Extraordinary snakes

There’s an old wives tale that snakes hypnotise their prey, but a new study has revealed even more amazing – but real – goings-on in the snake world. Tentacled snakes (Erpaton tentaculatum) have evolved an astonishing way of tricking small fish into swimming right into their mouths. Kenneth Catania ...

RNA-away liver tumours

Scientists have used a genetic technique to successfully treat mice with liver tumours. Writing in the current edition of the journal Cell, Ohio State University researcher Jerry Mendell and his team describe how they have used short sequences of genetic material to block the growth of cancers. T...

Size does matter

Giant sperm have been found inside ancient fossil crustaceans, revealing just how long ago these enormous male sex cells evolved. The oceans 100 million years ago were full of males hotly competing with each other over who got the best mates. Publishing in the journal Science, Renate Matzke-Karasz ...

Social Networking in Fish

UK scientists have discovered that some fish learn by watching the experiences of others. Durham University scientist Jeremy Kendal, writing in the journal Behavioural Ecology, caught 270 sticklebacks from a local river.  The fish were divided into groups.  The first group were placed in ...

The Plight of the Bumblebees

We investigate why bee numbers are falling and what effect this will have on our agriculture.