moods affected their decision-making behavior. The findings are the first clues that primitive emotional states exist in bees.
Astronomers see spiral arms surrounding new star for first time
Spiral arms like those of the Milky Way have been spotted for the first time around a brand-new star 450 light-years away. These results are the first detection of spiral density waves in the reservoir of gas and dust that surrounds a newborn star.
Ancient fossil raises new questions about how reptiles evolved
Researchers’ ideas on how reptiles evolved are being challenged by the newfound fossils of a creature that lived about 200 million years ago. The most unusual feature of Drepanosaurus, a reptile the size of a cat, was its huge, muscular arms and forearms, which did not have parallel bones.
Gaps in malaria migration record filled thanks to old blood drops
Drops of blood taken from malaria patients in Spain during the 1940s are helping researchers learn more about the disease’s migration. Scientists reconstructed the genomes of malaria parasites found in the blood to help fill in gaps in how the disease evolved and spread.
Scientists develop 3D-printed bone material
Researchers have developed 3D-printed bone replacement material that has worked well to quickly repair injuries in monkeys and rats. The highly flexible artificial bone could be used as a more economical, customized way to repair bones and promote quick recoveries.