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Hints of Life’s Start Found in a Giant Virus
Newly discovered specimens support a more ancient origin for viruses, perhaps all the way back to the origins of life.
The Game Theory of Life
An insight borrowed from computer science suggests that evolution values both fitness and diversity.
Evolving With a Little Help From Our Friends
A new theory suggests that cooperation between a host and its microbes may be a significant evolutionary force.
Inside the Din, Cells Fight Noise With Noise
Is the random noise inside a cell a nuisance, or have cells evolved ways to put it to work?
In Bees, a Hunt for Roots of Social Behavior
By comparing the genomes of social and solitary bees, scientists hope to uncover the basis for communal behavior.
Early Life in Death Valley
Evidence from Southwestern deserts suggests that oxygen-breathing organisms arose on land rather than in the seas.
The Remarkable Self-Organization of Ants
Knowing the rules behind ant-made structures could help scientists understand how other complex systems emerge in nature.
A Fundamental Theory to Model the Mind
Support is growing for a decades-old physics idea suggesting that localized episodes of disordered brain activity help keep the overall system in healthy balance.
Does Competition Drive Diversity of Species?
A large new study of ovenbird lineages questions the extent to which competing species push each other to evolve.