Thursday, 9 February, 2012

Neglect, stress and abuse are all more common among the poor. New studies show that these factors can cause long-term changes in learning, brains and behavior, and suggest how to prevent damage in the vulnerable years. Could treating depressed mothers promote healthy interactions with their kids?

Changes in the junctions between nerve cells determine how well a bird will learn to sing. Regular change in these junctions helps the bird remember the song of its species, which it needs to learn to reproduce that song. Study could explain why older people have such trouble learning a new language.

To hide from hungry fish, this animal houses luminous bacteria. But what prevents the bacteria from reproducing and killing the squid? At last, a genetic a balancing mechanism is revealed.

Mad cow strikes United States. Government and industry try to reassure public, regulate cattle and dairy industries. And what about those deer with chronic wasting disease?

Protecting small fish may cause a genetic change that promotes slow-growing fish. Is it smarter to protect the large fish instead?