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4 articles from ScienceNOW

Odd cave bacterium forms a multicellular ‘body,’ like plants and animals

A newly described bacterium is shaking up what it means to be a complex organism. The bizarre microbe, found by Japanese ecologists seeking biodegradable plastics, starts out as a single cell. But instead of remaining a single cell like most microbes, it then develops an organized body comprised of hundreds of cells. When the time is right, the cellular conglomeration shoots out a new...

Was a study that created a hybrid COVID-19 virus too risky?

This week, Twitter exploded with outrage about a study that seemed to have created a Frankenstein COVID-19 virus: a version of SARS-CoV-2 that combines Omicron, the fast-spreading but relatively mild variant that’s now everywhere, and a deadlier strain from early in the pandemic. The labmade virus killed 80% of mice infected with it, compared with no deaths with the unmodified Omicron...

Hopes for rebuilding giant Arecibo telescope appear dead

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, for decades the home of the world’s largest radio telescope, will be an astronomical observatory no more. The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) last week said it intends to transform the facility, which suffered fatal damage to its massive dish in 2020, into a center for education and outreach in science, technology, engineering, and math...

Climate change could quiet prairie birds’ chirping

A bird sings on the prairie and nobody can hear it. Forget whether it makes a sound—biologists want to know why it went unheard. Drier conditions intensified by climate change might be responsible, a new study finds, because birdsong doesn’t travel as far in dry air. That could have harmful consequences for birds trying to defend their territories or find a mate. The study is...